Why learn Italian?
Learning a new language is a major task but it is one that most people find to be worthwhile. Italy probably has more history and attracts more tourists than any other country in the world, meaning there are lots of good reasons to learn to speak Italian. Some people do it for career advancement but most people learn Italian just out of personal interest. Whatever your reason for choosing to learn Italian there are a lot of options available to help you. The best bet is to just make the decision and dive in, there is really nothing to lose.
The most common reason to learn Italian is to visit Italy. Italy is one of the world's leading tourist destinations and for good reason. As the home of ancient Rome and the renaissance there is no shortage of history in Italy. While it is very possible to get around without speaking the language you will likely find that your trip is much easier and more enjoyable if you speak the language. Not being able to communicate with the locals will be quite limiting when it comes to experiencing your trip to Italy. Most people find learning at least a little bit of Italian before they go to be well worth the effort.
If you want to study a subject like art history you are going to need to learn to speak Italian. Italy was the home of the renaissance after all and most of the original source documents are in Italian. If you are serious about your studies, especially if you plan to do it professionally you are not going to want to rely on translations you are going to need to be able to read the originals. There are a number of other areas besides art history for which this is also the case, Italy has a fascinating history and speaking Italian will make it easier to learn about it.
Italy is a major European Union economy and it is often necessary to business with Italian companies, this is so much simpler if you speak the language. Being able to talk to your business partners in their own language gives you a major advantage over your competitors. You will also find that being able to speak Italian can help you to get a promotion at work, especially if you work for a company that does a lot of business in Italy.
Many people chose to learn a new language just for the satisfaction of doing it. Learning Italian is a major accomplishment and it is something that you can take pride in. Learning Italian is also an opportunity for intellectual stimulation, it also helps to improve you analytical skills. There is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that just learning a new language actually makes you smarter.