Italian is a language of music and literature, art and cinema, and world-famous cuisine. It has more words than any other language for food and dining. Beautiful and expressive, it's the language of Dante's poetry, high fashion, and classical opera.

Italian is spoken as a mother tongue by over 65 million people, and is understood by as many as 120 million people in 26 countries around the world.

Italy is one of the world’s most popular travel destinations, with the highest number of UNESCO world heritage sites and an estimated 60% of the world's designated art treasures.

Italy is a leading international economy and a world-leading exporter of products synonymous with quality and design.

The University's Italian programme is designed to give you a broad, supportive introduction to speaking, reading, writing, and understanding this enormously enjoyable language. Start by learning how to have a conversation in Italian, while developing some basic grammar and composition skills. As you go on, you'll deepen your knowledge of the language and of Italy’s extraordinary cultural riches. You'll build the skills you need to follow your interests, express yourself, and understand others.

This is a small and friendly programme, where you'll get to know your teachers well. There's an Italian Society you can join, and social, culinary, and cultural events you can take part in. And we have strong links with the nearby Italian Embassy and Wellington's lively Italian community.

If you want to study an expressive language and influential culture in a warm and supportive environment, Italian is right for you.