Conversational Italian Class Available

Pierpont Community & Technical of Fairmont State University is offering non-credit classes in Conversational Italian in Fairmont and Clarksburg through its Community Education Program. The classes are designed for community members who are interested in learning more about Italian language and culture, but do not want academic credit.

Classes will take place on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from Jan. 31 to May 1, 2008, in Room 306 of Jaynes Hall on the main FSU campus. Classes will also take place on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. from Jan. 29 to April 29, 2008, in Room 210 of the Gaston Caperton Center in Clarksburg. The cost is $175.

The class is not structured around grammar, but is based on oral communication with a direct conversational intent. Students will learn to develop an appreciation for Italian language and culture, particularly related to southern Italy, which is the origin of many North Central West Virginians. There are no tests or grades given. FSU's Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center is promoting the study of Italian as a heritage language of West Virginia and has declared this academic year as the Year of Italian Culture.

Rose A. Mazza will be the instructor. 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.

For more information, including full course details or to register, the public should call (304) 367-4913 or visit www.pierpont.edu/ce.

FSU students and the public also have the option of taking Introduction to Italian classes for credit at the main campus and the Caperton Center. FSU students can participate in a study abroad program at the University of Calabria. For more information on these opportunities, students should call (304) 367-4286.