Do try to speak the language. Italians appreciate the effort, but may respond in English as they love to practice what they’ve learned. Here’s a tip on the confusing pronunciations of “c” – Just remember that the letter “c” followed by an “i” or “e” has the English “ch” sound (such as ciao – pronounced chow), while a “ch” followed by an “i” or “e” has the English “k” sound. Thus, che, meaning “what” is pronounced kay.