“I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book.” –Groucho Marx
Television as a way to learn a foreign language is by no means a new concept. Since its inception in the late 1940s, newcomers have been using TV as a means to help them absorb their new language, and more importantly, to assimilate into their new culture. The conventional wisdom of linguists is there’s no relationship between watching television and mastering a language. I beg to differ. Based on only nonscientific anecdotal evidence (me), I assert that watching TV is a super supplement to other means of learning because it gives the viewer verbal as well as visual cues. You can look at it as a “workbook” in a box. With respect to colloquialisms that are spoken in everyday life, what better place to soak up slang than from a reality show or afternoon soap opera? After all, if it’s your intention to fit in and become part of your community, you’ll want to become familiar with the common vernacular.
Pantofolaio (Couch Potato) Beware!
Of course, it’s important to take an interactive role in 
your “boob tubing”. Passively sitting back and letting the information wash over you isn’t going to cut it. Obviously television alone cannot replace formal training in grammar and vocabulary. However, if used deliberately and thoughtfully, TV can be an effective way to enhance your proficiency in three particular areas: pronunciation, commonly used expressions/vocabulary and popular trends.
Italian All day, every day
Wake up and turn on your television set. You don’t necessarily have to be watching it to get the benefit – the background noise of Italians in conversation is seeping in. By bombarding your brain with the spoken word, you can train your “ear” to the musical rhythm and cadence of this beautiful language, and repeating words and phrases out loud helps with pronunciation. It’s like gymnastics for your tongue – reminding you of the importance of enunciating each and every letter to avoid changing a word’s meaning entirely, i.e., penne (a kind of pasta) and pene (penis). Otherwise, dialogue at the supermarket could get pretty interesting.
Are you listening to me?
Eavesdropping in public places – awkward. Watching a talk show in your living room – a much more relaxing way to pick up idioms in context (and with the accompanying hand gestures). Once I’d heard a phase used over and over, I would ask a friend its meaning and how to use it. For example, “Secondo me” came up a lot on political talk shows. I learned that it meant “in my opinion/in my view”. Once it made sense to me in its proper context, I could begin using it with confidence in my own conversations.
Around the Water Cooler
You get a pretty good idea of the political climate of the country, its mores, values and attitudes with a healthy diet of current affairs programming. Who and what are in fashion can easily be gleaned from entertainment news and nighttime talk shows.
CATEGORICALLY SPEAKING…Types of Shows that give you the most “bang for your buck”:
#1 – Trivial Pursuit (Trivia Shows)
Millionario is one of my favorites. Gerry Scotti, (the Ryan Seacrest of Italy) hosts this country’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. The beauty of this show is that along with the questions posed to the contestant, you can read the question and possible answers on the screen. Are you a genius in English and Italian?
#2 -Games People Play (Game Shows)
La Routa della Fortuna is the Italian “Wheel of Fortune”. Enrico Papi is clever and better looking than Pat Sajak, but the real fun is kooky Victoria Silvstedt, a former Swedish Playboy Playmate ( “Vanna White‘s” counterpart). It turns out crossword puzzles are a lot easier in your native tongue. This show is a surprising mixture of trash TV and educational programming rolled into one crazy format. A wacky way to learn vocabulary!
#3 – Series, Seriously (Episodic Series)
There’s a plethora of serial dramas and sitcoms – many imported from America – that are broadcast weekly (Commissario Montablano, CSI, Law and Order, House, Friends, etc.). I discovered that you can set most televisions to the closed captioning mode which allows you to watch and read the programs in Italian at the same time. It really works!
Television Tower of Babel
It all comes down to one thing: communicating. 
