
This month’s dispatch, after a brief summer hiatus, is from Italy as Aisla McArthur discusses her experience
of language learning in Florence, during the pandemic, as she also learns the role of non-formal language
acquisition.
A trip to Florence in 2020 seemed like a pipe dream just a few weeks ago. This year was hardly the prosperous start to a new decade that most of us had anticipated. Having been cooped up in quarantine, like the other responsible citizens of the UK, I was understandably itching to get out of the house. Between endless quizzes, cocktail nights
and gardening, the days had really started to blur together. The plan to return to Italy became a real possibility, and a strong desire, when my university sent me extra work to do as reparation for not spending the required time in Italy.
Read more in our magazine Silly Linguistics and get access to all previous issues at no extra charge
