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The 19th edition of the Italian Language Week in the World (21-27 October 2019) opens in the USA.

A lecture by Ambassador Varricchio at the University of Maryland kicked off the 19th edition of the Italian Language Week Worldwide in the USA. Addressing the students, Ambassador Varricchio emphasized that “the language reflects the values and richness of Italy” and how it plays “a fundamental role in the promotion of our country abroad”, while at the same time recalling how over 200.000 Americans are studying Italian (the number is constantly increasing) and Italy is the first – non English speaking – destination to study abroad for Americans.

Created in 2001 by an agreement between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Accademia della Crusca, under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, the Week of the Italian Language Worldwide, now in its 19th edition, will have as the theme “Italian on Stage”.

To celebrate the Language Week, the Embassy of Italy in Washington and the Italian Cultural Institute have organized a series of events in collaboration with prestigious organizations and institutions in the capital.

On the evening of Monday 21 October there will be a conversation with the author Helena Janeczek, winner of the 2018 Strega Award, on the occasion of the publication in the United States of the novel “The Girl with the Leica”. On Tuesday, October 22nd prof. Francesco Cotticelli, from the University of Naples, will hold a lectio magistralis on the history of Italian theater at Georgetown University. In the evening, the play by Franca Valeri, “Tosca and the other two” will be performed at New York University in Washington.

Wednesday, October 23rd at the Italian Embassy, Maestro Speranza Scappucci, one of the first female conductors in the world, will present “La Traviata”, highlighting the impact of Verdi’s masterpiece on the spread of Italian language and culture in the world. On Friday 25, the Italian Embassy will feature, in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy, the movie “The Kiss of Tosca” by Swiss director Daniel Schmid, on the occasion of the movie’s 30th anniversary.

On October 26, the Embassy of Italy, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Washington National Opera are presenting a special preview of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello debuting at the J. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In the context of the Italian Language Week, Friday 25th the School Office of the Italian Embassy will award students who have passed the Italian Advanced Placement exam, a certification that certify the Italian language proficiency by students in US schools. 21 Students will receive scholarships by Eduitalia for 3-week stays in Italy. Scholarships will also be awarded to 6 teachers and 2 principals that distinguished in the promotion of the Italian program in their schools. On Saturday 26 at Georgetown University there will be a course for teachers of Italian language and culture to analyze the challenges of teaching a language in the 21st century. On the occasion, Professor Dennis Looney from the University of Pittsburgh will give a keynote speech.