Maria Candida MUNOZ MEDRANO
Keywords
Research Areas
Her scholarly activity constitutes a coherent and continuous research trajectory, developed over time through an ongoing dialogue between linguistics, phraseology, translation, bilingual lexicography, discourse analysis, and language teaching. Her work is characterized by a strong Spanish–Italian contrastive perspective and constant attention to the cultural, intercultural, and social dimensions of language.
A first major research strand concerns the study of Spanish phraseology and paremiology, approached from both theoretical-descriptive and applied perspectives. In this field, her research focuses on the analysis of phraseological units, routine formulae, verbal idioms, and metaphorical expressions, examined in their diachronic and diatopic variation as well as in their vitality in contemporary usage. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of phraseology in canonical and modern literary texts, with specific interest in the Cervantine universe and in the persistence of phraseological structures from Don Quijote to present-day Spanish, as well as in the role of phraseology in the construction of literary dialogue.
Closely connected to this area is her research on conceptual and linguistic metaphor, investigated as a privileged cognitive and cultural tool for expressing emotions, identities, and social representations. From this perspective, metaphor is analyzed in heterogeneous corpora—literary, journalistic, migration-related, and specialized—highlighting its role in shaping emotional discourse, migration discourse, and ideological discourse, with particular reference to contemporary press language and the discourses of populism.
A second central line of research concerns Spanish–Italian bilingual lexicography, examined from both descriptive and critical viewpoints. This research focuses on the analysis of monolingual and bilingual lexicographic resources, with particular attention to the treatment of phraseology, specialized terminology, and culturally marked units. Within this framework, phenomena of linguistic interference, equivalence errors, definitional gaps, and problems in rendering phraseological units are examined, also in specific domains such as legal language, investigative terminology, and specialized lexicon. The aim is to contribute to a methodological reflection on the development of bilingual dictionaries better suited to the needs of translators, students, and Italian-speaking learners.
Another strongly interdisciplinary research strand concerns literary and specialized translation, with particular attention to the translation of phraseology and cultural metaphors between Spanish and Italian. In this context, the contrastive analysis of contemporary literary works—such as the emblematic case of Sabbia nera and its Spanish translation Arena negra—makes it possible to investigate processes of linguistic and cultural adaptation, the translation strategies adopted, and the challenges related to rendering domain-specific and diatopically marked phraseological units. Translation is understood as a privileged space of intercultural mediation and as a laboratory for observing the deeper mechanisms of linguistic functioning.
A fourth line of research is devoted to discourse analysis from a social and cultural perspective, with particular reference to issues of migration, identity, gender, and the representation of women. In this field, the study of lexicographic resources, literary, theatrical, and journalistic texts highlights the linguistic and phraseological mechanisms through which images, stereotypes, and social narratives are constructed. Special attention is paid to the language of migration and its ideological implications, as well as to the contrastive analysis of gender inequalities in public and specialized discourse.
Alongside its theoretical and descriptive dimension, her scholarly activity is characterized by a strong applied orientation, realized in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) and in teacher training. In this area, research focuses on linguistic interference among Italian-speaking learners, mediation competence, the use of phraseology and literature as tools of cultural mediation, and the development of innovative teaching materials based on literary, artistic, and multimodal texts. The integration of linguistics, culture, and pedagogy represents one of the distinctive features of this line of research.
Overall, these research lines outline a contrastive, interdisciplinary, and intercultural approach in which linguistics constitutes the theoretical core around which studies in phraseology and paremiology, translation, lexicography, discourse analysis, and language teaching are articulated, with constant attention to the relationship between language, culture, and society.
María Cándida Muñoz Medrano
Obtained her PhD in Filología Hispánica in 2000, graduating sobresaliente cum laude from the Universidad de Málaga (Departamento de Filología Española II y Teoría de la Literatura), after completing her Licenciatura en Filología Hispánica at the same university, where she carried out continuous research and teaching activities.
Since 2000, she has taught at the University of Catania as an adjunct professor; from 2005 to 2015 she served as Assistant Professor, and since 2015 she has held the position of Associate Professor.