It seems television has become our modern day Tower of Babel that works to promote understanding by uniting people while acting as a sort of cultural equalizer. TV can make the world seem not just smaller, but downright miniscule. So, stay tuned!
by Toni DeBella
Orvieto or Bust: 
Thanks for the word pantofolaio (couch potato), it’s one of those great words to know but never get around to learning…
Hi Gian, you have just given me a great idea for a future post…”great Italian words to know but never get around to learning”! Can I have your permission to steal it if I promise to give you credit in the article? I am starting a list! Got any others that you can send me? Toni
OK, here is a partial list of words I grew up with from the Piemontese and Sicilian sides of my family:
Gnuff gnuff: A nerd who stumbles over his words.(Piemonte)
Densciun: A Big Tooth; a person who is always foolishly smiling.(Piemonte)
Gnurontun: A “big” ignorant person. (Piemonte)
Potata: Potato; an idiot. (pan Italian)
Schifitignuzzu: Idiot (Sicily)
Nanfarusu: Knucklehead (Sicily)
Ba bao: Idiot (pan Italian)
Nazaca: Nosy (Piemonte)
Garun: One who eats fast and sloppy (Piemonte)
Galun: The waddles under an aging person’s chin, as in a rooster’s, from gallo. (Piemonte)
Then there is the endearing word “Cacabon” (good “poop”) that my grandmother used to call all of us kids but that’s another story, very sweet.
I couldn’t agree more -When I started learning Italian, I bought a satellite dish to perch on my Oxfordshire house to pick up Italian TV, well I thought English Television had gone to the dogs and no longer watched it, but Berlusconi TV was far worse in both production values and content! So many bosoms and plastic surgery – and that was just the news presenters…
What I did gain, however, was a very quick understanding of the musicality and cadence of everyday Italian speech, memorable short ‘linking’ words,
‘quindi, insomma, inansitutto,’ that all sink in when learning this bella lingua. What better way to inform an outsider to a snapshot of Italian life that a selection of programmes that reflect aspects of it’s culture.
I also have to rely on my Italian subtitle mode to help me with the Commissario del Montalbano the Scilian accent is a little hard to follow. Great Post!
Thanks Lulu: Weird Italian television: that is a whole other subject for a post!!!! Well, American television isn’t too far behind Italy – there should be a warning on reality TV “This program may rot your brain”. But as you say, TV reflects the country’s culture and it’s useful information about what you are getting into. I forgot about “insomma” -great word!. I’ll never forget watching a political talk show and there was a women panelist sitting on a stool in a low cut, short black dress and heels. While she was giving her opinion about the state of Italy’s economy the cameraman was panning up from her feet, slowly to her head (slowing down at her chest). My mouth almost hit the floor! Fascinating. Thanks for writing. Buona sera. t
How true! I learned more Italian by watching Wheel of Fortune and Murder, She Wrote than a year of language classes 😉
Rebecca, There is an “education” and then there is an “EDUCATION”…the real world is the best teacher sometimes! Thanks for writing.toni 🙂
I agree watching Italian Millionaire is a good way to pick up Italian words. I was watching it in Italy last week and was wondering how I could get it back in America. And Yes! The political talk show….the woman in the short dress….the camera paning from the shoes up, slowing down at her chest….I couldn’t believe it!! Those Italians-gotta love em!
Hi again!! 🙂 I know! Italian TV has got its good and bad points…but we Americans have no room to talk…can you say? Jersey Shore, The Real Housewives of____, etc….I mean its never good to objectify women, but in America the practice is sometimes more subtle. At least in Italy it’s out in the open – The Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1960s made strides, but we have some way to go. Hope you had a good “pisolino” today. Toni
For some reason though I consider Italian television horrible that while visiting the country I become addicted to it such as I do with same style Latin American programs here in the States. There’s a joy and even innocence about it whereas with so much of American programing one finds horribly depressing subjects, I’d much rather watch the Italian over-the-top variety shows while hearing myself smilingly repeat over and over “I can’t believe what I just saw, ha!”
I wish I could pick up Italian by osmosis! In the past I have watched gameshows – but only Millionario and a couple on Rai 1 (the names escape me at the moment). And Montalbano is my favourite series!
Cathy, Montablano….he is so dreamy!!! I am assuming that your husband speaks English
Cathy, Montablano …he is so dreamy…It is always annoying to me that I have to work so hard at the language that I should have learned at home, however my grandparents didn’t teach my father Italian. They were of that generation of Italian immigrants who wanted their children to be American and only speak English, hence, the thousands of dollars spent in Italian language schools…Thanks for writing. Toni