Italian La Dolce Vita

Ah, Italy. Europe's boot is packed with culture, history and annoyingly beautiful people who occasionally visit Ireland and make us look, well, kind of skanky. Italy seems to have it all. You can't move without bumping into an Etruscan tomb, a Roman ruin, a Renaissance cathedral or a branch of Benneton.

Throughout the millennia, the country has given the world some of its most prolific writers, artists and musicians, such as Dante, Da Vinci and Vivaldi. The fashion is fabulous. The weather features a fair amount of sun. It is a country that screams to be visited, so perhaps it's time to consider an Italian class. If you want to learn a bit more about the country before you go, then you could consider taking a course in Italian history or culture.

You could, for example, learn about Italy's renowned Renaissance period. As well as getting get a new insight into famous works such as Boticelli's Birth of Venus and the Mona Lisa, you will also discover lesser-known works by some of Italy's best-kept secrets. You should also learn some handy facts for dinner parties.

Stun your friends by informing them that famous Trevi fountain was first created in the 15th century but the sculptures were not made until the 18th. Crush everyone's mental picture of Michelangelo by spreading the rumour that he nailed some poor man to a board and pierced his heart with a spear so as to paint a Crucifixion. Or just tell them about the madman that you are sitting beside. Whatever takes your fancy, but you definitely won't be stuck for conversation with one of these classes under your cintura.

You can learn more about cinturas and other common nouns with a class in the Italian language. There are many good reasons to learn it - its handy for holidays, it builds your sense of self worth - but perhaps the most compelling reason is gratitude. Where would we be without pizza and pasta, now almost as Irish as the Irish themselves?

It seems that the least we can do is not to completely mangle the Italian's language when we go to visit them - i.e. either talk very slowly in English and add an 'a' to the end of each word."Excusea me, Senor, wherea is the Hotel Roma? C'merea, all our chippers are called that…What? Oh sorry, chippera." This does not go down well with the locals.

So why not treat yourself to a bit of tuition? Italian is surprisingly easy to pick up - most words are spoken just as they are written and anyone who had a brush with Latin at school will find themselves at the top of the class…Buona fortuna!