WTI Magazine #76    2016 February 15
Author : Elda Buonanno Foley      Translation by:

The readers will forgive me if I slightly diverge from the typical Italian exploration of stereotypes to offer a new perspective. This is a sort of open letter to all those learners who have recently approached me and asked why they should continue to study the Italian language and culture. They often argue that being an English speaker represents, ultimately, the winning card to have access to the external world and travel among the global diversity. I strongly disagree with this assertion and, actually, I believe that there is nothing but extreme benefit in knowing a foreign language in general and Italian in particular.

This language conflict arises from a quite problematic situation in the school system in America in which teaching a foreign language has been struggling to get the level of attention that it deserves. Thus let me lay out a few important reasons why we should keep studying a foreign language and in particular why we should keep learning Dante's language and culture.

Reason1. Knowing a foreign language will empower the learner while opening his eyes and ears to another culture, to another universe of traditions, uses, and customs. By knowing another language and culture, the learner will know more about his own. Thus, knowing Italian language and culture would mean getting a better understanding of the complexity of what is often indicated as one of the oldest cultures and its history.

Reason 2. Knowing Italian will allow the learner to gather a better understanding of what it means the Made in Italy that, simply translated, can be seen as everything that is fashion, food and style but that has, instead, a wider sense and multilayered interpretations. As a matter of fact, approaching the language will give the learner a closer look and understanding of the difference between la Storia as civilization and the storia as synonym of traditions, national and local identity, uses and customs that are secular and peculiar in each aspect of the popular Italian life.

Reason 3. Knowing Italian will allow the learner to move beyond the role of a distracted tourist among the old Italian streets and become a curious voyager while experiencing the real beauty of natural and artistic treasures existing in our country. Besides, which the technology at our disposal, it is easier as a simple click to start navigating along Italy and gain insightful understanding while virtually touring small and big sites in the country.

Reason 4. Even if the study of this foreign language could appear a bit challenging for a native English speaker, Italian does embody the theatrical nature of melodrama and thus everything revolves around musicality and emphasis while allowing the learner to contemplate the richness of the language as a portray of the real popular Italian life, face and voice of the so called 'masses'.

I could go ahead for pages while indicating the value of Italian design, emerging business, local diversity and social sophistications: I will leave the learner the time to understand how vital and enriching is the study of Italian language and culture as an instrument to get a wider sense of human life in general and social belonging in particular. Buono Studio!