Article published in August 2007 on the BAIA blog.
Despite living in the Bay Area for several years, Francesca still has the freshness and enthusiasm of a newcomer who has just landed at SFO from Europe. She combines her passion for everything Italian with the skill and determination of an entrepreneur.
Franco Folini
In a tall building in downtown San Francisco, facing the crowds on Market Street, there is a small but notable Italian school. Every day in this school’s classrooms, passionate teachers engage students in the culture and language of Italy. The school, ItaLingua, is led by Francesca Gaspari. Despite living in the Bay Area for several years, Francesca still has the freshness and enthusiasm of a newcomer who has just landed at SFO from Europe. Francesca combines her passion for everything Italian with the skill and determination of an entrepreneur. I recently met Francesca and asked her a few questions to learn more about this important bastion of Italian culture, which seems more known to non-Italians than to the Italian community itself. Here are my questions and Francesca’s responses.
The interview with Francesca Gaspari
Franco Folini: Hi, Francesca! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and ItaLingua?
Francesca Gaspari: I’m originally from Bergamo, a historical town in the north of Italy, and I moved here to California at the age of thirty, following jazz and love. I hold a diploma in clarinet from the Conservatory of Bergamo. I also spent three years studying acting. I have a passion for teaching. This background supported me in working on my main project: creating an Italian-language school. As soon as I came here, I started to look for opportunities to teach Italian. I was motivated by my passion for teaching and by the interest in our language I noticed among Americans, especially Italian-Americans, who wanted to reconnect with their parents’ or grandparents’ language. Among several other ventures, I created Salotto Italiano, a private Italian school I led from 1990 to 2000. In 1996, I began working with ItaLingua Institute, starting as a part-time teacher and becoming the school director in 2001. At ItaLingua, I’ve done countless activities, from organizing cultural workshops to teaching classes. I love combining teaching the Italian language with specific Italian cultural topics tailored to my students’ interests. Unlike at other schools, I organize Italian classes on literature, opera, music, and cinema. For my students, I also organize special events with important guests such as Italian cuisine chefs, opera singers, Italian journalists, and more.
In 1996, I began working with ItaLingua Institute, starting as a part-time teacher and becoming the school director in 2001. At ItaLingua, I’ve done countless activities, from organizing cultural workshops to teaching classes.
Francesca Gaspari
Franco Folini: ItaLingua is a popular Italian School in San Francisco. What motivates people to study the Italian language?
Francesca Gaspari: Our students have many reasons to join our classes. Some are planning trips to Italy; others have Italian relatives or are tracing their family history. Many are attracted by our language because they love Italian art, music, architecture, fashion, cooking, and wine. In every ItaLingua class, students are involved in a complete visual, emotional, and phonetic experience. We try to bring language to life and let our students realize how beautiful, fun, and sexy Italian is – so they keep studying it.
In every ItaLingua class, students are involved in a complete visual, emotional, and phonetic experience. We try to bring language to life and let our students realize how beautiful, fun, and sexy Italian is – so they keep studying it.
Francesca Gaspari
Franco Folini: Many people don’t see the benefits of promoting the Italian language outside of Italy. Do you have any experience to share to help people understand the strategic value of your job?
Francesca Gaspari: Like Italian paintings, opera, or literature, the Italian language is a work of art. Just as learning about Michelangelo, Verdi, or Dante enriches anyone’s appreciation of beauty and its creators, learning Italian enriches appreciation of Italy and all things Italian. I believe that the promotion and teaching of the Italian language have an impact not only on the “diffusion” and appreciation of Italian culture, but also on interactions between Americans and Italian businesses. For example, when a student of ItaLingua cooks a Barilla pasta dish, or rides a Vespa on the streets of San Francisco, or watches a Muccino movie, he/she will know the culture that produced those products and will experience some sort of positive connection.
When a student of ItaLingua cooks a Barilla pasta dish, or rides a Vespa on the streets of San Francisco, or watches a Muccino movie, they will know the culture that produced those products and will experience some sort of positive connection.
Francesca Gaspari
Franco Folini: Based on your experience, what are the major positive or negative stereotypes of Italians here in the Bay Area?
Francesca Gaspari: I am not really familiar with any negative ones. Our students admire Italians and want to learn our language to acquire the Italians’ style, vivacity, and joy in living. Those are not stereotypes; those are peculiar features and integral parts of our Italian culture.
Franco Folini: What are the major differences between the ways Italian and other European languages and cultures are presented and promoted in the US?
Francesca Gaspari: The Spanish language is so widespread in the United States that people study it for practical reasons. The French government supports the Alliance Françoise and promotes the study of the French language as a symbol of the culture. Chinese and Japanese are popular languages in California because of its close ties to Asia. I think Italian is unique because many people study it for the sheer love of the language and the fun of learning it. As a spoken language, Italian ranks about 19th—much lower than Spanish and French—yet it has become the fourth- or fifth-most widely studied language in the world. My hope is that Italian teachers abroad and the Italian government can “revitalize” the interest in our beautiful language.
Italian is unique because many people study it for the sheer love of the language and the fun of learning it. As a spoken language, Italian ranks about 19th, yet it has become the fourth or fifth-most widely studied language in the world.
Francesca Gaspari
Franco Folini: You have been in San Francisco for some time. How has the Italian community changed over the years?
Francesca Gaspari: The Italian community has always played a significant role in the Bay Area. One major difference is that several decades ago, many Italians were the children or grandchildren of Italian immigrants. Now, many are fourth- or fifth-generation Americans, and their ties to Italy are not as strong. More interestingly, we are now seeing a new generation of Italians coming to the Bay Area. They are university students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and professionals. Those people are gradually changing the traditional perception of Italy and of Italian culture, providing a more updated and modern image of our country. For both the old and new Italians, the Italian language is vital to maintaining their ethnic bond and preserving a sense of pride in their Italian heritage.
We are now seeing a new generation of Italians coming to the Bay Area. They are university students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and professionals. Those people are gradually changing the traditional perception of Italy and of Italian culture, providing a more updated and modern image of our country.
Francesca Gaspari
Franco Folini: What can Italian associations, such as BAIA, and Italian institutions, such as the Italian Consulate, do to help promote the Italian language and culture?
Francesca Gaspari: I would love to see all of us working together to celebrate the language, for instance, during Italian Language Week in October. I’d like to offer classes on conversation and culture at Italian-owned or Italian-associated businesses, host special events on the language of Italian food and wine at restaurants and wineries, and involve children and families in Italian traditions and folklore. Language is the lifeblood of a nation and a culture, and by promoting the Italian language, we are promoting the essence of Italy.
Language is the lifeblood of a nation and a culture, and by promoting the Italian language, we are promoting the essence of Italy.
Francesca Gaspari
I would like to thank Francesca Gaspari for taking the time for this interview and for the important work she is doing every day at ItaLingua, supporting and promoting the Italian language and culture.
