Of all the European languages you can study, Italian is among the least practical. You can use your knowledge of it, of course, in Rome and Venice and throughout “the boot,” or should your voice possess a three-octave range, accompany Andrea Bocelli on Spotify.

And for practical usage without having to cross the Atlantic, our own Italian-rich community offers its own opportunities: At Wooster Street’s cluster of restaurants, at P&M Market and Nica’s on Orange Street, or at the Liuzzi deli counter in North Haven, you can ask employees not only about what cuts of prosciutto are disponibile (available) but inquire, in the Italian tradition, into the welfare of la famiglia.