Conference on Italian studies in Quebec

On November 3, a conference will be held at the Université de Montréal on the teaching of Italian studies in Quebec.

Professor Filippo Salvatore, who is participating in the event, explains that the Ministry of Education is considering the re-introduction of the third-language option in Quebec’s public schools, which existed in the 1970s.

“The purpose of the conference is to demonstrate that Italian is the vehicle of a great culture, and the fifth economic power of the world,” Salvatore said.

“Italian is the lingua franca for all the countries around the Mediterranean. It is an official language for the European Union, and is spoken by 150 million people around the world. People interested in Western culture must acknowledge the central role played by Italy.”

The conference, titled L’Italien: de langue de l’immigration à langue de culture, is sponsored by the Italian and Quebec governments.

For more information, please call the Italian Cultural Institute, at 849-3473.