Adam Vilio, undergraduate student of Italian and International Economics Major, shares why he chose to minor in Italian.
“I decided to declare a minor in Italian because I really enjoyed all the classes I had taken with the department and because I thought it would be a valuable inclusion to my degree in International Economics.”
Coming from an Italian background and being a dual citizen of Canada and Italy, I have always had a deep appreciation for Italian language, art, food, culture, and literature. Italy is an incredible country with so much beauty to see and explore. Whenever I go there, I am reminded again and again why I chose to minor in Italian.
Career goals
I decided to declare a minor in Italian because I really enjoyed all the classes I had taken with the department and because I thought it would be a valuable inclusion to my degree in International Economics. Taking courses in Italian allowed me to not only improve my knowledge of the language, but also to learn about Italian history and culture. I think that this knowledge will be valuable in the future if I pursue a career working in Italian or European markets, as I am particularly interested in working in the European Union. Having a minor in Italian can make my application more competitive in the eyes of future employers.
Classroom experience
The most enjoyable part of my Italian classes were the professors. I felt that they were always available and always willing to give extra materials to extend and support my learning. They also brought their own personal experiences with the Italian culture into lectures which made their classes all the more engaging.
Advice
My advice for those wishing to learn a new language would be to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible! We live in an age where technology for learning languages is so accessible. You can find content in so many languages on YouTube, Netflix and other streaming platforms; the opportunities to consume media in your target language are really endless.
I also attended Italian movie nights and literature talks hosted at UBC. The overall experiences of these events were wonderful! They provide valuable opportunities to extend your learning and converse with native speakers of the language you are learning.
