Maria's grandparents spoke Sorrentino Italian to her as a child. From 1958 to 1972 she understood it. Then her grandparents died. She spent fifty-plus years 'understanding without speaking' — comprehending family conversations but unable to participate. At 67, retired, with grandchildren of her own, she decided to reactivate.
I thought I had missed my chance with Italian. I was wrong. Antonella found a way to bring back the Italian my grandmother spoke to me — Sorrentino dialect that none of the Roman textbooks teach.
At month 4, Maria's 10-year-old granddaughter Sofia asked to join. Antonella restructured one session into an intergenerational format. Now Maria and Sofia speak Italian to each other on Saturdays. Maria's son joined too. Three generations, one language, one tutor. Maria says she should have started forty years ago.