Italian

Why study Italian?

Because if you can speak Italian you speak more than just a foreign language: you speak the international language of Art, Architecture, Music, Opera, Fashion, Design, Hi-tech, Cinema, Tourism and Culinary delights. Because it will enrich your life and be an advantage when seeking employment opportunities both in South Africa and abroad. Because Italy is the birthplace of the Renaissance and it becomes your passport to a rich world of Literature, Art and Philosophy. Because Italy, one of the seven most industrialised countries of the world offers you training facilities, bursaries, business opportunities and cultural exchange programmes to students wishing to further their studies in Italy. Because Italy is home to many of the things you love, from Ferraris to designer clothes, shoes, pasta, pizza, cappuccini and gelati. Because you will simple love this easy to learn, musical language and its beautiful people. Thus by studying Italian, you will learn a language that reflects not only past cultures but is useful today in tourism, trade and industry as well as all the creative arts Past students who majored or completed Honours degrees in Italian Studies over the past five years have found employment with: - Italian Embassy - Italian Consulate General - Italian South-African Chamber of Trade and Industry - ICE (Istituto Commercio Estero) - Dante Alighieri Society (as L2 and LS teachers for adult certification courses or L2 elementary classes) - Local Italian companies and Legal firms specialising in International Law - International companies as commercial translators - Art galleries - The Hospitality industry, Tourism as Tour Guides and Travel consultants, PRO, etc. - Call Centres of S.A. Tourism; Shipping companies; Banks.

Research Profile

Research can be done in Italian Studies at Honours, Masters and Ph.D. levels. There are opportunities for research in a wide range of areas from Dante and the Middle Ages to Post-colonial studies in Italian Literature and Post-modern and contemporary authors. Most of the staff in Italian at Wits engage in truly interdisciplinary research and would be willing to supervise on a wide variety of topics in the fields of literature, cultural history, visual culture, Renaissance culture, Dante, Italian language and linguistics, and cinema studies. Thus Italian Studies fosters interdisciplinary and comparative approaches and supports research across disciplines as for example: Literature and Film Literature and Music Literature and Science European Enlightenment Primo Levi and seminal works by other Italian Jewish authors Cultural connections between Italy and South Africa Migration studies The exotic ?other? in Italian Literature Italian identity on the move: Alternate visions of Italy. Crossing cultural boundaries in Italian Theatre. Research interests of the lecturers also include more canonical authors such as Goldoni, Manzoni, Verga, Pirandello, Vittorini, Sciascia, Bassani, Lampedusa, etc. and women's writings: Morante, Maraini, Aleramo, Lagorio.

Administrator: Marilyn Jousten
Tel no: (011) 717-4211
Fax no: (011) 717-4269

Course Information
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses