Sociolinguistics of Italian M - Z

According to the Dublin descriptors:

1) Knowledge and understanding

Acquiring basic concepts of sociolinguistics. Developing reflection on the variability of the Italian language. Developing awareness of the functions of a widespread behaviour in the Italian situation, also among young people, i.e. the alternate use of Italian, dialect and foreign languages in conversation and on the web (phenomena defined as code switching and polylanguaging).
2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

Acquiring the main techniques of sociolinguistic investigation in order to be able to carry out fieldwork. To be able to apply the acquired concepts and themes (e.g.: the varieties of Italian, the values of dialect on the web, etc.) to a given professional field. In other words, developing a sociolinguistic reading ability, which contributes to tackling problems and finding solutions to issues involving the use of language in a given field of work (e.g. adapting the variety of language used to prepare public communications of a company or activity, understanding the social meaning of the variety used by a given client, etc.).

3) Autonomy of judgement

Knowing how to interpret data of socially situated language use, in order to attain the capacity for personal and autonomous judgement, so as to be able to make a critical reflection on social, ethical or professional issues (e.g.: evaluating the linguistic behaviour used by or towards a minority, judging the value of the variety of Italian used in a business communication, etc.).

4) Communicative skills

Knowing how to apply sociolinguistic knowledge to one’s own communicative competence, to master the use of socially situated language, and to know how to interact consciously and communicate effectively (e.g.: respecting stylistic norms when writing an email, knowing how to adapt the diatopic markings of one’s speech to a given situational context, etc.).

5) Learning skills

Developing the basic learning skills that are necessary to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy (e.g.: to know diamesic variation in order to adapt one’s use of the language to a new social network, to know the trends in the restandardisation of Italian in order to evaluate further particular innovations, etc.).

The course is structured in dialogical and frontal lectures, individual and group exercises, self-evaluative reflections concerning the several contents dealt with.

Module A (3 ECTS) prof.ssa Alfonzetti

Definition of Sociolinguistics

Scope, postulates and methods; linguistic repertoire and community; communicative situation and competence; social class, group and social network; types of linguistic varieties; standard language and dialect; linguistic prestige; opinions and attitudes, diglossia and dilalia; sociolinguistic variable.

Module B (5 ECTS) prof. Scivoletto

Techniques of sociolinguistic research.

The sociolinguistic situation in contemporary Italy: Italian, dialects, and minority languages; historical development of the use of Italian and dialects; the “architecture” of Italian; restandardisation: literary standard and neostandard; diatopic varieties: Regional Italian; diaphasic varieties: registers and language for specific purposes; diamesic varieties: written and spoken Italian; diastratic varieties: “italiano popolare”.

Module C (1 ECTS) prof.ssa Alfonzetti

The linguistic landscape. Definition and analysis. Functions of Italian, local dialect and other languages in the public space, i.e. in the linguistic landscape.

Module A (3 ECTS)

Text:

G. Berruto, Prima lezione di sociolinguistica, Bari, Laterza, 2006 (189 pp.)

Module B (5 ECTS)

Texts:

• M. D’Agostino, Sociolinguistica dell’Italia contemporanea, Bologna, Il Mulino 2007 (pp. 35): cap. 1: Storie (pp. 13-22), cap. 3: L’Italia contemporanea (pp. 51-66),  cap.11: Progettare una ricerca (pp. 215-235)
• G. Berruto, Sociolinguistica dell’italiano contemporaneo, Roma, Carocci, new edition 2012, (280 pp.) (except chap. 5)  

Module C (1 ECTS)

Text:

• G. Alfonzetti, Vuciata kitchen market. Il dialetto nel paesaggio linguistico sicilianom Centro di Studi Filologici e Linguistici siciliani 2023 (200 pp.)

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.