Why Study Italian?

Italian is the language of Italy and is used in many other countries, including Ethiopia, Malta, Switzerland, and the United States (with 3.9 million Italian speakers). According to UNESCO, over 60 percent of the world's art treasures are found in Italy - one reason for its status as one of the world's top destinations for tourists. In addition, Italy is famed for its music, culinary arts, interior design, fashion, and furniture design. Those planning careers in any of these fields - notably students in DAAP and CCM - can benefit from knowing Italian. Furthermore, an estimated 7,500 American companies do business with Italy.