Report

Forward

Let's all explore Italy!

CULTURAL AND
INTERCULTURAL
MODES OF
COMMUNICATION
IN ITALY
ITALIANS ARE TYPICALLY DIRECT COMMUNICATORS.
THEY TEND TO BE OPEN ABOUT THEIR EMOTIONS AND

ytisoiruc fo nray a sa tca ylpmis secnereffiD

edis rehto eht ot teg ew litnu gnilevarnu
SPEAK CLEARLY ABOUT THEIR POINT.

THEY ARE OPEN, INQUISITIVE, AND BOLD. THEY WOULD

ASK PERSONAL QUESTIONS AND IS EAGER TO GIVE YOU
THEIR OPINION OR ADVICE WHICH FOREIGNERS OFTEN
FIND OFFENSIVE.

ITALIANS ARE GENERALLY TACTILE PEOPLE AND QUITE

AFFECTIONATE.
DIRECT EYE CONTACT IS EXPECTED AND HELD DURING
CONVERSATIONS.  ITALIANS ARE NATURALLY MORE EXPRESSIVE IN
THEIR TONE OF VOICE, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, AND BODY LANGUAGE,
OFTEN MOTIONING WITH THEIR HANDS TO EMPHASIZE THEIR POINT
THAT CAN SOMETIMES SEEM THEATRICAL.

ADDING HUMOUR TO THE CONVERSATION TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK

THEIR MINDS OPENLY.

ITALIANS MAY FIND ONLINE COMMUNICATION TO BE A LAZY WAY OF

MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS, AND WOULD OFTEN LIMIT ITS USE TO
PROMOTE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION.
COMMUNICATION

ETIQUETTES
IT IS UNCOMMON FOR ITALIANS TO MAKE PHONE CALLS BETWEEN 2PM
AND 4PM, SINCE THIS IS WHEN MANY PEOPLE HAVE A ‘PISOLINO’
(NAP).

ITALIAN GREETINGS ARE USUALLY WARM AND RATHER FORMAL.

THE COMMON VERBAL GREETING IS “CIAO” (HELLO). THIS IS QUITE

CASUAL. PEOPLE MAY ALSO SAY “BUONGIORNO” (GOOD DAY) OR
“BUONASERA” (GOOD AFTERNOON) TO BE MORE FORMAL.

ADDRESS A PERSON BY THEIR TITLE AND LAST NAME, AND CONTINUE

TO DO SO UNTIL INVITED TO MOVE TO A FIRST-NAME BASIS.
OLDER ITALIANS PREFER TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE POLITE FORM, USING
TITLES SUCH AS “SIGNORE” (MISTER) AND “SIGNORA” (MISSUS).

TYPICALLY, ELDERS ENTER A ROOM FIRST.

IT IS COMMON FOR MEN TO STAND WHEN A WOMAN FIRST ENTERS A

ROOM. THIS IS THE SAME FOR CHILDREN WHEN AN ADULT FIRST ENTERS
A ROOM.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO DRESS NEATLY AND RESPECTFULLY.

PUNCTUALITY IS NOT TIGHT IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS. IN ITALY, ‘ON TIME’

CAN MEAN 20, 30 OR EVEN 45 MINUTES LATE.
GESTURES
TO RUB ONE’S THUMB AGAINST THE FINGERS INDICATES MONEY.

PEOPLE MAY ACKNOWLEDGE THE CLEVERNESS OF ANOTHER PERSON

BY PULLING DOWN THE BOTTOM EYELID WITH A FINGER.

PEOPLE CAN GESTURE “NO” BY JERKING THEIR HEAD UPWARDS

“People of different religions and cultures live side-by-side in almost every part of the

world, and most of us have overlapping identities which unite us in very different groups.

We can love what we are, without hating what- and who we are not. We can thrive in our

own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings”

— Kofi Annan