Italian is a Romance language spoken as a mother tongue by about 80 million people, 70 million in Italy and 10 million Italian citizens and descendants in the world. It is also spoken by an additional 120 to 150 million people as a foreign language.

In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages, spoken mainly in the Swiss cantons of Grigioni and Ticino. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City.

Standard Italian, adopted by the state after the unification of Italy, is based on the Tuscan dialect, which beforehand, was only available to upper class Florentine society. Its development was also influenced by other Italian dialects and by the Germanic language of the post-Roman invaders.

Italian is the closest national language to Latin in terms of lexical similarity.

Learn Italian at discounted prices by booking your Italian course in Italy through TANDEM Shop:

Italian courses in Rome

• Rome - Italian Intensive Standard Course (long term) - €120,00 per week
• Rome - Italian Intensive «Espresso» Course - €130,00 per week
• Rome - Italian Standard Intensive Course - €150,00 per week

Italian courses in Venice

• Venice - Standard Italian Course - 8 weeks - €130,50 per week
• Venice - Standard Italian Course - 2 weeks - €166,00 per week
• Venice - Italian & Art Course 2010 - 2 weeks - €185,00 per week
• Venice - Italian & Art Course 2010 - 1 week - €220,00 per week

Italian courses in Florence

• Florence - Italian Semi-Intensive Course - €97,75 per week
• Florence - Italian Intensive Course - €187,00 per week
• Florence - Italian Superintensive Course - €212,50 per week