11/06/02 - Italian Language Week: The Art of Words
That's the theme chosen for the second annual Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo. The initiative, inaugurated with much success in 2001 both in Italy and abroad, renews the commitment of Italian institutions to the promotion and diffusion of the Italian language and culture.

10/23/02 - Italian Tour Company Speaks La Bella Lingua
Tour company offers excursion tours to Italy where Italian is an integral part of the program. There are no classes, no conjugating verbs, no lessons. Instead, guests take day trips to historic towns in Italy while learning the language through conversation, listening to native Italians, and being immersed in la bella lingua.

10/09/02 - Gala Preview of Franco Zeffirelli's Film Callas Forever
If you live in the New York City area or plan to visit during the Columbus Day Weekend, don't miss the American premiere of Franco Zeffirelli's new film, Callas Forever. The Columbus Citizens Foundation will host the event on October 10th at the Ziegfeld Theatre.

09/25/02 - Black Cadillacs, Big Hair, and Pinkie Rings
Not everyone who watches The Sopranos has the advantage of growing up as an Italian American in New Jersey. Here then an unauthorized, highly biased cultural explanation of Soprano concepts and terms such as bada bing, gabagool, goomba, and three–piece suits.

09/11/02 - Language Boot Camp
Can learning a foreign language reduce the possibility of terrorist attacks in the US? One of the more eye–opening disclosures to arise after September 11 was the shocking lack of qualified linguists. Perhaps more frustrating is the fact that the US already had programs specifically designed to address this issue.

08/28/02 - Zuppa di Alfabeto: Italian Abbreviations and Acronyms
Italian acronyms such as AQ, BOT, ISTAT, and SNAproFIN might make your head spin, but you'd have to be pazzo to write or speak the complete phrase instead of substituting the appropriate abbreviated form. Includes a glossary of Italian abbreviations, acronyms, and initials.

08/14/02 - Italian Proverbs: In Vino Veritas
Italian is rich in short pithy sayings that reveal much about the traditions and cultural heritage of Italy. Not surprisingly, given the large variety of regional differences in the Italian language, there are also proverbs in dialect.

07/17/02 - Il Canto di Malavita: Mafia Music
There's a subgenre of music devoted to the myth and romanticized version of the Mafia with soundtracks to mob movies and TV shows. Ironically, there really is an Italian folk form of music that glorifies the Mafia, known as il canto di malavita, a tradition of Calabria that continues to attract fans and critics.

07/03/02 - Ten Ways to Speak Italian Quickly
We live in an era of E–ZPass highway lanes, instant messaging, and microwave pizza. Even language instructors promise that you can learn Italian in just one weekend! In the spirit of these hyperactive times, then, here are ten great ways to speak Italian quickly and effectively while divertendoti.

06/19/02 - Italy Declares War on Officialese
Italy has declared war on officialese, vowing to simplify the way the state communicates with its citizens. A project called Chiaro! aims to rid the language used in bureaucratic texts of complex clauses and confusing terms.

06/05/02 - Heritage Italian–American Style
Looking for another exciting challenge after playing Scarabeo, Who Wants to Be an Italian Language Expert?, or Paroliere? Want to improve your Italian language skills while learning more about the significant contributions Italians and Italian Americans have made to world culture? The latest edition of Heritage Italian–American Style has the answers for you.

05/22/02 - Geronimo Stilton: Italy's Answer to Harry Potter
The publishing phenomenon Harry Potter has a new competitor, a furry little creature that speaks Italian and, ironically, is named after a British blue cheese. Italy, home to Topo Gigo, Topolino, and Peppino the Italian Mouse, now adds Geromino Stilton, a children's book character that's a publishing sensation, to their growing menagerie of popular rodents.

05/08/02 - Write Your Own Italian Short Story
The community members of the About Italian Language Forum have started their own short story workshop, and the results are a pure pleasure to read.

04/24/02 - Ten Ways to Improve Your Italian
Take a class in Italian language, and you'll review definite articles, direct object pronouns, and prepositions. But at a certain point, you'll want to learn some shortcuts and quick pointers that will supercharge your lessons.

04/10/02 - Rage and Pride Ignites a Firestorm
La Rabbia e l'Orgoglio, by Oriana Fallaci, is a provocative, scornful essay which first appeared in the country's leading newspaper, Corriere della Sera, and is a scathing, expletive-ridden indictment of Muslim immigrants and Italian ambivalence towards the United States.

03/13/02 - National Foreign Language Week
It's National Foreign Language Week! Don't keep putting off your dreams of learning a new language; this is your chance to get started with free lessons online at About.com.

02/27/02 - 2006 Torino Winter Olympics
Start training for the Italian language Olympics! The 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games are just four years away, plenty of time to get your linguistic muscles in shape.

02/13/02 - A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo Vale!
How do Italians prepare for 40 days of self-inflicted deprivation? Throw a party that lasts for weeks! Anything goes during carnival time in Italy.

01/30/02 - Italian For Beginners: The Movie
When was the last time a movie featured Italian lessons as part of the plot? And how often is there a movie with a title like: Italian For Beginners?!

01/16/02 - Euroscettici? Italians Reluctantly Switch to Euro
When the euro became the common currency for twelve participating countries in the European Union, Italy seemed to have the most difficulty in adopting the new currency. Many Italians waited until the last minute to switch from lire to euros.

01/02/02 - Pompeii's Frisky Frescoes Revealed
You may have to learn a whole new set of Italian vocabulary words if you plan on traveling to southern Italy. After years of excavation and restoration, archeologists have unveiled a series of frescoes with explicit sex scenes in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

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