Scope of Learning Italian in India

Why study the Italian language in India?

Looking for some convincing reasons to study la Bella lingua? Here are seven excellent benefits of learning Italian.

History of Italian language

The Latin language came from the Latium region of central western Italy, where Rome was established.

During the Roman Empire, it became the capital city.

Latin represents two different languages — classical Latin and vulgar Latin.

Classical Latin was mainly a literary language to preserve Roman history, literature, military, etc.

The written work of Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, writer, and orator, is now a valuable source of information.

Vulgar Latin was informally spoken like a group of vernacular dialects and varieties of Latin.

After the fall of the Roman empire, Vulgar Latin slowly and gradually drifted into the Romance languages.

Like French, Spanish, and Portuguese, Italian (Italiano) is a descendant of Vulgar Latin.

Placiti Cassinesi (four juridical documents), written between 960 and 963 in Southern Italy, is considered the first and oldest record ever written in the Italian languages’ variants.

Before 1861, Italy comprised hundreds of autonomous states, each with its regional language or different dialects and maintaining its cultural identity.

It was a linguistic mosaic.

Like many other romance languages, these local tongues are also natural languages derived from Latin. Therefore, calling them “dialects” would be misleading and unjust.

I’m a big fan of Italy.

My admiration for the country isn’t inspired by a love for pizzas and the Italian football league (all right, maybe a little bit).

Interestingly, the country’s Italian language and cultural diversity created no significant problems.

On the contrary, the rich cultural heritage flourished throughout millennia.

Most regions in Italy have their unique language, accent, and dialect.

There were thousands of vernacular languages, and almost all originated from Latin.

The culture of each local tongue area is also starkly demarcated by their tongue.

Some of the most popular broad groups of languages in Italy are:

• Romanesco– Spoken by over 2 million in Rome and nearby areas.
• Neapolitan- Spoken by over 5 million in Naples and Southern Italy.
• Venetian – Offspring of Latin and Greek. It is spoken by over 4 million in and around Venice.
• Sicilian—Although different from standard Italian, Sicilian is spoken by nearly 5 million people, mainly on the island of Sicily.
• Milanese is a dialect of Gallo-Italic spoken in the Lombard region, including the capital, Milan, and other northern parts of Italy. This variant is similar to German and French.
• Tuscan/Florentine—Many Tuscan dialects are spoken in different parts of the Tuscany region due to the exemplary work of Dante, Petrarca, and Boccaccio.
  
  Since Florence was a major European trade and business center, Florentine became the most popular and modern standard of the Italian language.

Unlike big powers like England, France, and Spain, Italy did not join in on exploration and colonization. Two main reasons were.

a) Before 1861, Italy was divided into many independent and small states and wasn’t a united country, unlike neighboring countries.

b) It only had access to the Mediterranean Sea and did not have easy access to oceans. Spain controlled it.

After the reunification of Italy in 1861, Italian became the national language of Italy.

A unified country needed a unique tongue.

Over time, thanks to aggressive and compulsory governmental primary education, TV and radio shows, and immigration and relocation from various parts of the country, mainly south to the industrial north, it gradually became accepted as the national language in the 1950s.

There are several distinct local languages.

Sometimes, dialect is still spoken at home, with friends, relatives, or acquaintances in different parts of the country, mainly in rural areas.

Some are broadly incomprehensible to people from other parts of the country.

However, nearly all citizens can communicate using a standard form of the Italian language.

If you plan to learn Italian in India, don’t get discouraged by so many varieties in Italy. Italian is the Peninsula’s only official and most commonly spoken language.

Italian-speaking Population in the World

Over 85 million people worldwide speak Italian.

It is an official language in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, Slovene Istria in Slovenia, and Istria County in Croatia.

It is also one of the 24 official languages of the European Union.

Italian-speaking minority communities exist worldwide, including in Malta, Libya, Somalia, the US, the UK, Argentina, Romania, France, Brazil, Venezuela, Albania, and Australia.

It is one of the most widely spoken non-official languages in Europe.

While English, Spanish, German, and French aren’t unexpected, English is the most taught foreign language globally.

However, you may be surprised to know that Italian is the fourth most studied language globally, as per Corriere Della Sera’s article.

Millions of people around the globe are picking Italian for a variety of reasons.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”. 

Nelson Mandela

There are lots of perks of studying a foreign language.

Of the choices, picking the right foreign language to learn is very important.

What first few things come to mind about Italy or Italians?

It often evokes scenes of canals in Venice for me, and for some, it might be delicious cuisine or great historical places.

Learning Italian is downright fun!!

Whatever the reason, maybe!!

It is hugely beneficial in several career fields in India, Italian-speaking nations, and other parts of the world.

There is ample scope and job opportunities after studying Italian in India.

Why learn Italian in India?

Here are the 7 Amazing Advantages of Acquiring the Italian Language if you’re looking for good incentives to learn Italian.

