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Italian as a National Language

Despite vast literary production throughout the centuries, Italians had to wait for the unification of Italy in 1861 to have an official common language.
Tuscan Italian was chosen to fulfill that role, even though at that time only a small minority of the Italian population spoke this Tuscan dialect. The majority of the Italian people spoke their own regional dialects. Today, the Italian language is rich and expressive, requiring complex conjugation of verbs and Italians are proud to use it.
Perhaps technology is to blame however for the introduction of many “borrowed” English words used liberally throughout formal and informal conversations today. Rather than insisting on a proper translation of terminology originating from the English language, Italians are happy to use some English words as they are and even heighten the status of such words to “fashionable”.

Italian Language and Music
Crescendo, forte, tempo: anyone who has studied or played music is very familiar with these words. Indeed, Italian has always been the language used in librettos for operas and it is still universally recognized as the language of classical music.
But why is Italian called “la bella lingua” (the beautiful language)?
The sing-song effect of Italian comes from its pronunciation: most Italian words have an accent on the penultimate syllable and end with a vowel, which make the language sound sweet and lyrical to foreign ears.

Italians, a people of saints, poets, sailors and…
This is a famous motto that Italians use to define themselves, which is quite true when we delve deep into the religious and historical roots of the Belpaese. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill’s statement about Italians losing wars as if they were football matches, and football matches as if they were wars, I’d also add that Italians are a people of football commentators, as fierce and die-hard as they are experts in politics. Italy is adept at accommodating other cultures. Clearly its position on the Mediterranean Sea has left it open to invasion over the centuries. The Italian people may complain about changes to its culture and language, but they are a warm, welcoming population that has learned to be enriched by diversity rather than fight it. An Italian journalist, Beppe Severgnini, wrote that a red light at a traffic intersection is more of a suggestion than a command because Italians like to think rather than be told what they have to do. Foreigners trying to negotiate the streets in Italy might consider this a threat to safety, but the Italians generally maneuver aptly through the maze of traffic lights, regulations, laws and traditional ways of doing things.

Italian Language and Communication
It could be argued that the universal language of Italy is not Italian but that of gestures. This ‘handy’ method of communication helps Italians to be understood abroad, even when they don’t speak the language. Foreigners should keep it in mind when visiting Italy – Italians are not affected by nervous tics, rather they are highly communicative people that aren’t afraid to get physically close when communicating. The warmth of the people is felt instantly, especially if sharing a meal or a glass of wine, which general opinion purports to be among the best across the globe.