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The Italian Language in Canada

The Italian language in Canada and in Canadian Universities

According to the most recent Canadian census in 2021, there are 319.505 native Italian speakers in the country. The study of the Italian language in Canadian schools and universities is generally more widespread in areas where there is a significant presence of Italian communities. It is also often included in various school curricula, thanks to ad hoc agreements with the provincial authorities of the individual provinces.

In many universities in Nova Scotia, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba Alberta, and British Columbia, Italian departments organize special degree courses as well as basic language programs, including some for adult students in continuing education, a process of constant learning that spans the entire life of an individual.

In the broader program of the “Promotion of Sistema Italia”, the promotion and dissemination of the Italian language and culture worldwide are one of the five points of designated priority action. This program includes the professional figures appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) consisting of educators in Italy who are sent to countries around the world such as educational directors, administrators and Italian instructors. Currently, two readers are in service in Canada, one at Carleton University in Ottawa and one at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, while in Toronto and Vancouver there are two full-time Educational Directors who will soon be joined by another in Montreal.

The following list of departments or Italian programs at Canadian universities is taken from Universitystudy.ca; for more details, please see the respective sites:

1. Alberta

  • University of Calgary, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of French, Italian and Spanish – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • University of Alberta*, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies – Minor, undergraduate studies

2. British Columbia

  • University of Victoria, Hispanic and Italian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • University of British Columbia, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • Simon Fraser University, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of World Languages and Literatures – Minor, undergraduate studies & Certificate, undergraduate studies

3. Manitoba

  • University of Manitoba, Italian, Faculty of Arts, Department of French, Spanish and Italian – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • University of Winnipeg, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

4. New Brunswick

  • Université de St. Thomas, Italian, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Romance Languages – Minor, undergraduate studies

5. Nova Scotia

  • Dalhousie University, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – Minor, undergraduate studies

6. Ontario

  • York University, Italian, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics – Certificate, undergraduate studies & International Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • Wilfrid Laurier University, Italian, Faculty of Arts, Department of Languages and Literatures – Minor, undergraduate studies
  • University of Toronto, Italian, School of Continuing Studies – Certificate, undergraduate studies
  • University of Toronto, Italian Second Language Learning, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Italian Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • University of Toronto, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Italian Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Master of Arts, graduate studies & Doctor of Philosophy, graduate studies
  • University of Toronto – Mississauga, Italian Language Teaching and Learning, Department of Language Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Master of Arts, graduate studies
  • University of Ottawa, Italian Language and Culture, Faculty of Arts, Department of Modern Languages and Literature – Minor, undergraduate studies
  • University of Guelph, Italian, College of Arts, School of Languages and Literatures – Minor, undergraduate studies
  • Queen’s University, Italian, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Spanish and Italian Languages and Literature – Minor, undergraduate studies & Certificate, undergraduate studies
  • McMaster University, Italian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Linguistics and Languages – Minor, undergraduate studies
  • Carleton University, Italian, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Linguistics and Language Studies – Minor, undergraduate studies
  • University of Windsor, Italian and German, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • University of Waterloo, Italian Language, Faculty of Arts, Department of Italian Studies – Concentration, undergraduate studies
  • University of Waterloo, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of Italian Studies – Minor, undergraduate studies
  • St. Jerome’s University, Italian Language, Department of Italian and French Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies
  • University of Western Ontario, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Minor, undergraduate studies & Certificate, undergraduate studies
  • Brock University, Italian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Minor, undergraduate studies

7. Québec

  • Concordia University, Italian, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Minor, undergraduate studies
  • McGill University, Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Department of Italian Studies – Bachelor of Arts, undergraduate studies & Master of Arts, graduate studies & Doctor of Philosophy, graduate studies
  • Université Laval*, Langue Italienne, Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines, Département de langues, linguistique et traduction – Microprogrammes & Certification PLIDA (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri)
  • Université de Montréal*, Langue et culture italiennes, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Département de littératures et de langues du monde – Microprogramme

*Italian courses in French 

 

Italian sections in schools:

TORONTO

Leonardo Da Vinci Academy

Academic Programs: two pre-school programmes (Casa Montessori and Scuola Materna) and elementary school.

Address: 100 Allanhurst Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9A 4K4

Phone: +1 416-247-6137

E-mail: ldva@ldva.on.ca