ADELAIDE - An interesting conference entitled Italian in the Workplace was held last May 9 at Pridham Hall on the West Campus of the University of South Australia (UniSA).

Throughout the day, Year 9 students and teachers were able to hear testimonies from various members of the community who work using Italian, in a wide variety of fields.

Students from regional schools were able to follow the conference online and then had access to recordings of the various speeches.

Italian in the Workplace is a pilot program with the aim of inspiring and motivating school students in South Australia to continue studying the Italian language.

The program was specifically designed for ninth grade students and their teachers.

Students also had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, as well as specific sessions with speakers and engaging games.

The mentors in attendance, who work in South Australia across different sectors, demonstrated how mastering the Italian language can open doors to exciting career opportunities and broaden personal horizons.

This was done by describing various scenarios and interactions that occur in the job market.

Insights on language skills and their potential impact on various career paths were also offered.

In addition to studying Italian, students were encouraged to consider adding other languages, such as French and Japanese.

The participation rate was close to 99 per cent, highlighting the significant demand and relevance of similar events, as well as students’ enthusiasm.

Speakers included Nicola Sasanelli, who spoke about high tech, Rosa Matto spoke about gastronomy and hospitality, Professor Angela Scarino spoke about education and Phillip Donato on health.

Opening the conference was Anne-Marie Morgan, Dean of Programs at UniSA, who thanked the participants and speakers, especially Enza Tudini for organising the event and encouraging students to study Italian at university.

“There is a lot of research confirming that speaking a second language makes the brain work better, increasing logic, memory and learning skills,” she said.

Even on NAPLAN tests, students who study a foreign language perform better than others.

Additionally, a foreign language provides more job opportunities, and research has shown that even mental health is better in those who speak two languages or more.

Consul Adriano Stendardo also spoke at the beginning of the proceedings.

“I am very grateful to the University of South Australia for organising this event, which has been planned for quite some time,” he said.

Consul Stendardo emphasised how important it is to study a foreign language.

“We live in an era where technology allows real-time translation, but we also live in a connected world, and communication between people, societies and communities remains fundamental and irreplaceable.

“Italian, then, is a language rich in culture and knowledge.”

He then went on to emphasise that studying a foreign language means acquiring a kind of super-power that allows us to connect with many people and relate to them on a higher level, or to use a quote from Charlemagne, “Knowing a second language gives a second soul.”

Stendardo concluded his speech by mentioning that Italy is one of the richest countries culturally, with the largest number of UNESCO sites.

It’s also one of the seven most industrialised countries with continuous top-level investments in science, technology, manufacturing, film, art, architecture, fashion, food and design.

Therefore, knowledge of the Italian language is essential to work in certain sectors, in certain companies and at certain levels.

Moreover, Italian will also be increasingly important in fields that are emerging at the moment, such as services, communications, online commerce, wellness and the environment.

Finally, there was a mention of space, apt considering the Space Forum is held in Adelaide and attracts more and more first-rate Italian companies.

In addition, he recalled that according to the 2021 census, more than one million Australians in Australia boast Italian origins and more than 160,000 were born in Italy.

Therefore, he invited the students present to “remix, repeat and reclaim their Italian identity,” through teachers and the many community representatives.

For all these reasons, “mastery of Italian represents a competitive advantage not only professionally but in life”.

You can listen to the conference and all the speeches by clicking here.