Preparation for the second edition of the “States General of the Italian Language in the World” officially started today with the launch of the Working Groups at the Foreign Ministry headquarters attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Giro.The first edition of the “States General of the Italian language in the world” in October 2014 gave a new impetus to the promotion of the Italian language abroad by launching new initiatives. The conference“Riparliamone: la lingua ha valore” (“Let’s Talk About It: Language Has a Value”) held on October 20 , 2015 provided additional insights into how the Italian economic system can act as a “pull factor” to spread the Italian language and culture.
The second edition of the “States General of the Italian language in the world”: ITALIANO LINGUA VIVA (Italian, A Live Language) will be held on October 17 and 18, 2016 in Florence. It will take place in conjunction with the 16th Week of the Italian Language in the World (October 17 to 23, 2016), an event focusing on design entitled “L’italiano e la creatività: marchi e costumi, moda e design” (Italian and Creativity: Brands and Customs, Fashion and Design).During this year’s States General the new Portal of the Italian language in the world will be launched and there will be updates on the projects launched with the first edition. The meeting will also discuss the role of the Italian language in business communication strategies as a way to promote the whole Italian cultural system, it will assess the progress made so far and prepare a comprehensive language promotion strategy.
The reflections of the Working Groups that met today, Friday May 6, 2016, for the first time will constitute the core of the upcoming second edition. Deputy Minister Mario Giro and Director-General for the Promotion of the Italian Economic System Vincenzo De Luca welcomed the members of the Working Groups and gave them guidelines for their roles in the coming months.Anyone wishing to contribute to the the Working Groups can send their ideas to the email address of the corresponding working group by 15 June 2016:
- ITALIAN IN THE WORLD AND ITALOPHONIA – Investing in Teaching and Bilingual Sections
(Dgsp03.gruppo1@esteri.it) - STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE OUR LANGUAGE ABROAD AND ATTRACT STUDENTS – China, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Schools and Universities
(Dgsp03.gruppo2@esteri.it) - NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND LINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION – Digital Learning and New Teaching Methods
(Dgsp03.gruppo3@esteri.it) - SINGLE CERTIFICATION
(Dgsp03.gruppo4@esteri.it) - LANGUAGE: VALUE AND CREATIVITY – Language and the World of Creative Businesses and Cultural Industries
(Dgsp03.gruppo5@esteri.it)
