Italy and Albania two countries that have always been there for each other, two countries united by
an atmosphere of brotherhood and sharing. The fusion of the two peoples leads to an interesting
intertwining of traditions and culture that we will discover in today's video thanks to Amarilda.
"You never abandoned us when we needed it and we took the ships to reach
the opposite coast, thank you Italy because you illuminated our path with your art,
beauty and music" these are the words of Alketa Vejsiu in Sanremo, good vision. Hi Amarilda
thank you very much for being here it is really a pleasure to have you on our channel thanks
to you Giulio for your invitation so tell us your story of where you are? I am Albanian,
the hometown is called Korçë is a beautiful city in the Albanian hinterland right in the south
east of Albania in the border between Greece and Macedonia, I am in Italy because I
wanted to study Italian here, it was a language that I always liked it and therefore already in Albania
I went to a linguistic high school right in the section where Italian was studied there
I started studying Italian with very nice Italian teachers who in any case remember them
with a lot of sympathy but also the Albanian professors of the 'Italian they were very good
so it was a wonderful experience even my sister chose to do the same thing so we
are both ... we both found ourselves in Italy studying to do university
here so we left since we already knew Italian then the language of the great poet
but then you arrived in Italy that you already spoke Italian perfectly, that is, at this
level? The school Italian, yes perfectly but the school Italian a little less
fluent let's say speak quietly without being afraid of making a mistake that still no here
then coming here knowing many students from all over Italy and then communicating with
people always communicating in Italian it was also easier that thoughts also
come to you in Italian so it was one thing, a beautiful experience so still now so
let's say that you have perfected your Italian then once you arrived in Italy absolutely
yes absolutely yes because we found ourselves with another reality therefore also studies
even everyday life has always been of help let's say to perfect the language ok
beautiful but now a question arises spontaneously for me you said that you did the school
with teaching in Italian in Albania, because is there this option? There is this option because
there are the two respective governments of the two countries that have made various agreements that are part
of, let's say, the cultural and linguistic twinning that are made to promote the Italian language
in the world.The respective governments every few years renew the programs they do. part
of culture and promote the Italian language in the world here in Albania there is a
program called Illyria program that started more than twenty years ago is renewed every 10 years
on the last renewal was this year in which the intention is to promote the Italian language and
to be studied in schools as a first foreign language. So even before English? Yes,
this is the intention even if English and French always remain as the first languages
that are studied but the intention is to become the Italian language as the first
foreign language that is studied even if Italian a good part of the Albanian population
knows this and therefore there are 70 percent of Albanians who can speak Italian
because the influence of Italian TV has been very decisive in this so the culture,
the TV, the songs then now in these years there there are many Italians who have also chosen
to live in Albania, to invest therefore also to do business instead they are also
we also find ourselves for this reason not only the school but also for this reason that many
Albanians know how to speak Italian then we are a people of immigrants therefore many Albanians
live here who bring to Albania also a lot of culture and languages ​​within, let 's say,
Albanian culture. Ok so let's also say for economic reasons ... certainly absolutely yes
for economic reasons yes. So practically you in Albania have the opportunity to turn on
the television and watch programs in Italian too? Of course, absolutely yes, Italian TV:
Rai or Mediaset, let's say we grew up with cartoons ... but come on? Yes we
grew up with cartoons say Sailor Moon, Lady Oscar. In Italian? Yes in Italian,
this thing is very interesting. Yes, always in Italian yes that yes then I remember when I was
a child the Albanian state TV always to promote foreign languages ​​broadcast an
Italian teaching program but this also for the other languages ​​English, French,
German but I remember that there was also for Italian so I remember the theme song of
the song to fly so here is "in the blue painted blue" then already in the years of the closure of
communism many artists then listened secretly to the Italian songs so they
were also penalized unfortunately for this because they have been called the revisionists. Indeed,
the famous 11th Albanian song festival what you felt in the air was precisely
Western culture, especially the Italian one, therefore Sanremo too, therefore,
that festival was penalized so you cannot easily find videos of that festival because it was
penalized precisely because it was of Western influence, especially Italian, in fact, as
we saw from the last Sanremo festival that in Albania is followed a lot, when
the last time, however, a famous Albanian TV presenter was also
invited to the festival, in fact it was criticized because he spoke Italian so fluently and quickly
so better than the presenters of the festival itself. You also speak as a native speaker,
that is, completely as a native speaker. Thanks. But everyone speaks Italian in Albania, that is, you can
speak Italian even in everyday life, do you need it? No, in everyday life not so much
especially in big cities where there are Italians who have their own economic activities
and need them there but I believe that many Italians also like to speak a little Albanian it is not
just the opposite, many like it, many have also learned something much more that however here
we find that many girls are engaged to Italian guys so many guys maybe they
are talking a few words and fit well maybe even with their respective relatives
so not only do we speak Italian but also Albanian is let's say part of the life
of the Italians so there is a respective replacement here. So has the Albanian become
part of the life of the Italians living in Albania? Absolutely yes absolutely yes but
not necessarily because obviously the kids are good even just by watching TV
to understand and speak Italian calmly. What would you tell me about the Albanians who
settled in Italy? So here too there is an ancient history ... ancient, not so recent,
the Albanians living in Italy we find the Albanian communities of the arbereshe above all who
live in the southern regions of Italy and in the islands they are immigrants here more than five hundred
years ago after the death of the prince of our national hero Skanderberg then they found themselves,
following the occupation of the Ottoman Empire, they found themselves immigrating to Italy they
settled in different countries in the south and in the islands of the Italy and there they have preserved
language and culture therefore they are handed down between generation and generation then we have a
second wave of the early 90s and even here they have preserved, let's say, traditional Albanian
culture and language but there is another different process that in any case have integrated a lot well
also with Italian, with Italian culture, with the language therefore also the new generations
know how to speak well not only Italian but many also speak very well and dialects have
therefore become part of Italian life and culture. Well let's say that once
you also learn the dialect of your region you can define yourself as fully integrated. Of course,
absolutely yes absolutely yes then the Albanian language favors let's say the way of pronouncing,
Albanian and everything favors a lot in speaking well also the other foreign languages ​​Albanians
are inclined to learn easily and speak foreign languages ​​well. It shows! Thanks. But
tell us a bit, you said that it is the Albanian community that has settled in the southern
Italian regions that has maintained its tradition and also the language ... certainly absolutely yes that
is an archaic language an archaic Albanian of 500 years ago however obviously over the years there have been
many changes where words and expressions in Italian
are also part of the linguistic cultural baggage, so this mixing of languages ​​has become part
of the let's say of the Arberëshe language of their traditions. So if I go to these places
I basically find road signs in both languages? Absolutely yes absolutely yes if
I happened to see both in Italian and in the archaic Albanian I happened to see
so yes. Very very very interesting. Yes, it is very interesting that in these countries,
let's say traditional culture is promoted, but always obviously maintaining the Italian culture
of their country where they live, not only the Albanian one, so here, both cultures go hand in hand
. Well, it seems fair to me, it is important both to keep one's origins but
also to integrate 100%. Of course, absolutely yes. So Amarilda really thank you very much for
sharing your experience with us and above all for spreading so much
knowledge. Thanks to you for the invitation it was a pleasure when you want I am at your disposal
to share these wonderful experiences, thank you. Sure, thank you very much bye everyone bye!