The Italian language turns out to be the fourth most studied language in the world.
According to the latest census in Ontario more than 400,000 people speak Italian, and of these 250,000 are native speakers.
While the concept that every language is an expression of a culture is always true, in the case of the Italian language this aspect is amply demonstrated.
It is enough to consider the thousands of Italian words that have become part of the international vocabulary and recall concepts, lifestyles and approaches to reality that are typical of Italian fine taste.
According to the Treccani Encyclopedia there would be twenty thousand Italian words present in as many as 66 different languages.
The cultural reason is stated as follows:
“Italianisms tell what about Italy and Italians has seemed remarkable or typical abroad in some capacity, or reflect aspects of culture, inventions or products, which had their origin or fortune in Italy, so much so that they spread along with the Italian word that designated them.”
The countless cultural initiatives promoted in the area demonstrate the vibrancy and importance that the Province of Ontario recognizes in Italy’s cultural heritage.
With musical and artistic events, literary debates, not to mention cinema, entertainment, haute cuisine and design, the wealth of the Bel Paese contributes to enhancing the multicultural debate of which Canada is proud.
In this regard, please refer to the websites of the Italian Cultural Institute in Toronto for events organized in the consular jurisdiction. For study activities and events on the subject of Italian language and culture, you can also visit the website of the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Toronto. The Department hosts various research organizations (e.g., the Frank Iacobucci Centre for Italian Canadian Studies) studying culturally, socially and historically the Italian-Canadian community.
Canadians of Italian origin may also find useful to visit thewebsite of ITALEA (a project undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) to rediscover their Italian roots and/or plan a tourist trip to ancestral places.