1. Broaden your cultural horizon

Some of the most famous artists, poets, and authors, including Dante, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo – hail from Italy.

This beautiful language provides infinite enrichment, both personally and culturally.

It is the most studied for culture and pleasure because of its extraordinary richness and strength.

Read → (i) Italian courses in India (ii) Italian classes in Delhi (iii) Italian proficiency tests.

2. For the love of Music and Movie

The opera is entirely an Italian creation.

The well-known and influential German musician Mozart composed most of his operas in Italian rather than German.

Italian is known as the language of music (La Lingua Della Musica) because it is used in musical terminology.

Even today, it is still considered a kind of musical lingua franca today for musicians worldwide.

Italian is incredibly rhythmic thanks to rhythmical words, soft intonation, and high usage of vowels.

If you want to enjoy the mesmerizing music and songs of Luciano Pavarotti, Dino Crocetti, Ramazzotti, Bocelli, and Anna Oxa, to name a few, learn Italiano.

A different language is a different vision of life. – Federico Fellini (Italian Film director)

There is no need for subtitles to watch great Italian movies by famous directors such as Tornatore, Visconti, Pasolini, Sorrentino, Fellini, and Benigni.

Italian cinema has produced some excellent, high-quality, and unforgettable films.

Many years ago, I saw “La Vita è Bella” (life is beautiful).

It is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen.

3. Planning a Trip to Italy? Learn Italian

“You may have the universe if I may have Italy.”

Giuseppe Verdi

Do you want to see historic art & architecture scattered in Rome?

Perhaps, haggling in one of Milan’s street markets or wishing to have a gondola ride along a quiet canal in Venice.

Perhaps you get swept away by Florence’s old-world charm. Italy offers a variety of beautiful places for travelers.

According to UNESCO, most of the world’s cultural heritage sites are in Italy.

It offers a variety of stunning historic sites across the country.

“The Creator made Italy by designs from Michelangelo.”

Mark Twain

Being one of the most beautiful countries, each place has its charm and is unique.

If you are not planning to hire a linguistic tour guide, learning even some essential phrases is the right thing to do before visiting the nation.

As per UNESCO, 60% of the world’s art treasures are to be found in Italy.

The countries of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are known for their prominence in the art world.

It is notable for research in art history.

Knowing this beautiful tongue will open you to a more luxurious experience and understanding of its art and history.

4. Italy’s economy and “Made in Italy” reputation

A recent study by KPMG has shown that “Made in Italy” is the third most recognized brand globally.

Italy has the eighth-largest economy and ranks among the wealthiest countries worldwide.

Italy is the world leader in culinary arts, interior design, graphic layout, fashion, robotics, furniture design, manufacturing tools, shipbuilding, space engineering, building machinery, transportation equipment, to name a few.

5. Career options after learning Italian in India

Several International Italian companies, like Banco, Fiat, Benetton, Gucci, Lloyd, Ferrari, Marconi, Pinnacle, etc., have set up their business in India. They are also looking for skilled in the Italian language.

There are lots of Italian language specialist jobs in India.

Speaking Italian can help you find employment in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, and other parts of India.

Many international and Indian companies, such as Accenture, Amazon, TCS, and Infosys, always look for staff who can command the Italian language in India.

Thanks to globalization, outsourcing, and offshore, there are enough opportunities in many MNC, BPO, and KPO in many sectors.

The prospect looks promising if you want to make your career in Italian. 

Due to the lack of enough Italian speakers in India, there is always a demand for translators, content writers, interpreters, proofreaders, and language trainers.

One can also look forward to jobs in the Italian embassy in New Delhi and the consulate in Mumbai.

There are too few positions in the hospitality and tourism industry.

These days, speaking the language is required as a primary skill and occasionally as a secondary skill.

The scope of Italian in India is increasing year after year.

Go ahead if you want to make your career in this beautiful language.

The future of Italian looks bright.

6. Delightful and exquisite Italian cuisine

It is trendy across the globe.

Thousands of restaurants and dishes find their Italian roots, from pizza and Risotto to latte macchiato and pasta.

It has the highest number of words for describing food, and the country is known as the culinary leader of the world!

The country continues to produce some of the world’s most popular and evocative wines.

7. Italy is the world’s hub for fashion and design

Milan (Milano) is one of the fashion capital of the world.

With big names such as Giorgio Armani, Versace, Gucci, Benetton, and Prada, to name but a few, Italy has it all!

Knowledge will help you find employment at one of the world-famous Italian fashion houses.

While there are plenty of good reasons to learn Italian, the choice of learning Italian is linked to factors intrinsic to the language.

It is recognized as one of the most beautiful spoken languages globally, but many job opportunities exist.

Italian is also considered one of the easiest languages.

Once you know Italian, learning Romanian or other European tongues will look straightforward.

It is a passport to one of the world’s most vibrant cultures, history, and traditions.