Consulate General of Italy celebrates International Week of Italian Language at Birzeit University

In celebration of International Week of the Italian Language, the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem organized an event on the Italian language and youth together with Birzeit University’s Department of Languages and Translation and the Dante Alighieri Society in Ramallah and Bethlehem. The event was held at Birzeit University on Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

The Department of Languages and Translation Chairperson Ruba Khalaf gave an opening speech in which she thanked the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem for their interest in the cultural exchange between Italy and Palestine. Khalaf highlighted the department’s interest in exposing students to various cultures and enhancing diversity.

Consul General of Italy in Jerusalem Giuseppe Fedele stressed the strong relationship between Birzeit University and the consulate. Fedele emphasized the consulate’s commitment to promoting Italian language and culture in Palestine through holding annual conferences and encouraging student exchange between Birzeit and Italian partner universities.

In an engaging presentation, Roberto Cirelli, Italian language instructor at Birzeit, introduced the history of the Italian language and the status of Italian today. Cirelli addressed the influence of technology on the standardization of Italian and the gradual loss of dialects. He also elaborated on youth culture and the way young Italians use language to construct and express their own identity.

The event was attended by Stefano Mancini, cultural attaché of the Italian Consulate in Jerusalem; Paola Tartaglia, director of the Dante Alighieri Society in Ramallah and Bethlehem; Emilia Rappocciolo, faculty member at the Department Of Biology and Biochemistry and member at the Dante Alighieri Society; Dr. Tina Rafidi, assistant to the dean of the Faculty of Arts; and students and other faculty members.