9 Questions
What is the current ranking of Italian among the most spoken languages in the United States?
When did the first Italian Americans begin to immigrate en masse to the United States?
What is the estimated number of Italian American residents in the United States?
What is the main reason for the decline of Italian speakers in the United States?
What is the status of Italy's ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages?
Which other Italo-Dalmatian languages were spoken by early waves of Italian American immigrants?
What is the current status of Italian as an AP course of study in high schools nationwide?
What is the estimated number of Italian American residents who report speaking Italian at home?
What efforts have been made to revive the Italian language course of study in high schools?
Summary
The Decline of Italian Language in the United States
- Italian language has been widely spoken in the United States for over 100 years due to large-scale immigration.
- The number of Italian speakers has seen a steady decline since the 1980s due to assimilation and integration into American society.
- Italian is currently the eighth most spoken language in the country.
- The first Italian Americans began to immigrate en masse around 1880, and between 1820 and 1978, some 5.3 million Italians went to the United States.
- During World War Two, use of Italian languages in the U.S. was discouraged.
- Today, 15,638,348 American residents report themselves as Italian Americans, and about 708,966 of these report speaking Italian at home.
- Assimilation has played a large role in the decreasing number of Italian speakers today.
- Despite being the fifth most studied language in higher education settings throughout America, the Italian language has struggled to maintain being an AP course of study in high schools nationwide.
- Organizations such as the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and Order Sons of Italy in America conducted fundraising campaigns to revive the course of study.
- Other Italo-Dalmatian languages spoken by early waves of Italian American immigrants typically did not include Italian but instead included other languages such as Sicilian and Neapolitan.
- Although Italy is a signatory to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, it has not ratified the treaty.
- There are still several Italian-only media outlets in the United States.
Description
Do you know about the history and decline of Italian language in the United States? Test your knowledge with this quiz! Learn about the factors that have contributed to the decrease in Italian speakers and the efforts to revive the language. Discover interesting facts about the Italian American community and their diverse linguistic heritage. Don't miss the chance to explore the fascinating story of Italian language in America.
