Study the Italian Language

The West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University has declared the 2007-2008 academic year as "The Year of Italian Culture." As an extension of this theme, students and the general public have the opportunity to take a class on the Italian language at FSU.

Rose A. Mazza, adjunct instructor of Italian, will teach two sections of "Introduction to Italian I" (INTR 1199) this fall. One section will be offered on Wednesdays from 6-8:50 p.m. at the Gaston Caperton Center in Clarksburg and the other will be offered on Thursdays from 6-8:50 p.m. in Jaynes Hall on the main FSU campus. FSU students may take the class for three hours of credit. Members of the general public who are interested in taking the class will need to fill out an application for admission as a non-degree seeking student. For more information, call the Student Services Center at (304) 367-4892.

Mazza is a native speaker of Italian who was born in San Giovanni in Fiore, Calabrian Region, Italy, and came to America with her family when she was an adolescent. A resident of Clarksburg, she holds two master's degrees from West Virginia University, one in foreign languages and the other in education. Besides being fluent in Italian, Mazza speaks French and Spanish and has a special interest in Latin American literature.

Beginning in the fall 2008 semester, FSU students will also have an opportunity to study for a semester in Italy, through a partnership and exchange program with the University of Calabria in Consenza. To prepare for this study, students will be required to participate in the Italian language class. For more information on the exchange program, students should call the Office of Student Affairs at (304) 367-4215.