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READERS' VIEWS - BILINGUAL FAMILIES

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

‘I see English as a present I’m giving them’

Living in a bilingual family can be challenging, as The Local found out earlier this week by speaking to a mother and her daughter. Here our readers share their own experiences of balancing their multilingual lives.

Published: 5 September 2014 17:17 CEST
'I see English as a present I'm giving them'
The Local readers have had mixed experiences of biligual families. Language photo: Shutterstock

Yesterday we published an article that reported on the personal experiences of a mother and a daughter about growing up bilingual. They both talked about their different feelings of frustration in overcoming their own challenge as there were times during which one language prevailed over the other.

READ MORE: 'Growing up bilingual can be a challenge'

As many people grow up bilingual, it is not surprising that everyone has their own personal experience and opinion regarding the topic. Many readers shared their own and here is a selection of some of their comments:

“I too grew up bilingual as did my siblings. From what I can remember, I never felt any frustrations towards what language to use. In fact quite the opposite. I felt free to communicate with a vast amount of people who, it turned out gave me encouragement and adulation because I could speak two languages fluently.

“I also want to point out that even if a child feels a bit a frustration over this, it's not a bad thing and should never be seen as something that needs to be avoided.” Comment posted by eduardoarellano.

“I too am an English mother growing up two bilingual children in Italy. Mine go to an Italian speaking nursery school, and are already replying to me in Italian, however a steady stream of English books; films; cartoons; guests from the UK (plus the CBeebies website!), and me speaking entirely in English help us to redress the balance.

“If at some point they refuse, I won't hesitate to use the same technique as the lady above. I see English as a present I'm giving to them, and I won't give up easily and I know long term it will help.” Comment posted by Amy Robins.

“Neither of my two sons ever had the slightest problem handling English and Danish through their formative years. Today both languages are their mother tongue. Their father being British and I Danish.” Comment posted by Jette Mackenzie. 

“Recently moved back to England with my two teenage daughters after nine years in Italy and they speak both Italian and English fluently. We spoke English at home and they spoke Italian at school and with their friends etc. They didn't know a word of Italian when we first moved out there.

"I can't pretend it was easy for them to begin with and we were told by the teachers to speak Italian with them, which would have been a disaster as neither myself nor my husband are mother tongue, so we continued English at home and Italian outside of home and I am very glad that we did. They have also learnt the local dialect as well.” Comment posted by Elizabeth Riccitelli via Facebook.

"I do not see the bilingual upbringing as a challenge, rather a necessity. I grew up with four languages (Swedish, Danish, English and German) due to various circumstances. Kids are like sponges, learning languages comes naturally to them and is not something that needs to be 'acquired' as it is does for people in later in life.

"We did always keep my native Swedish at home, which I recommend. It is a shame to lose a native language due to laziness." Comment by Jesper Kähr via email.

“Our daughter is three years old and she has started to mix English and Italian. She finds it easier to reply in English but she understands everything that I say and the answer is always coherent with the question. When we are in Rome she tries harder to speak Italian, as my parents don’t speak English so I think it’s just a question of being patient”. Comment posted by Silvia Pensa via Facebook.

“My daughter, now 22, grew up in Italy with an English mum (me) and an Italian father. Her first language has always been Italian but I've above all always spoken English to her. She always watched videos and TV programmes in English while growing up. She has never found it a challenge or strange or difficult. It just becomes a normal part of everyday life and objects have 'two names' instead of just one.” Comment posted by Katherine Roycroft via Facebook.

“I hope that my three children are just going through the period where I talked to them in Italian and they reply in English. But it’s been like this for years.” Comment posted by Roberto Sartoni via Facebook. 

"I'm a retired American and have lived in Italy for ten years. Two of my three children were born in Germany to myself and my Danish wife. The oldest child married a French woman and they live with three children in Zurich. The next married a German woman and they live with a son in Cologne. The youngest married a Swedish woman and they live with three children in Uppsala. All come to Italy yearly and the grandchildren speak English with each other.

"The problem I see is that there are no Italian children their ages (five to 13) who speak English! Whereas my grandchildren speak English, German, Swiss German, Swedish and French. I find it incredible the lack of language abilities in Italian children. This is a serious problem for the future of Italy." Comment by Paul Pekar via email. 

By Tiziana Buscemi

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HEALTH

Pregnancy in Italy: What are all the tests you’ll need to have?

Italy’s healthcare system offers tons of free testing during pregnancy, but how many tests are there exactly, and are they free of charge? Here’s what to expect and when.

Published: 29 May 2023 14:17 CEST
Pregnancy in Italy: What are all the tests you'll need to have?

Expecting a baby can be an anxiety-inducing experience, no doubt. Fortunately, Italy is rightfully famous for its healthcare system, which produces some of the world’s best maternal health outcomes.

Part of the secret to that success is a robust schedule of testing that residents can access for free as part of their pregnancy.

In fact, the amount of testing offered during pregnancy in Italy can be surprising to those who aren’t familiar with the Italian health service.

Here’s what to expect:

Getting started: the first appointment (6-11 weeks)

Before you can get any testing done, you will need to arrange for a first appointment with an obstetrician via a local hospital, private clinic, or family counselling center.

In the early stages, your pregnancy will be dated to the first day of your last menstruation, so be prepared to provide that date a lot. It will be included on all your paperwork as you go from provider to provider.

