5 Great Reasons to Learn Italian

When we talk about learning languages, we typically hear of the big three: French, Spanish and German. But there are so many other languages, such as Italian, that can enrich our lives and enhance our language skills. Furthermore, 65 million people throughout the world speak Italian, and it has official status in Italy, Malta, San Marino, The Vatican and Switzerland. However, it’s spoken everywhere from Libya to the United States as a first language.

In this article, we will elaborate a little on the language and give you 5 reasons to learn Italian.

1 – It’s easier to learn if you already know Spanish or French

If you have already studied Spanish in particular, Italian is going to be one of the easiest languages you can learn next. Many of their words share a similar root with a Latin word, and the grammar is very similar. Certain words are the nearly identical, such as “pensare”, which means to speak in Italian, is “pensar” in Spanish and “penser” in French. But the grammar is similar too, so “penso”, I think, is “pienso” in Spanish and “pense” in French.

Italian is mutually intelligible with Spanish and French. This means that if you are fluent with either language, you can understand up to 60% of what you read and about 25% of what you hear — without even knowing the language!

2- A country rich with culture

Italy is a country with an historical, rich culture. If you’re learning its language, you can learn firsthand the culture this country harbors. For example, you can soak up its literature by reading Italian classics, or you can watch the best of Italian cinema in its original version, or you can listen to classic Italian music without needing to translate the lyrics.

3 – One of the fashion, design and art capitals of the world

If you’re into fashion or design, knowing Italian will certainly help you feed these passions, since you will come into direct contact with it if you read Italian news on these topics.  A great reason to learn Italian is being able to live amongst art and the people of cities like Milan and Rome.

If you’re in Milan, you’ll find the coveted “made in Italy” tags and the prêt-à-porter of the season. If you decide to stop by Rome, the eternal city, the monuments and importance of this ancient city will captivate you.

4 – A much appreciated language in commerce

We often think of Spanish and German as the most important languages when it comes to finding job. Still, businesses that work in multiple languages will appreciate the value of an employee who can speak Italian since so many others just focus on the big three. Italian won’t only be an easy language to add to your list, it will be a beneficial language as well.

Another important aspect is that many companies throughout the US and Europe are stationed in Italy as well (it is the 8th largest economy in the world). There are many opportunities for an employee who can either work with or work for a company’s Italian partners.

5 – A perfect country to visit

Italy is an amazing country which would be worth the trouble of walking from north to south. If you know Italian you can interact with the locals and better understand exactly which sites to visit while you’re there. Italy is full of precious cities and villages, each with their own certain charm. While Rome is one, there is much more history in Italy: Alberobello, a prehistoric city and San Gimignano, a hill town with ancient protruding towers are just 2 of the 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy.

To start learning Italian, we recommend learning it with our app and preparing for certificates in Italian to take your experience to a university or professional level.

Did any of these reasons to learn Italian stick out to you? Do you have any ideas you think would motivate others to learn Italian? Please, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!