Research Areas
Her scholarly activity constitutes a coherent and continuous research trajectory, developed over time through an ongoing dialogue between linguistics, phraseology, translation, bilingual lexicography, discourse analysis, and language teaching. Her work is characterized by a strong Spanish–Italian contrastive perspective and constant attention to the cultural, intercultural, and social dimensions of language.
A first major research strand concerns the study of Spanish phraseology and paremiology, approached from both theoretical-descriptive and applied perspectives. In this field, her research focuses on the analysis of phraseological units, routine formulae, verbal idioms, and metaphorical expressions, examined in their diachronic and diatopic variation as well as in their vitality in contemporary usage. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of phraseology in canonical and modern literary texts, with specific interest in the Cervantine universe and in the persistence of phraseological structures from Don Quijote to present-day Spanish, as well as in the role of phraseology in the construction of literary dialogue.
Closely connected to this area is her research on conceptual and linguistic metaphor, investigated as a privileged cognitive and cultural tool for expressing emotions, identities, and social representations. From this perspective, metaphor is analyzed in heterogeneous corpora—literary, journalistic, migration-related, and specialized—highlighting its role in shaping emotional discourse, migration discourse, and ideological discourse, with particular reference to contemporary press language and the discourses of populism.
A second central line of research concerns Spanish–Italian bilingual lexicography, examined from both descriptive and critical viewpoints. This research focuses on the analysis of monolingual and bilingual lexicographic resources, with particular attention to the treatment of phraseology, specialized terminology, and culturally marked units. Within this framework, phenomena of linguistic interference, equivalence errors, definitional gaps, and problems in rendering phraseological units are examined, also in specific domains such as legal language, investigative terminology, and specialized lexicon. The aim is to contribute to a methodological reflection on the development of bilingual dictionaries better suited to the needs of translators, students, and Italian-speaking learners.
Another strongly interdisciplinary research strand concerns literary and specialized translation, with particular attention to the translation of phraseology and cultural metaphors between Spanish and Italian. In this context, the contrastive analysis of contemporary literary works—such as the emblematic case of Sabbia nera and its Spanish translation Arena negra—makes it possible to investigate processes of linguistic and cultural adaptation, the translation strategies adopted, and the challenges related to rendering domain-specific and diatopically marked phraseological units. Translation is understood as a privileged space of intercultural mediation and as a laboratory for observing the deeper mechanisms of linguistic functioning.
A fourth line of research is devoted to discourse analysis from a social and cultural perspective, with particular reference to issues of migration, identity, gender, and the representation of women. In this field, the study of lexicographic resources, literary, theatrical, and journalistic texts highlights the linguistic and phraseological mechanisms through which images, stereotypes, and social narratives are constructed. Special attention is paid to the language of migration and its ideological implications, as well as to the contrastive analysis of gender inequalities in public and specialized discourse.
Alongside its theoretical and descriptive dimension, her scholarly activity is characterized by a strong applied orientation, realized in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) and in teacher training. In this area, research focuses on linguistic interference among Italian-speaking learners, mediation competence, the use of phraseology and literature as tools of cultural mediation, and the development of innovative teaching materials based on literary, artistic, and multimodal texts. The integration of linguistics, culture, and pedagogy represents one of the distinctive features of this line of research.
Overall, these research lines outline a contrastive, interdisciplinary, and intercultural approach in which linguistics constitutes the theoretical core around which studies in phraseology and paremiology, translation, lexicography, discourse analysis, and language teaching are articulated, with constant attention to the relationship between language, culture, and society.
Scientific Activity, Awards, and Projects
In 2009 she received an award from the Universidad de Valladolid for her research activity carried out within the project Lengua, Interculturalidad y Virtualidad a través del arte pictórico. The project was granted the IV Premio Internacional Cristóbal de Villalón a la Innovación en el aula de ELE 2009, promoted by the Universidad de Valladolid, Diputación Provincial de Valladolid, and Fundación Jorge Guillén.
The project was presented at the IV Encuentro de Innovación en la Enseñanza de Español como Lengua Extranjera, held in Valladolid (1–2 July 2009), with a paper entitled Lengua, interculturalidad y virtualidad a través del arte pictórico.
Recent Research Activities at Other Universities
September – 20 October 2025
Universidad de Málaga, Departamento de Filología y Teoría de la Literatura, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras.
4–8 September 2025
Universitat de València – Estudi General, Facultat de Filologia, Traducció i Comunicació.
