Listening
Questions
Welcome to Italy – land of pizza, pasta… and Itaglish.
Hi, I’m Teacher Ory, and this is the first entry in my diary as an English mother tongue teacher in Italy.
According to the EF English Proficiency Index, Italy hovers at a “moderate proficiency” level. Not bad, right? So why do so many Italians still say “he go” instead of “he goes”?
It’s not for lack of trying. Italian students start learning English in primary school. The problem? Teachers who actually speak English are rare. Students spend years conjugating to be, yet freeze when asked “What’s your name?”
The textbooks? Straight from a time capsule: “Hello, my name is John.” And yes, “The pen is on the table” is still in there — after 40 years!
Many Italian English teachers are grammar experts… in Italian. But spoken English? That’s another story. “Think” becomes “sink,” “beach” becomes… well, you get it. And don’t even get me started on “can’t.”
Their devotion to grammar is unmatched — every comma matters, every mistake is a crisis. And guess what? They even correct native speakers (in Italian, of course!).
Thankfully, things are changing. TikTok, Netflix, YouTube, and video games are finally helping Italians hear real English. Just don’t try using it in class. That would be heresy!
Despite everything, I’ve created a method that works — The Get Going Method. It gets Italians speaking. Yes, actually speaking English! And guess what? It’s proudly Made in Italy.
Until next time, this is your exhausted but hopeful English teacher, Ory.
Arrivederci from Episode 1!
Follow me on my social channels: https://linktr.ee/getgoingexperience_pod
Answers
The teacher’s name in this podcast is Teacher Ory.
Teacher Ory teaches in Italy.
The two foods mentioned at the beginning are pizza and pasta.
Many Italians still say “he go” instead of “he goes.”
Italian students start learning English in primary school.
The sentence “The pen is on the table” is still in the textbooks after 40 years.
The problem is that many Italian English teachers can’t speak English well.
Platforms like TikTok, Netflix, YouTube, and video games help young people learn modern English.
Teacher Ory says she created a method called The Get Going Method that helps Italians speak real English.
It is the Get Going Method.
