Do Language & Culture Really Go Hand in Hand?

Do Language & Culture Really Go Hand in Hand?

“Should one study in English here in Italy?” has become a question of heated debate here in Italy since the university Politecnico of Milan announced that their students will be studying and presenting their theses in English, rather than their native Italian language, starting in 2014. According to many, including Prof. Roberto Baldoni, Dean of the Department of Computer Science at the university Sapienza of Rome, it is a positive decision that was to be expected. After all, according to Prof. Baldoni, the lingo of Computer Science has always been in English right from the start, and he goes on to say that the internationalization of formal education has already been set into motion over the past few years.

His counterpart, Prof. Anna Pompei, Docent of Linguistics at the Università di Tor Vergata Roma 3, is in disagreement, stating that the Italian language has already been invaded by English phrases and colloquialismsand that we need to preserve our language as an integral part of our unique culture. Learning a second, and even third language, is important for our intellectual development, however languages define who we are and should not replace a mother tongue.

What do our ILICA readers think?

Please send us your thoughts on this controversial topic.