--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first language that I learned was…" description: "\"The first language that I learned was Italian in Italy in the early and middle-'60s and I had to do that to keep up with the young men who were courtin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/clive-james-2750_firsts_the-first-language-that-i-learned-was-it_539745.jpg" --- # The first language that I learned was Italian in Italy in… ![“The first language that I learned was Italian in Italy in the early and middle-'60s and I had to do that to keep up with the young men who were courting my wife.” quote by Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/clive-james-2750_firsts_the-first-language-that-i-learned-was-it_539745.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/clive-james-2750_firsts_the-first-language-that-i-learned-was-it_539745.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/clive-james-2750_firsts_the-first-language-that-i-learned-was-it_539745.jpg) > “The first language that I learned was Italian in Italy in the early and middle-'60s and I had to do that to keep up with the young men who were courting my wife.” [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He learned Italian to connect with younger men courting his wife, using language to bridge social gaps. **In simple terms:** Language can bridge personal and cultural gaps. Key Takeaway Learn languages to connect socially. Themes language culture relationships Mood introspective warm Type personal cultural When to use this quote - expat life - dating - family gatherings Key Concepts social integration marriage dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What language could improve your relationships? - How does language affect intimacy? A Different Perspective Learning a language can be stressful and time‑consuming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Italian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/italian/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [If you were to sit me down in a classroom, with fluorescent lights humming and some woman trying to teach me Italian, there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/if-you-were-to-sit-me-down-in-a-classroom-with-fluorescent-lights/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [If I spoke Italian, I'd be in Italy in a minute. I love the food, I love the way people live there. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-bedelia/if-i-spoke-italian-i-d-be-in-italy-in-a-minute-i-love-the-food-i-love/) [Bonnie Bedelia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-bedelia/) > [I was raised in Italy for the early part of my life, in a relatively small village near Siena, and everyone worked there, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-getty/i-was-raised-in-italy-for-the-early-part-of-my-life-in-a-relatively/) [Mark Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-getty/) > [I grew up with the piano. I learned its language as I learned to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-jarrett/i-grew-up-with-the-piano-i-learned-its-language-as-i-learned-to-speak/) [Keith Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-jarrett/) > [“A native tongue, in my opinion, isn't the language spoken where you were born or the first language you learned; it's a language that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adi-alsaid/a-native-tongue-in-my-opinion-isn-t-the-language-spoken-where-you/) [Adi Alsaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adi-alsaid/) > [“I learned your language and I learned your rules. I am more like you than me now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-learned-your-language-and-i-learned-your-rules-i-am-more-like-you/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I hardly grew up mono-lingually! I was raised religious, so there's a tradition of semi-access to a second language. 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When they were first shown, they were ridiculed as being just drips and splatters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/willem-de-kooning-paintings-are-a-language-to-be-learned-when-they/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [“Islam was no longer a straitjacket into which I forced myself, nor a nonnative language I learned from others around me, but a grammar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haroon-moghul/islam-was-no-longer-a-straitjacket-into-which-i-forced-myself-nor-a/) [Haroon Moghul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haroon-moghul/) > [I don't speak Spanish, and I get so much crap for it. 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For a London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-streets-at-least-in-this-part-of-town-seemed-impossibly-clean-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [In London there was no home cooking worthy of the name. When you were in funds you ate out. But only the people whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/in-london-there-was-no-home-cooking-worthy-of-the-name-when-you-were/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Generally it is our failures that civilize us. Triumph confirms us in our habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/generally-it-is-our-failures-that-civilize-us-triumph-confirms-us-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [I try to be specific. One thought at a time. Clear. Articulate. And above all, memorable, if you can be. 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Avoid the big ones, go for the little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/little-books-are-the-things-to-write-at-my-age-i-ve-decided-avoid-the/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [“Too many of my friends are dead, and others wrecked By various diseases of the intellect Or failing body. How am I still upright?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/too-many-of-my-friends-are-dead-and-others-wrecked-by-various/) [clive james](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [A sceptic finds Dallas absurd. A cynic thinks the public doesn't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-sceptic-finds-dallas-absurd-a-cynic-thinks-the-public-doesn-t/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The Canadian version of Julius Caesar's memoirs? 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