26–31 May 2025
Vytautas Magnus University – Lithuania.
1 January – 29 February 2024
Universidad de Málaga, as Visiting Professor within the framework of the international mobility programme of the University of Catania (Strategic Plan 2022–2026). The research activity focused on the Andalusian linguistic and literary heritage, with particular attention to Fernando Quiñones’ Las mil noches de Hortensia Romero. The study examined linguistic registers and other stylistic-linguistic features present in the work.
18–19 November 2024
Univerza v Ljubljani, Filozofska fakulteta, Oddelek za romanske jezike in književnosti, Ljubljana (Slovenia).
Other Appointments
1–30 June 2014: research period at the Universidad de Córdoba (Facultad de Filosofía y Letras).
11–13 November 2015: lectures in the “XI Máster propio en la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera”, Universidad de Málaga. Teaching module title: “El perfil del profesor de español como segunda lengua en las universidades extranjeras (Italia): formación, competencias y actitudes”. [8 hours]
28 April – 3 May 2017: lectures in the “XII Máster propio en Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera”, Universidad de Málaga. Teaching module title: “El componente cultural en la clase de ELE”. [8 hours]
9–14 March 2017: lectures in the “Grado de Filología Hispánica”, within the course Lengua Española of the Departamento de Filología (Facultad de Filosofía y Letras), Universidad de Cádiz. Lecture title: “Las fórmulas rutinarias: caracterización y propiedades. Estudio de un corpus a partir del verbo ver”. [4 hours]
9–20 March 2018: lectures in the “Grados de Filología Hispánica, Filología Clásica, Lenguas Modernas-Francés, Lenguas Modernas-Portugués (Asignatura Lengua Española, 1er año)” and in the “Grados de Filología Hispánica y Filología Clásica (Asignatura Semántica, 3er año)” at the Universidad de Extremadura (Cáceres), Departamentos de “Filología Hispánica” and “Lingüística General”. Lecture title: “Sobre fraseología: de las fórmulas literarias a las locuciones verbales metafóricas”. [4 hours]
19 February 2015: member of the evaluation committee for research theses within the Programa de Doctorado en Educación / Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Departamento de Didáctica de la Lengua y la Literatura, Universidad de Murcia.
2016–2019: member of the juries of the Premio Nacional de divulgación científica of the Asociación Italiana del Libro.
2012–2016: member of the Management Committee of the Centro Linguistico Multimediale, University of Catania.
Academic Year 2011–2012 to present: Director of Trabajos Finales de Máster Universitario (DTFM), appointed by the Departamento de Filología Española of the Universidad de Jaén in the Máster oficial en Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera (MLAEELE).
2010–2012: member of the Technical-Scientific Committee of the Centro de Orientación y Formación (COF), University of Catania.
29 May 2012: member of the Tribunal chaired by Prof. Dr. M. Carrera Díaz for the defence of doctoral theses in the field of Italian–Spanish lexicography, appointed by the Departamento de Lengua Española y Lingüística General of the Facultad de Filología, UNED, Madrid.
Since 2001: Coordinator and Chair of the DELE examinations at the University of Catania examination centre, appointed by the Instituto Cervantes (MEC, Ministerio español de Educación y Cultura).
Participation as Speaker at Conferences, Symposia, and Study Days
- Venecia, 18 noviembre 2025, Università Ca’ Foscari. Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Cultural Comparati, “ Acomodación lingüística y cultural en la traducción literaria: el caso de Sabbia nera y su versión española Arena negra”. Jornadas Internacionales Adaptación – Adaptabilidad, fenómenos de adaptación lingüística en español 17-18 de noviembre de 2025.
- Kaunas, 30 maggio 2025, Vytautas Magnus Univesity: "La Inteligencia Artificial y la Traducción de la Fraseología taurina: el rol de la Competencia Cultural en la precisión traductora”. International Scientific Conference SUSTAINABLE MULTILINGUALISM 2025 held by the Institute of Foreign Languages of Vytautas Magnus University and the Language Teachers’ Association of Lithuania on 29-31 May 2025.
-Salerno, 15 maggio 2025, “Las metáforas del mar y su expresión lingüística en Primero estaba el mar de Tomás González”, 47º Convegno Internazionale di Americanistica 13-15 maggio 2025, organizzato dal Centro Studi Americanisti Circolo Amerindiano Salerno.
