A Language with a Rich Literary and Poetic Tradition
Slovene, part of the South Slavic language group alongside Serbian and Croatian, is spoken by over 2 million people not only in Slovenia but also in Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. In Italy, Slovene is in constant contact with Italian and, in some areas, with Friulian and German as well. This coexistence has given rise to distinctive linguistic traits, especially evident in the dialects and variations of local speech.
In the Grip of Nationalism
Until the First World War, Slovene was the primary language for Slovenes in the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia. However, after the war, when these areas were annexed to Italy, the language increasingly came under disfavour. A policy of denationalisation led to the abolition of Slovene in schools, the suppression of Slovene-language media, and the closure of Slovene associations. There was also active persecution against the use of Slovene in public spaces. After the Second World War, the situation improved significantly: in the Trieste and Gorizia regions, schools were established with Slovene as the language of instruction, offering a complete educational path from kindergarten through to secondary school graduation.
Between Written Language and Dialects
In the province of Udine, the linguistic situation for the Slovene national community is more complex. Unlike in Trieste and Gorizia, the Slovenes in these areas, historically less organised, were not influenced by the 19th-century national revival movement. This difference is also reflected in the absence of Slovene-language education during the period of the Kingdom of Italy. However, in the Benečija area, the Bilingual Comprehensive School of San Pietro al Natisone / Špetar has been operating since 2001. Originally established in 1984 as a private school, it now teaches Slovene to new generations. In Val Resia/Rezija, the educational offering is limited to courses in the Resian dialect, while in Val Canale, organising Slovene language courses remains particularly difficult.
Da vicino
Corsi di sloveno in Italia
In sloveno fino alla laurea
Da dove deriva l’espressione “xe zima”?
L’istruzione nella propria lingua madre
