“A language is the carrier of identity values, the expression of the culture of a people,” said the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, when closing the Joint Action for the Italian Language, an event hosted in the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. The central theme of the event, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was “Italian, living language. ” It is from this perspective that President Mattarella said: “the challenge we face is proposing the quality which Italy symbolises – that is proposing the humanism which originates from our culture, the way we live and work. The Italian spirit speaks of humanism.”The President of the Italian Republic also lauded the companies that in Italy have opted to internationalise themselves. By doing so, they give and are still giving a fundamental contribution to promoting Italian culture and language, expressing the civilization and humanism of work, which is a large part of the Italian heritage. Every sector in the Country must be a source of inspiration and an instrument to draw people to understanding Italian culture. Therefore, it is fundamental, President Mattarella said, to undertake initiatives aimed at attracting foreign talents to Italy as well as bringing back home Italian talents who expanded their knowledge abroad.
The Italian Language is a distinctive feature of “Brand Italy”
The Italian language is a distinctive feature of Brand Italy – so much so that 2.3 million students in the world are studying it. Communication experts and entrepreneurs speaking at the Joint Action for the Italian language, opened by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Giro, explained how the Italian language is an instrument of economic growth and also a way to promote Italian products. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the country needs to make a “giant cultural bet on Brand Italy.” The measure included in the budget law in favour of Italian schools abroad and of those who study Italian in the world should be read in this spirit.
The new Portal of the Italian Language in the World
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the new web Portal of the Italian language as a means to spread Italian in the world. Director General for Cultural and Economic Promotion and Innovation, Vincenzo De Luca, said : “the portal gives access to a wealth of information on centres and institutes in the world where Italian is taught and its learning certified.” The website is currently available in Italian, but its version in the English language is being developed. The President of RAI, Monica Maggioni, confirmed that Italy’s public broadcaster will fulfil its role and said that the Net could be ” an extraordinary tool.”Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mario Giro and the Minister of Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini, pointed out that in 2014 the data on the spread of Italian indicated approximately 1.5 million students in the world. Today the count is up to 2.3 million students.