-Catania, 15 marzo 2025, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, “Presentazione del n. 7 della rivista: aspetti linguistici e intraculturali della fraseologia e paremiologia”, Giornata di Studi Phrasis.
-Madrid, Universidad UNED 2024, “La fraseología en torno al feminismo en la obra teatral de María Rosa Gálvez de Cabrera”, II Congreso Internacional del Grupo de Investigación Mujeres, artistas y escritoras en la querelle des femmes. Marcadas por el silencio: escritoras y artistas para una futura historia. Madrid, 11-12-13 de noviembre de 2024. Universidad UNED.
-Roma, Università Roma Tre, “Errores e imprecisiones en la traducción de las unidades fraseológicas de la ornitología en los diccionarios bilingües de español-italiano”, X Congresso Internazionale di Fraseologia e Paremiologia – Phrasis: L’errore lingüístico in fraseología e paremiologia, 26-28 de Septiembre de 2024.
-Roma, Università La Sapienza, “Estudio de la fraseología de la investigación policial en la novela ‘en femenino’ Sabbia nera y su traducción Arena negra de Cristina Cassar Scalia”, XXXII Congreso Aispi: El universo femenino entre textos e historia. Temas, escrituras, lenguajes, 19-22 de Junio de 2024.
-Roma, Università Roma Tre, “Fraseología, paremiología e interferencias lingüísticas: La variación y otros fenómenos fraseológicos: delimitación y ejemplos”, Jornada de Estudios de Español como L2: Aprender de los errores para potenciar la eficacia comunicativa, 13-14 de mayo de 2024.
-Universidad de Salamanca, 19 de abril de 2024, “La imagen de la mujer a través de los repertorios lexicográficos españoles e italianos”, II Congreso Internacional Traducción y Sostenibilidad Cultural. Retos y Nuevos Escenarios, Salamanca 17, 18 y 19 de abril de 2024.
Universidad de Extremadura, 16 de abril de 2024, “La imagen de la mujer en el Diccionario de la Lengua Española”, Departamento de Filología Hispánica y Lingüística General de la Universidad de Extremadura. Conferencia en la asignatura de Semántica en los grados de Filología Hispánica y Filología Clásica de la Universidad de Extremadura, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Cáceres.
-Instituto Cervantes de Palermo, 24 de noviembre de 2023, “La competencia mediadora en clase de ELE”, X Jornada de Formación de Profesores de ELE.
-Universidad de Cáceres, 28 febrero 2023, “Propuestas para el aprendizaje autodirigido en Filología Hispánica”. Servicio de Orientación y Formación Docente de la Universidad de Extremadura, en el marco de la convocatoria de Acciones de Innovación Docente 2022-23. (Conferencia invitada, dos horas)
-UNIDA Università per Stranieri Dante Alighieri Reggio Calabria, 14 novembre 2023, “La traducción de la fraseología en el discurso literario: Retos y propuestas”, Dipartimento di scienze della società e della formazione d’area mediterranea: “Settimana di autovalutazione, valutazione e approfondimento ‘Studio, Lavoro e Società’”, 12-17 de Noviembre de 2023.
-Università Ca’Foscari di Venezia, “Estudio de la fraseología del mar en español e italiano a través de los repertorios lexicográficos monolingües y bilingües”, en el VI Congreso Internacional Ciencia y Traducción. Puentes interdisciplinares y difusión del conocimiento científico. Universidad de Córdoba y Università Ca’Foscari di Venezia. 17-19 de Mayo de 2023.
-Universidad Complutense de Madrid, IV Congreso Internacional ASELIT 22, 23 y 24 de marzo de 2023. Estrategias en la traducción a español Arena negra de la novela italiana de Cristina Cassar-Scalia Sabbia nera.
-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, 16 de Septiembre de 2022: “Fraseología y metáfora en el discurso migratorio de la prensa española de la última década”, en el VIII Congresso Internazionale di fraseologia e paremiologia – Phrasis, 15-16 de Septiembre de 2022.
