by Ilaria Gelichi
Yes, that's true: the language of Dante Alighieri is the most studied in the world after English, French and Spanish, and surpasses Chinese, Japanese and German. Considering that Italian is the 19th most spoken language in the world with about 85 million speakers, this is quite a triumph.
It is the confirmation that la bella lingua has lots of supporters and lovers in every corner of the world. But why do so many people want to study Italian?
There are several reasons. Italian culture is one of them: Italian is more than a language, it is a way of thinking and living.
Its musicality attracts the ear and the heart: Opera was born in the Italian language, so foreign singers need to be fluent in Italian to sing operas.
Food is another great push, as well as arts, architecture or design: several words in these fields are Italian or have Italian roots, and if you know the language you are a step ahead.
Moreover, if you know Italian you will be able to read the original version of one of the world's literature masterpieces: Dante's Divine Comedy.
Last but not least, according to UNESCO (the cultural and educational agency for the United Nations) the most of the world's cultural heritage sites are in Italy.
Still looking for your own reason to study Italian? Come to Florence, surrounded by beauty, and you will find one for sure.
