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The Italians are the most expressive people on earth. Not only is their spoken language beautiful, but they can speak an entire language with their hands. If you've ever wondered what all those signs can possibly mean, click here for a funny (and informative) video detailing all you've ever wanted to know about Italian hand gestures. The video was put together by Nada's Italy, a tour company devoted to the authentic experience of Italian language and culture.

This month's Travel and Leisure features language schools around the world. In Italy, with locations in Florence, Rome, Siena and Milan, they recommend Scuola Leonardo da Vinci . The Scuola not only offers language classes ranging from two to 24 weeks, but also offers cultural classes in music and art history, among other topics. The Scuola in Rome is located at Piazza dell'Orologio, which is not far from Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori .

In an op-ed entitled " Are We Rome? Tu Betchus ! " Maureen Dowd attempts to explain why the Republicans are losing this election-in Latin! It's funny, clever, and in near-perfect translation. Especially entertaining are the phrases that have no true equivalent in Latin, such as "lipstick on a pig" ( lipsticka in porcam ), "a little blow" ( snifferendum cocaini minimi ), and her inclusion of standard Latin phrases into English in a reversal of the Latin that we would include in our own rhetoric: "Oh bloody sight!" Be sure to read the comments of her readers. For more on Latin in present-day America, read last week's article in the NY Times " A Dead Language That's Very Much Alive. "

If you're looking for a diversion at work or on a rainy day and want to do some good while you practice your Italian, go to FreeRice.com. For every Italian vocabulary word that you define correctly, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program to help end world hunger. Buona Fortuna!

Located in an Art Nouveau villa near La Sapienza (Rome's university) and just a few Metro stops from the historic center, La Torre di Babele offers language courses ranging from intensive two week courses to long-term 24 week courses. They promise that at the end of a long-term course (12 weeks minimum), you will be fluent in Italian! They will even arrange for accomodations for you if you choose an intensive two-week course. The school, which is accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, also offers cooking and cultural courses, and is an authorized examination center for international students seeking the certification which allows admission to Italian universities. The school comes highly recommended by Francesca Gaspari, director of the Italingua Institute in San Francisco and a Modern Traveler's Guide to Rome contributor.

If you are interested in learning Italian, it really is best to learn in a classroom setting until you can get to Italy. In San Francisco, the Italingua Institute offers classes in conversational Italian, Italian grammar, even Italian literature. The Institute also holds workshops on various topics of Italian culture such as cooking, film and politics. Their main campus is in San Francisco on Market Street, and their Berkeley campus is located on Center Street.