Italian Memory

Yesterday I watched many videos about stereotypes on YouTube. It’s very funny how foreigners imitate Italians. It was like I expected. When I ask my foreign friends how they see Italians they always repeat me these words: pizza, spaghetti, mandolino, mafia. I realised that I needed more information about this organisation called mafia, this Italian phenomenon. I tried to use YouTube to find some information. I wonder if our generation have an idea of the tragic events that occurred in Italy 15 years ago, in 1992. It’s extremely important to know our recent history. I think something has changed but there are still writers like Saviano who has to live under escort. Nowadays public opinion has a great influence and if we give importance to these news and facts things can change. Like a great man once said: ‘Mafia is a human phenomenon and as a human phenomenon it has a beginning and an end.’

I invite you to watch these videos. In the first one you can see some shocking photos but this kind of reportage had been broadcasted on Italian national television. So I decided to put it on my blog.

YouTube (E-tivity 7)

YouTube is a video sharing tool among the web 2.0 tools we’re experiencing during our English course. YouTube is known and used all over the world. The problem is how people use it. On this web site you can find every kind of videos. Some are really clever like the one we watched about iRack. Others are funny like the one about languages interpreter. But you have to pay attention because there are some others which are stupid or vulgar. Current events showed us how young students put stupid or offensive videos on YouTube. So I want to repeat that the important thing is how you use this tool and what are you looking for.


I like to show you this funny video which is strictly connected with stereotypes. The title is ‘French learning English’ and it’s performed by a well known actor.

I’m doubtful about the use of YouTube for my English language learning. I looked for something connected with ESL/EFL learning. I found videos of English lessons that cannot be really useful for us. The only interesting thing I found is a video which explains how to write an essay.


Even if I don’t think YouTube can be of real interest for our language learning, I admit that it’s a great tool that can be used for other purposes. You could say what you want through a video without censorship. Certainly you have to keep in mind a certain ethics and a sense of respect for other people. From this point of view YouTube seems to me a very democratic tool.