-Universidad de Málaga, 20 de Abril de 2022: “De la oposición binaria a la igualdad de género. El tratamiento y las desigualdades de género en el mercado laboral en óptica contrastiva español-italiano”, in Congreso Internacional sobre la presencia de la mujer en el espacio público. Principales desafíos y retos en el acceso al empleo de calidad. 20 de abril de 2022.
-Università di Catania, 5 Novembre 2021: “El discurso migratorio en la prensa española en la última década” in Migrazioni e appartenenze: identità composite e plurilinguismo. 4-5 novembre 2021. Convegno Internazionale di Studi.
-Instituto Cervantes di Palermo, 15 Marzo 2021: “Cómo dinamizar la literatura en la clase de ELE: de la teoría a la práctica” in VI Jornada de Formación de Profesores dell’Instituto Cervantes di Palermo. 15 de Marzo de 2021.
-Università di Córdoba, 27 Febbraio 2020: “Fraseología y metáfora”. Conferencia invitada en la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Universidad de Córdoba en la asignatura Formas narrativas.
-Instituto Cervantes de Palermo, 9 de Noviembre de 2019: “Fraseología y traducción: propuestas didácticas aplicadas aplicadas a distintos niveles de interlengua en contextos de enseñanza italohablantes” en la VI Jornada de Formación de Profesores dell’ Instituto Cervantes di Palermo. 9 de Noviembre de 2019.
-Università di Catania, 17 Ottobre 2019: “La lengua de la inmigración: Sefarad de A. Muñoz Molina” en “Migrazioni. Incontri tra lingue, letterature, arti, storia e politica. Organizzato dal Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche (Progetto Prometeo Linea 3), Dottorato di Scienze dell’Interpretazione. Convegno itinerante Messina-Catania 15-17 Ottobre 2019, Venezia Ca’ Foscari 11-13 Novembre 2019
-Università di Padova, 6 Giugno 2019: “Fraseología con el vocablo ‘ojo’ en el Quijote Cervantino: Pervivencia en el español actual” in Coloquio internacional e interdisciplinario CIEN MIL OJOS EN DOS OJOS. Semántica y representaciones del ojo en el mundo hispánico, Padova 6-8 Giugno 2019. Organizzato dal Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Giuridiche e Studi Internazionali.
-Universidad de Murcia, 9 Maggio 2019: “Lo que veo por los ojos con el dedo lo señalo: Fraseologismos en diacronía en el Quijote cervantino” in XVI Congreso Internacional Traducción, Texto e Interferencias “Teoría y práctica de la traducción literaria: prosa y verso”, organizado por la Universidad de Córdoba, CSIC, Universidad de Murcia, Instituto Superior de Estudios Lingüísticos y Traducción (ISTRAD) Universidad de Murcia 9-11 Mayo 2019.
-Ciudad Real Facultad de Letras Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha: XV Congreso Internacional Traducción, Texto e Interferencias: “La práctica de la trducción jurídica, literaturas traducidas y otras variedades traductológicas”, organizado por la Universidad de Córdoba, en colaboración con el CSIC, la Universidad de Castilla – La Mancha y el Instituto Superior de Estudios Lingüísticos y Traducción (ISTRAD).Facultad de Letras de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha 4, 5 y 6 de julio de 2018.
-Unistrada per stranieri Università Dante Alighieri di Reggio Calabria, 7 Novembre 2018: “Introspección lingüística y uso cognitivo del lenguaje en Sefarad de A. Muñoz Molina” in Hibridación, conflicto e integración en la lengua y literatura (in)migratoria. Convengo Internazionale Reggio Calabria-Catania, 7-8 Novembre 2018.
-Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla), 25 Ottobre 2018: “Análisis lingüístico-contrastivo de textos jurídicos en español y en italiano: Terminología y fraseología” in Jurislingüística II: Enfoques Interdisciplinarios en el Estudio de la Lengua y el Derecho / Jurilinguistics II:Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Language and Law. Convegno Internazionale organizzato dall Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 24-26 Ottobre 2018.
