On October 22, the third edition of the Joint Action for the Italian language in the World, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research, the Accademia della Crusca and the Embassy of the Helvetic Confederation to Italy, took place in Rome, at Villa Madama.

Enzo Moavero Milanesi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, opened the event by stating that “Italian is the fourth most studied language in the world, after English, Spanish and Chinese”. In the preface to the 2018 report entitled “Italian in the changing world” (L’Italiano nel mondo che cambia), he explains that more than two million people abroad decide every year to learn Italian for various reasons. Some need to study it for work; many others learn it for the desire and the pleasure of knowing a language that gives access to a cultural heritage extremely rich in literature, history and art. Moreover, Italian seems to be — right after English — the most trending language in marketing, as it is often associated with high-quality products.