Model, content creator and social influencer Josiah Klippel chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about learning Italian in the digital age.
Legendary Chinese philospher Lao Tzu once said: “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” This quote applies to Josiah Klippel, 21, who has been learning Italian and sharing his newly-acquired Italian speaking skills on his social media.
The digital age
On being a content creator, influencer, and model in the digital age, Josiah said, “I think it’s something we need to get used to. I just started to post my Italian learning online because I’m from Chicago and I didn’t personally know any Italian native speakers.”
“I found it very hard to be able to practice my speaking abilities in the language,” he said. “So, I decided to start posting online, and hopefully get some corrections from Italian natives on there, and it ended picking up very well.”
“Now, I just decided to fully start doing that, and it has been going really well. The digital age still feels very new and very fun, especially to be able to talk to a lot of different people. I’m very extroverted myself so that definitely scratches the edge for me,” he noted.
Inspiration to post language learning videos in Italian
On his inspiration to post language learning videos in Italian, he remarked, “Actually, I took a trip to Italy back in the summer of 2023. I went to Southern Italy, the Amalfi Coast, and I just loved being in the country and I loved the people.”
“I loved experiencing the culture, the food, and the music. Ever since that trip, I’ve been wanting to go back in the future, and I want to spend more time there. So, if I go back, I would want to learn the language and be able to speak to the natives there,” he added.
Daily motivations
Regarding his daily motivations, he stated, “I am motivated primarily by just wanting to work towards my goals. I would say that my goals are what keeps me going in a certain direction. I think that’s really the only motivation that I need.”
“I consider myself a self-starter, so the motivation is honestly just wanting to reach my goals that I kind of set for myself,” he added.
Future plans
On his future plans, Josiah shared, “Ideally, I would say I would continue to post and hopefully someday become fluent in Italian, of course.”
“Ultimately, I would love to make social media my full-time job, and I even want to get into acting because I have a modeling agency in Chicago as well. All of these disciplines flow into one another,” he acknowledged.
“Initially, you started modeling, you do photoshoots and print, and then you get into commercials and then you get into acting. Being on social media obviously helps you be on camera,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Josiah revealed, “The International Kid.”
“There is a lot of traveling being planned, a lot of languages I’m trying to learn, and I’m meeting a lot of people from a lot of different countries,” he admitted.
Defining moments in his life
On his defining moments in his life, he recalled, “Honestly, traveling the world defines me, especially that trip back in 2023, because I didn’t only go to Italy. I went to a few countries as well, and I think that is what really opened my eyes to the world, and I really enjoy it. I think every year I grow as a person, and I think everyone does for the most part.”
“Ever since, I discovered that I really enjoy languages, so that obviously led to wanting to do social media and ‘Learning Italian’ on there. I think that was a huge turning point because it also made me more extroverted than I already was,” he noted. “I have met more people than I can count just with simple language courtesies.”
“Anthony Bourdain famously advocated for getting out of your comfort zone, and said: ‘If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river.’ So, that 2023 trip to Italy basically defined me, and so did my traveling experiences in general,” he elaborated.
Advice for young and emerging content creators, models, and influencers
For young and aspiring content creators, models, and influencers, he said, “It would definitely be to just start… because the reason I started wanting to get into modeling is ‘why not give it a try?’ Then, modeling turned into me doing all these other things.”
Josiah continued, “Why not try learning a language? So, I would say just to have the say the mentality of trying. Just post a video. I first started posting three or four months ago and I would only get 200 to 300 views on TikTok, which is not a whole lot of views; however, all it takes is that one video after posting 50 times to blow up, and then all your other ones will do as well, and your platform just keeps on growing from there.”
“So, I would just encourage people to try to do it because the worst thing that can happen is they don’t get something, or they say ‘no’ to them,” he added.
Success
Regarding his definition of success, Josiah said, “Success, to me, means being satisfied with your life. Fulfillment. We only have one life and no matter what anyone else says or thinks, we should have your own personal goals.”
“If you can fulfill those goals and feel satisfied with your life, then I think you succeeded in your purpose,” he underscored.
Advice for hopefuls that wish to learn Italian
For hopefuls that wish to learn Italian, he recommended, “The best thing you can do is speak as much as possible. I always suggest to perhaps start on an app because it teaches you. Rosetta Stone is a really good one.”
“Honestly, there are a plethora of really good apps out there right now. That would be good for a strong base. Aside from that, speak as much as possible and try to learn the rules of the language,” he said. “Once you understand the rules, you understand how the grammar works, how the structure of the sentences work, and it makes speaking the language a lot easier.”
“The more you speak a language and the more you listen to it, the more you will immerse yourself in the language. That’s definitely a very key part of language learning,” he added.
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, Josiah expressed, “I would say ‘thank you so much.’ I never thought I would even hit 2,000 followers, but here we are! I think it’s 100,000 followers combined at this point (from all of my platforms), which is crazy to think about.
“I can’t wait to see them because I’ll be in Italy soon, so that’s super exciting, and obviously, I am going to be on the Internet for a while, so stay tuned,” he concluded.
To learn more about Josiah Klippel and his language learning videos in Italian, follow him on Instagram.