-Università di Padova, 5 Giugno 2018: “Las metáforas y la cultura en la fraseología que expresa emociones en español e italiano” in Fraseologismi in discorso. Convegno Internazionale organizzato dal Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari (Padova 4-6 giugno 2018)
- Liceo Linguistico Archimede di Acireale, 29 giugno 2018: seminari su “Estrategias lingüísticas y de persuasión del populismo atlántico rastreadas en el populismo europeo: el caso de la prensa”. Presentazione del progetto: “Migrazioni, conflitti, interculturalità: strategie e metodi per la costruzione di nuove competenze linguistico-culturali e simboliche” del Programma triennale della ricerca del Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche Linea 3 (2018). Conferenza su invito.
- Università di Napoli L’Orientale, 24 Febbraio 2018: “Análisis de los términos populismo y populista: Entre los repertorios lexicográficos y los medios de comunicación”, in International Conference Words, Images and Ideology of Populism 3.0. Convegno Internazionale organizzato dall’Università di Napoli L’Orientale, (23-24 February 2018).
- Catania, 5 Dicembre 2017: “Interferenze linguistiche nell’apprendimento della lingua spagnola”, inSeminari Italiano, inglese, spagnolo, francese: Didattiche a confronto, organizzato dal Centro Linguistico Multimediale d’Ateneo dell’ Università di Catania, 4 e 5 dicembre-2017.
- Palermo, 11 Novembre 2017: “Creación de materiales y recursos didácticos en ELE. La casa: entre sueño y realidad ¡Entra!”, conferenza su invito,IV Jornada de Formación de Profesores de ELE, organizzata dall’ Instituto Cervantes di Palermo, 11 Novembre -2017.
-Treviso-Venezia, 27 Novembre 2017: “La fraseología de las emociones en clave contrastiva español-italiano”, conferenza plenaria,VII Congreso Internacional de Léxico Español Actual, organizzato dal Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Culturali Comparati dell’ Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, 27-28 Novembre-2017.
- Jaén, 5 Maggio 2017: “Las fórmulas rutinarias: caracterización y propiedades. Estudio de un corpus a partir de los verbos ir, venir y andar”,XXXV Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Española de Lingüística Aplicada (AESLA): Las lenguas en la encrucijadad, formación, acreditación y contexto de uso, Universidad de Jaén, 4-6 Maggio 2017.
- Bari, 24 Aprile 2017: “Cuidados ajenos matan al asno y otros refranes del universo cervantino”,Seminario Internazionale Miguel de Cervantes, organizzato da ACIS Bari, Associazione culturale Italo-spagnola, 23 e 24 Aprile 2017.
- Catania, 21 Dicembre 2016: “‘Quien canta sus males espanta’ y otras unidades fraseológicas del universo cenvantino”,JDIDele VI│ Congreso de lengua y cultura en torno a la obra cervantina, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
-Catania, 4 Aprile 2016: “I Diplomi Dele nel Quadro Comune Europeo di Riferimento per le lingue”intervento su invito, Educazione linguistica: integrare le risorse esistenti all’innovazione, Giornata pedagogica organizzata da LEND al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
-Universidad de Varsovia, 8 de mayo de 2015: “Las fórmulas rutinarias: clasificación y presencia en algunos repertorios lexicográficos generales del español” en el Simposio Internazional “IV foro de Lingüística Hispánica: panorama de temas y métodos de investigación”. Organizzato dall’ Institutto de Estudio Ibéricos e Iberoamericanos dell Varsovia 7-9 de mayo de 2015.
- Catania, 25 Febbraio 2015: “La intensificación en elespañolcoloquial”,JDIDeleIV│Giornate internazionali di studi su Linguistica spagnola e Cultura in Ele, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania, 24-25 Febbraio.
-Treviso, 3 ottobre 2014: “Ser, estar y haber en la clase de español para italianos”, conferenza su invito organizzata dalDipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Culturali Comparati dell’ Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia.
- Palermo, 24 ottobre 2014: “La comunicación publicitaria turística: recursos para la clase de ELE”,Primeras Jornadas de formación de profesores de ELE, organizzate dall’Instituto Cervantes di Palermo, 24 e 25 Ottobre 2014.
- Napoli, 6 Maggio-2014: “La literatura y la fraseología como recurso didáctico para la mediación cultural en la clase de ELE”,XI Encuentro práctico de ELE organizzato dall’Instituto Cervantes di Napoli.
