Italian is growing in popularity as a foreign language around the world - but why the appeal? We asked our readers, whose reasons for learning the language ranged from family old and new to an appreciation of the food and culture - as well as some more unexpected factors.

Italian has leapt to fourth place in terms of the most-studied languages worldwide. The number of foreigners studying it has risen to 2,233,373 in the 2015/16 academic year - up from 1,700,000 the previous year.

The figures, released by the General Assembly of the Italian Language in the World, revealed student numbers saw a particular increase in France and Germany but also further afield, in Australia and the USA...Continue Reading