▁Italian ▁as ▁their ▁L 1 ▁now ad ays . ▁ ▁Italy ▁is ▁in ▁fact ▁lingu ist ically ▁diverse , ▁as ▁there ▁are ▁not ▁only ▁vari eties ▁of ▁Italian ▁specific ▁to ▁each ▁cultural ▁region , ▁but ▁also ▁distinct ▁regional ▁and ▁minor ity ▁languages . ▁The ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁education ▁system ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁and ▁a ▁decrease ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁latter . ▁The ▁spread ▁of ▁Italian ▁was ▁further ▁expanded ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁growth ▁and ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁mass ▁media ▁and ▁television , ▁with ▁the ▁state ▁broad c aster ▁( RA I ) ▁setting ▁a ▁col lo qu ial ▁variety ▁of ▁Italian ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁population ▁would ▁be ▁exposed . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁distance ▁itself ▁from ▁the ▁Italian ization ▁policies ▁promoted ▁because ▁of ▁national ism , ▁Italy ▁recognized ▁twelve ▁languages ▁as ▁the ▁Country ' s ▁" histor ical ▁lingu istic ▁minor ities ", ▁which ▁are ▁promoted ▁alongside ▁Italian ▁in ▁their ▁respective ▁territ ories . ▁French ▁is ▁co - o fficial ▁in ▁the ▁A osta ▁Valley ▁as ▁the ▁province ' s ▁prest ige ▁variety , ▁under ▁which ▁the ▁more ▁commonly ▁spoken ▁Franco - Pro ven cal ▁dialect s ▁have ▁been ▁histor ically ▁roof ed . ▁German ▁has ▁the ▁same ▁status ▁in ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁South ▁Ty rol ▁as , ▁in ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁that ▁province ▁and ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁Tr ent ino , ▁does ▁Lad in