- Catania, 9 maggio-2014: “Élyce: Revista de Estudios Lingüísticos y Cotrastivos de español”, JDIDele III│ Jornada de Didáctica del Español como lengua extranjera: Lengua y cultura en ELE, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
- Catania,20 Febbraio-2014: “Contenidos gramaticales del nivel B2 y corpus de ejercicios para la clase de ELE”,JDIDele II│Jornada de Didáctica del Español como lengua extranjera: El aprendizaje de la gramática y las destrezas orales en la clase de ELE, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
- Palermo, 21 Febbraio-2014: “La literatura como recurso didáctico en la clase de ELE”, conferenza su invito organizzata dall’InstitutoCervantesdiPalermo.
- Catania,30 Gennaio-2014: “Las destrezas orales en el nuevo examen DELE B2”,JDIDele I│ Jornada de Didáctica del Español como lengua extranjera: Las destrezas orales en los niveles B1 y B2, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
- Treviso, 28 Ottobre-2013: “Aspectos de la didáctica de laslocucionesverbales a estudiantesitalianos”, conferenza su invito organizzata dal Corso in Mediazione Linguistica e Culturale delDipartimentodiStudilinguisticiecomparatidell’Università Ca’Foscari di Venezia.
─Catania, 12 dicembre-2013: “Los Diplomas de Españolcomo Lengua Extranjera: destrezas y competencias de losniveles B1 y B2”Giornata di studio, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
─ Ragusa, 19 Ottobre 2012: “Tratamiento de la fraseología taurina en los diccionario bilingües español-italiano”,Congresso internazionale Norma y uso en la lexicografía bilingüe: XVI-XXI siglo, 18-19 Octubre-2012.
─ Treviso, 14 Marzo-2011: “Los verbos de cambio en la lexicografía bilingüeespañol-italiano”, conferenza su invito organizzata dal Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e culturali comparati dell’ Università Ca’Foscari di Venezia.
─ Valencia, 5 Novembre 2010: “El tratamiento de la fraseología en los repertorios lexicográficos bilingües de español-italiano”, conferenza su invito presso la Facultat de Filologia, Traducció i Comunicació, Departament de Filologia Francesa i Italiana, Universitat de València.
─ Valladolid, 2 Luglio 2009:“Lengua, interculturalidad y virtualidad a través del arte pictórico”, IV Encuentro de Innovación de Enseñanza de Español como Lengua Extranjera: El español y el cine”, Valladolid 1, 2 luglio 2009. Organizzato dalla Facultad de Filología dell’ Universidad di Valladodid, la Diputación Provincial de Valladolid, la Fundación Jorque Guillén, la Cátedra Miguel Delibes y el Instituto Cervantes.
─ Catania, 25 Settembre-2009:“Lengua, interculturalidad y virtualidad a través del arte pictórico: estrategias de aprendizaje y diseño de actividades”, I Encuentro sobre didáctica del español como L2: Enseñanza, contrastividad y registros lingüísticos
─ Napoli, 20 Febbraio-2009:“Un asunto de honor de Arturo Pérez-Reverte: análisis pragmalingüístico de algunos aspectos del diálogo literario”,XXV Congreso AISPI: Il dialogo. Lingue, letterature, linguaggi, culture, Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale, 20 Febbraio-2009.
─ Palermo, 10 Maggio 2008: “Cómo enseñar las destrezas de expresión: La interacción oral y la expresión escrita”, seminari organizzati dall’Instituto Cervantes di Palermo (8 ore).
─ Catania, 7 Novembre 2008: “Posiciones contrapuestas acerca de la traducibilidad de las locuciones españolas a italiano”, VI Convegno Internazionale Interdisciplinare su Testo, metodo, elaborazione elettronica - Dissidenze, 6 e 7 Novembre 2008.
─ Valencia, 17 Maggio 2008: “Aproximación a la sintaxis coloquial a través del diálogo literario: Aplicación en la clase de E/LE”,II Congreso Internacional de Lengua, Literatura y Cultura de E/LE: Teoría y práctica docente, organizzato dalDepartamento de Lenguas dell’Universidad Católica San Vicente Mártir de Valencia & Universidad de Virginia, 17 e 18 Maggio 2008.
