As a Sicilian and university computer science lecturer, I can say that hand gestures are my primary way of communicating concepts.

So much so that the old joke holds true. How do you stop an Italian from talking? Tell them to sit on their hands.

I am Italian as well and love the joke, but it always makes it sound like any other culture doesn’t use their hands to convey meaning, which is obviously false. I do not notice a large difference between a northern Italian like me and any other American speaker, for instance.

Of course there will be a noticeable increase in gesticulation in an angry southern Italian person compared to a mild-mannered Englishman droning about philosophy.

Perhaps the difference lies not in the amount of gesturing, but in the heightened emotions of us southern Europeans.

Doubly so with CS in the mix. IMO.