I’m certain Faccialibro, the pseudo-Italian word I invented for Facebook does not really exist in any Italian dictionary(slang or otherwise) but it commemorates a certain utility that I discovered for Facebook since adding a cousin who lives in Italy to my friends list. While there are ample opportunities to fritter one’s time away on a plethora of dubious activities, games, quests, groups, etc.–it is after all first and foremost a social networking site–there are also ways to make other, if not more substantive use of one’s time.
Keeping up with friends who are currently online is one feature that Facebook offers that is probably familiar to almost all of its users, particularly the younger ones who are already veterans of chat rooms. The other day I noticed that my cousin from Italy was online so I dusted off my scant smattering of Italian and greeted her. After a few brief exchanges my aspiration of becoming a polyglot was forfeit. Fortunately, my cousin is able to speak English far better than I can utter my few phrases of Italian so that we were able to have a pleasant conversation. A few days later we chanced to resolve the six hour time difference and chatted once again. The encounters encouraged me to renew the promise that I had made to myself to learn to read Italian. At my age mastery of the spoken word lies just beyond my reach therefore it is more sensible for me to focus my efforts on reading comprehension. Without a robust community of Italian speakers with which to engage, mastering the nuances of conversation is very unlikely, if not impossible. As daunting as it is to venture into the uncertain terrain of learning a foreign language, there is a certain allure in having the opportunity to practice with a native speaker who is inclined to be more supportive than critical. My cousin, after all, è una della famiglia!
