On May 4th at 4:00PM at the Museo Italo Americano, we will come together to focus on the importance of adding a Latin-rooted language — Italian — to your language skills. Above all, learning a language is beneficial to your outlook on life and gives you a new perspective from which to view and understand the world.

As a romance language, Italian is especially useful as a gateway to all Latin-derived languages. In effect, learning a new language is a powerful tool to put yourself in someone else's shoes, and this sympathy promotes tolerance and ultimately peace. In this sense, the benefit of learning languages goes far beyond economic and business advantages. Speaking, writing and reading a new language allows you to become a cultural anthropologist, analyzing and appreciating another culture in its complexity. Indeed, learning another language beyond ones regarded as strategic — such as English, Chinese, Farsi, Arabic, etc. — is beneficial to the global cultural ecosystem, since even lesser-spoken languages help form the global linguistic quilt, a critical piece of our human heritage.

On the occasion of
2013 Year of the Italian Culture in the US
the Consul General of Italy Mauro Battocchi cordially invites you to

"Italian Matters Because..."

An event devoted to raise interest and motivation in learning Italian,
help Italophiles advocate for the Italian program in their schools and universities, start a new Italian language program!

Created by Paola Ebranati, Consulate's Education Attaché

SATURDAY, MAY 4 2013

4:00-6:30 P.M.

Il Museo Italo Americano in San Francisco
Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA