Italian

NTU is the only University in Singapore that offers Italian language courses at academic level. Our classes are structured according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), thus preparing you for the CELI exam, the external examination for the Certification of Italian as a second Language, officially recognized by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

For more information on Italian language courses, please contact the Italian language coordinator at  [email protected] and join our Facebook page Italian at NTU

Learning Italian will give you the great opportunity to discover the several facets of the “Bel Paese”, the Beautiful Country, famous worldwide for its rich historical heritage, its gastronomic variety and its natural beauty. Moreover, Italian language is the gateway to the world of great and lasting achievements in the arts, design, fashion, sciences, music and cinema!

 Let’s explore the benefits of studying Italian:

1. Architettura, arte, storia e natura –  Architecture, art, history and nature
Italy is a country of incomparable architectural wonders and stunning landscapes. According to UNESCO (the cultural and educational agency for the United Nations), Italy has more historical world heritage sights than any other country and 60 percent of the world's art treasures. Italy has long been a magnet for the tourism industry, heading the list of foreign destinations for vacation travel in Europe. Traveling to Italy is intensely pleasurable, with about everything you can dream of: the richest archeological sites in Europe, entire Roman towns miraculously preserved for you to visit, cathedrals, roman circuses, monasteries, paintings, sculptures, lovely historical towns, immaculate beaches and ski resorts. Italian worldwide cultural relevance, both past and present, is instantly recognizable, standing out not only in Europe, but also throughout the world. A knowledge of Italian will tremendously increase your travel experience as a portal to this country’s cultural gems, giving you the opportunity to converse with people as well! Italians are very sociable and they will be more than happy to have a chiacchierata (informal conversation) with you, a wonderful memory to bring back home.

2. Pasta, pizza, tiramisù
and cappuccino! Gastronomia - Gastronomy
Italy's gastronomy is one of the most attractive in the world, an unmistakable explosion of flavours, scents, and aromas with hundreds of types of cheese, bread, pasta and wine to savour. Italian cuisine proposes an immense variety of different regional dishes, street food, traditional and highly creative new recipes. World-renowned products such as Modena balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, Alba truffles, buffalo mozzarella from Campania, Genoa’s pesto, Parma ham and cured meats are just some of the symbols that make Italy the land of good food. Did you know that Italian has the highest number of words for naming food? The Italian cuisine can be enjoyed at a much higher level if you speak the language, with a deeper understanding of what makes each dish so special and unique. Have you ever eaten the ribbon-shaped pasta, farfalle? Well, you were eating butterflies! Did you know that pasta all’arrabbiata literally means angry in Italian? Arrabbiata, the name of the sauce, refers to the spiciness of the chili peppers!

3. Carriera - Career
Italy, a member of the G7 since 1975, has a vibrant global presence and it’s one of the top economies in the world. The quality of the Made in Italy — of Italian innovation, efficiency, and design — has gained increasing recognition throughout the world and knowing Italian is greatly beneficial in several career fields. Italy now is a world leader in the culinary arts, interior design, fashion, graphic design, furniture design, machine tool manufacturing, robotics, electromechanical machinery, shipbuilding, space engineering, construction machinery, automotive industries and transportation equipment. Many Italian and international firms with offices in Italy and around the world - including Singapore - will appreciate your Italian language skills.

4. Film italiani - Italian moviesItaly has a great film culture, producing some of the most defining and outstanding movies of our time: by learning Italian you will not need subtitles to watch Fellini’s, Visconti’s, Rosselini’s and Pasolini’s movies or the more recent masterpieces by Tornatore, Sorrentino and Benigni.

5. Musica - Music
Used in musical terminology and opera, Italian is known as the language of music. Why do you think Mozart composed most of his operas in Italian rather than in German? It is because Italian is recognized as one of the most beautiful spoken languages on the planet!

6. La Lingua italiana – Italian Language
Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by another 10 million Italian descendants in the world. It is also spoken by an additional 125 million people as a foreign language: a recent study showed that Italian is the fourth most studied Language in the World. Italian language it’s the closest to Latin, the common ancestor of all romance languages. An estimated 60 percent of the English vocabulary also comes from Latin, so you already know more Italian than you realise! Italian is also the language with the “best phonetic fit”: it’s one the easiest foreign language to read, write, and pronounce!

7. Studiare in Italia! - Studying in Italy!
You will have the opportunity to study in Italy! The OGEM in NTU offers a wide range of exchange programs with Italian Universities and summer / winter language immersion programmes (LIP) in Italy.

8. Esame ufficiale - Official Examinations
NTU is the only University in Singapore that offers Italian Language courses at academic level - according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) - preparing you for the CELI exam, the external examination for the Certification of Italian as a second Language, officially recognized by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NTU OGEM offers a range of exchange programs with Italian Universities and summer and winter Language Immersion Programmes (LIP) in Italy. The LIP programmes are run in Siena, one of the most historic towns of Italy famous for its palio, the bare backed horses races. Students will learn basic Italian at the University of Siena and be exposed to Italian history and culture in the native environment. 

About Università per Stranieri di Siena
The University for Foreigners of Siena is a public university in the Italian province of Tuscany, which specializes in the teaching of Italian as well as other languages. The university has received the European Label for Languages eight times between Year 2004 to 2013. This is awarded to language courses that promote teaching and learning through innovative and effective teaching practices.

For more information on the Language Immersion Programmes in Italy contact the Italian language coordinator at [email protected] or [email protected]