READ ALSO: Pregnancy in Italy: What are the options for public or private healthcare?

Your first appointment should generally be scheduled after the sixth week of pregnancy, so that the fetus is clearly visible on an ultrasound, and ideally before 11 weeks. Because there are sometimes delays in securing appointments, it makes sense to plan ahead as much as possible.

At this first appointment, you’ll get a general orientation to the process laid out below and be scheduled for future check-ups. You’ll get a basic physical and they’ll take a full medical history.

Then, you’ll be scheduled for your first battery of tests to establish a baseline of health and confirm your pregnancy.

On the first visit, or shortly thereafter, you’ll receive the following tests free of charge:

  • A first ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy and determine the age of the fetus;
  • A Pap (smear) test, if one has not been performed in the last three years;
  • A series of blood tests to check for blood type, blood sugar, red cell antibodies (the Coombs test), rubella, toxoplasmosis, syphilis and HIV; and
  • A urine test.

If you’re deemed at risk for Hepatitis C, chlamydia or gonorrhea, you may also receive tests for these as well.

The Bi-Test (11-14 weeks)

Starting at 11 weeks, you’ll be eligible for the so-called Bi-Test or Combined Test, which screens for common genetic and developmental disorders.

Until 2017, this test was only free for women over 35, but it’s since been made a standard part of pregnancy health screening in Italy.

A midwife monitoring a pregnant woman. (Photo by MYCHELE DANIAU / AFP)

The non-invasive test involves an additional blood sample and ultrasound between 11 and 14 weeks that checks for abnormalities in the fluid beneath the fetus’ neck.

Because the test is only about 92 percent accurate, if it detects any issues, your physician will refer you for follow-up testing — either non-invasive DNA testing, which is more accurate, or an invasive amniocentesis procedure, which samples a small amount of cells from your amniotic fluid and provides a definitive positive or negative result.

READ ALSO: 15 practical tips for pregnancy in Italy

If you miss the window for the bi-test, there’s an optional non-invasive blood test known as the tri-test, available from the third trimester, that can screen for the same issues. It also tests for neural tube defects, another common disorder.

These tests are optional but are covered by the national health service. In practice though, whether you can access this test for free depends on whether there is a trained, public technician in your area.

In some regions, only the invasive tests can be performed in the public system.

Regular checkups

After these initial tests, you’ll be scheduled for regular checkups every month to 40 days. At these checkups, you’ll receive a basic physical and blood pressure check and your doctor may listen for the fetus’ heartbeat.

You’ll also be regularly tested for toxoplasmosis, rubella, and your blood glucose levels, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves a lot.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Sometime between 24 and 28 weeks, you’ll receive another urine test, and at 28 weeks, you’ll be scheduled for another round of the Coombs test, which checks for red cell antibodies.

All of these tests are simply part of ensuring your health and that of the baby is ideal as you head into the later stages of pregnancy.

Depending on your hospital or physician, you may also receive additional ultrasounds during this period. Most Italian women report receiving an average of 4 to 5 ultrasounds over the course of the pregnancy, despite only two being required by law.

Second ultrasound (19-21 weeks)

At minimum, your second ultrasound should occur between 19 and 21 weeks, and this is the big one — your fetus should be looking like a baby and you are likely to be able to determine the sex.

If you don’t want to know the sex of the baby, you should speak to your gynecologist in advance. They can withhold the information, or even provide it in a sealed envelope to a trusted friend if you are planning on organizing a reveal.

Third trimester: Tests, tests, and more tests

By the 28th week, you may be recommended for a follow-up ultrasound if your doctor has any concerns about the baby’s development.

You’ll also receive another blood test, including a Coombs test, and will be scheduled for tests for toxoplasmosis, Hepatitis B, HIV, syphilis, and vaginal streptococcus, to occur sometime between 33 and 38 weeks.

Lastly, you’ll also be required to do another urine sample between 33 and 38 weeks, to ensure you won’t have a urinary tract infection at the time of delivery.

More tests?

The above is just a baseline — your doctor may order additional tests if they are concerned about any aspect of you or your baby’s health.

If anything goes wrong with your pregnancy, you may be referred to specialist care. This should all be free of charge, so long as they are requested by a physician in the public system. (If you opt for private care, you may be required to pay fees for these same services.)

After delivery

The Italian national health service also covers postpartum care, including psychiatric screening and postpartum counselling. If you are experiencing signs of postpartum depression, it’s worth talking to your doctor about referrals to this care.

The cost of birthing and parenting courses are also covered by the government, so ask your physician about what is available in your area.

READ ALSO: Who can register for national healthcare in Italy?

All these tests are available free of charge to EU citizens regardless of whether or not they have an Italian health card (tessera sanitaria). Any non-EU citizens with a long-stay visa (permesso di soggiorno) may access them also with referral from a physician.

If you do not have a visa or are undocumented, you can access many of these services via a local family counselling center (consultorio familiare), which are obligated by law to provide care to all women irrespective of immigration status.

Keep in mind that if you opt for a private gynecologist or pregnancy clinic, you may have to pay extra for tests available for free from public hospitals. Price lists are rarely posted online, so do your research before choosing a provider.

For more information about healthcare during pregnancy in Italy, see the health ministry’s official website here.

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