Should I try and use basic Italian when on holiday in Italy?

Question

Wherever I go on holiday I always try to learn and use some basic keywords and phrases. As a minimum I look up things such as please, thank you, hello, good morning etc. I think it's polite and hotel/bar staff often seem to appreciate it and respond in the local fashion.

For example in Spanish speaking countries, if I say "gracias" they usually respond also in Spanish with "de nada". If I said "buenas noches" they would respond likewise.

In Italy, Sardinia specifically, at the hotel I stayed in the staff had excellent English and they only ever used English when speaking to guests even when I greeted them in Italian (I believe all the guests staying there were from the UK). I'm reasonably confident I'm saying the words correctly though it is possible I'm getting the pronunciation slightly wrong.

Is this extensive use of English common in Italian resorts/hotels and should I continue to try and use/learn Italian while staying there? My experience has been quite counter intuitive to date.

Answer 1

I think you should always try to use basic foreign language spoken in country XXX when visiting XXX. It shows that you are making an effort to communicate but most importantly to absorb part of the local culture. I strongly doubt anyone will get offended if you try to speak their language. My experience shows quite the opposite. If, after the salutations, your interlocutor then decides to shift to English then follow up in English. If you decide that your knowledge doesn't allow you to go further than hello and goodbye then shift the conversation language to English.

I don't know if English is common in rural areas of Sardinia or in the rest of Italy. Regardless, I would still use basic Italian when you can and English anytime else.

Answer 2

In short, I agree with @JoErNanO, that you should always try to use basic language spoken in a country you are visiting.

My experience from some years of living in three different Italian regions (Piedmont, Veneto, Lombardy) and different cities (Milan, Turin, Padua, Abano, ..) says, the percentage of Italians that prefer to speak in the Italian, rather than a foreign language, should be somewhere above 95%. Although, it varies tremendously from city to city. In smaller, unpopular, less international cities people tend to favor foreign languages less.

And what makes that 5 percent?

1. People trying to improve/maintain their English (this group, most likely answers your Ciao! with a Hi! - e.g: international meetup events, university students, etc).
2. Show-off group (e.g. your roommate invites some friends over and wants to show off his English skills in front of them; same as above, they tend to shape your attempt in making an Italian conversation to English).
3. International/touristy environments (your example of resort could fall right into this one; probably it appears more professional to them if they make an English conversation).

According to me, outside these groups anyone will welcome your effort in making an Italian conversation, at least as long as they don't feel you are suffering in grasping the topic.