While it is true that, with a few small exceptions, Italian is only spoken in Italy, Italy is a big country both in terms of population and economic influence. It is very much up there with the UK in terms of output, has a thriving medium-sized company sector producing high-quality goods and, of course, food and drink! Italians love travelling, so you are likely to meet some wherever you go in the world when you are not actually in Italy to do your language practice!
Italian is very approachable and Italians are patient and encouraging towards learners of their language. The grammar can be tricky, but the pronunciation is not too hard. Lots of vocabulary will look familiar – especially to those who love art, music, food and wine or are just generally of a romantic disposition! Standard Italian is spoken throughout the country but interesting local dialects such as Veneto (spoken in the region of which Venice is the capital) continue to thrive in this country of “city states”. Buon divertimento!
Just get off the main drag and explore the back streets of Venice (pictured) to practise your Italian with the locals. Wherever you go in Italy, you will find people are delighted that you are making the effort to speak their language and will help you along!