A knowledge of Italian is important for people in business, the arts, technology and many professions. It is also useful for high school and college students planning careers in art history, music, linguistics, education and international relations.
Italian is the fourth foreign language most spoken in U.S. homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is also spoken in Switzerland, parts of Africa, the Balkans, and the island of Malta.
Italy is one of the top five economies in the world, ahead of Great Britain, Russia, and China. It is also a leading member of the G7 group of the wealthiest democracies in the world.
Italy's economy is changing: state-owned companies are becoming privatized, opening up the Italian market to international companies and professions in aerospace, transportation, insurance, finance, shipping, telecommunications, and other commerce.
Italy is a world leader in machine tool manufacturing, with advanced technologies in robotics, electromechanical machinery, shipbuilding, space engineering, construction machinery, and transportation equipment.
Italy is a world leader in the culinary arts, interior design, fashion, graphic design, furniture design, etc. Those planning careers in such fields greatly benefit from knowing Italian.
Italy has long been a magnet for the tourism industry: In 1996, 55 million people visited Italy. It is predicted that in the Jubilee Year 2000, Rome alone will host over 30 million visitors.
Art historians need Italian. According to UNESCO (the cultural and educational agency of the United Nations), over 60 percent of the world's art treasures are found in Italy.
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Italy consists of a mountainous peninsula in southern Europe extending into the Mediterranean Sea and includes the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and about 70 other smaller islands.
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