Come Si Dice...English?

Perhaps the number one complaint of visitors to Rome is how few people speak English. But this is not at all due to nationalist or protectionist measures. Italians are now studying English more than ever before. Unfortunately many never received a good English education at school. And unlike other European countries, there are no English programs on public t.v .stations: American films and programs are always dubbed and never presented with subtitles.However this should not cause any problems for English speaking tourists and short term residents since there are plenty of English resources available.

For those looking to land a vatican guide with excellent English, one has to do a bit of research. Audio guides of such sites are not always optimal, since the English spoken on the recorded vatican guide is not always be entirely comprehensible. Some agencies handpick guides from the U.S., Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia and South Africa in order to provide high quality rome tours and vatican tours.

One of the most widely used points of reference is www.wantedinrome.com. This is a weekly journal that comes out every Wednesday and provides information on events in Rome, accommodation, upcoming strikes, protests, festivals etc.  It also provides listings of cinemas and theatres. It is available in hardcopy at news stands in the city center. www.englishyellowpages.itwww.craigslist.org/rome has only been launched recently, however it is another forum where people can ask questions, exchange tips, buy and sell products, in English. is an electronic source that also provides lots of handy links and contacts for those who plan short term or long term stays in Rome.

There are also several locations in Rome that offer bulletin boards and are points of reference for English speakers.  This is more useful for those intending medium-long term stays.  The main one is Feltrinelli International located in Piazza Reppublica. It also offers a wide variety of English books, magazines and newspapers, for those bookworms craving a few words in English.

Remember it is best to be patient and not necessarily expect or assume that every person speaks English.  And see if you can pick up a few words of Italian here and there yourself.  Travelling is always a learning experience.

© Copyright 2008, When In Rome Tours

When In Rome tours is a small company dedicated to providing innovative and thought-provoking Vatican Tours and Rome Tours for all audiences. Native-level English speaking guides of Rome and Italy help the tourist to discern between documented history and legend,  bringing the Eternal City to life like no other tour provider.

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