Miscommunication in Italy

Although you can get by in Rome without knowing Italian, I do encounter situations often where language is a barrier and gesturing is usually the best way to communicate. For instance, often servers at small cafes will not speak English as you are placing a food order. However, menus are often distinguishable (sometimes they have an English version, but you will also adjust to common dishes in Italy and find they are similar, if not the same, to what they are called in English) and you can point to what you would like to order. Even though pointing will communicate the dish of choice, I think it is good to put effort into attempting to pronounce the food at the same time in the native tongue out. From my experience, Italians appreciate this effort. I also learned a gesture in Italian where you put your pointer finger on your cheek and twist it back and forth to show that a meal was satisfying. I’ve used that before in restaurants when waiters ask how the food is.

The language, although beautiful and one of my favorite aspects of Italy, can lead to miscommunication gone awry. One morning I went to a café on the way to school and ordered a cappuccino to take away. He poured the coffee in a cup, laid a lid on top, and put the entire thing in box before handing it to me. The gentleman then gestured to the lid of the coffee with his hand and said something in Italian. I saw that the lid was not pressed down all the way, so by his gesture I assumed he had told me to be careful and that the lid wasn’t sealed properly. I said thank you and then quickly smooshed the lid down close, which caused the foam of my cappuccino to bubble up and out, all over the tray below. He shook his head in frustration and yelled, “Mama Mia!” Clearly he was trying to tell me not to push the cap down, but the miscommunication led me to shoving it on regardless. I laughed, he was less amused by it all.

In terms of go-to phrases, I’ve learned to memorize, “un biglietto per favore” for ordering a bus ticket from a magazine stand (translation: one ticket please). The workers at the stands almost never speak English, so it’s been helpful to memorize the phrase. You can also replace ‘biglietto’, meaning ticket, with caffe or latte as necessary throughout the day!