Government wants all Italian residents to learn standard Italian

“You don’t know how to speak Italian?”

For non-Italian citizens who have requested residency permits, or for Italian citizens who have repatriated from another country and who do not speak Italian, the Italian government is pushing for obligatory Italian language courses. This also applies to Italian citizens who have not learned standard Italian which includes certain regional minority populations who use a mixture of their native language with some Italian.

While learning Italian in primary and secondary schools has been obligatory there are many living in the country who did not grow up attending these schools when they entered the country. To this end, the government has launched a free linguistic learning program not only for those that need it in Italy but also in other countries were many Italians emigrated. Currently, those who apply for long term residency in Italy must learn Italian to live and work in the country.

The Italian language of today has deep roots in Vulgar Latin which has evolved over the centuries. Its codification began in the 14th Century thanks to illustrious authors such as Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio, who used the Florentine vernacular in their works, elevating it to a literary language. However, the spread of standard Italian was a slow process, accelerated only with the unification of Italy in 1861 and the introduction of compulsory education.

The literacy rate in Italy has seen a significant increase over time. In the 19th Century, most of the population was illiterate or semi-illiterate. With the establishment of compulsory and free primary school, the literacy rate gradually increased, reaching high levels in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The importance of the Italian language goes beyond national borders. Italian is one of the official languages of the European Union and UNESCO and is spoken by millions of people around the world. Knowledge of it opens up opportunities for study, work, and cultural exchanges, contributing to the diffusion of Italian culture in the world.

Approximately 68 million people speak Italian worldwide, with most native speakers residing in Italy. However, the language is also widespread in other countries, especially in Europe and in Italian emigrant communities in America, South American and Australia. Italian is also a cultural language, studied in many countries for its rich literary, artistic, and musical tradition.