Organization of Conferences and Study Days
-Università di Catania, 1 dicembre- 2023, nel ciclo di Conferencias y seminarios de DELE, Lingüística y Traducción, conferenza del Prof. Miguel Ángel Cuevas Gómez (Universidad Palo Olavide de Sevilla) “Poemas y reflexiones de un autotraductor”. Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Cattedra di Lingua, Lingüística e traduzione spagnola.
-Università di Catania, 10 novembre- 2023, nel ciclo di Conferencias y seminarios de DELE, Lingüística y Traducción, conferenza del Prof. J. Francisco Medina Montero (Università degli studi di Trieste), “La didáctica de los marcadores del discurso del español peninsular en clave constrastiva con el italiano: algunos ejemplos”. Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Cattedra di Lingua, Lingüística e traduzione spagnola.
- Università di Catania, organizzazione della Giornata di Studi del 3 maggio 2021: “Entre Ciencia y Derecho. Giornata Internazionale di Studi sui linguaggi settoriali”.
-Università di Catania-Università per Stranieri Dante Alighieri di Reggio Calabria, 18 Dicembre 2020: “La justicia en diálogo: la lengua de los derechos y libertades en el mundo hispano-americano”. Giornata on-line.
─ Università di Catania, 17 Ottobre 2019: Migrazioni. Incontri tra lingue, letterature, arti, storia e politica. Congresso itinerante Messina-Catania-Venezia Ca’Foscari Messina-Catania 15-17 Ottobre, Venezia 11-12 Novembre 2019
─ 7-8 Novembre 2018, Jornadas Internacionales sobre Lengua, Literatura e Inmigración (aportes/reflexiones para una didáctica inclusiva). Hibridación, conflicto e integración en la lengua y literatura (in)migratoria. Reggio Calabria (Unistrada per Stranieri Dante Alighieri – Catania (Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche).
─ 18 Dicembre 2018, Seminari Internazionali di Studi su Lingüística spagnola: María Rosa Fernández Sánchez, “Gamificación y rrativas digitales en la enseñanza de ELE”. Università di Catania.
─ 3 Ottobre 2018, Giornata di Studi: storie, lingue e scritture delle migrazioni. attività del progetto di ricerca dipartimentale Migrazioni, Conflitti, Interculturalità: strategie e metodi per la costruzione di nuove competenze linguistico-culturali e simboliche.
─ JDIDele VI │ Congreso de lengua y cultura en torno a la obracervantina, tenuto al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania, 21 Dicembre 2016
─ Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Conferenza di Ramón Dachs, “La foto contra la voz: del texto idiomático al silencio universal” Miércoles 18 Maggio 2016.
─ JDIDele 16, “La foto contra la voz: del texto idiomático al silenciouniversal (1978-2016)” conferenza tenuta al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’ Università di Catania.
V │Giornata di studio Internazionale: Elespañol en el IV Centenario de la muerte de Cervantes: presente, pasado y futuro, tenuta al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania. 28 settembre 2016. Conferenza plenaria della prof.ssa Pilar Carrasco “Las variedades del español”
─ JDIDeleIV│Giornate internazionali di studi su Linguistica Spagnola e Cultura in ELE, tenute al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania, 24 e 25 di Febbraio-2015.Conferenza plenaria del prof. Manuel Alvar Ezquerra “LBVFE: origen, desarrollo, estado actual y funcionamiento”
─ 14 aprile-2014, Prof. Antonio GómezYebra dell’Università di Malaga, , “Aplicacionesdidácticas con poemas”, conferenza tenuta al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
─ 15 aprile-2014, Prof. Antonio GómezYebra dell’Università di Malaga,“Aplicacionesdidácticas con refranes”, conferenza tenuta al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’ Università di Catania.
─16 aprile-2014, Prof. Antonio GómezYebra dell’Università di Malaga, “Aplicacionesdidácticascon adivinanzas”, conferenza tenuta al Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
─ JDIDeleIII │Giornata di studio: Lengua y cultura en ELE, Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
─ II JDIDele │Giornata di studio Internazionale: El aprendizaje de la gramática y las destrezas orales en la clase de ELE,20 Febbraio-2014. Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
─ I JDIDele│Giornata di studio: Las destrezasorales en losniveles B1 y B2, 30 gennaio-2014. Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Università di Catania.
─ Giornata di studio: Evaluación de la expresiónescrita y de la expresiónoral de losniveles B1 y B2, 23 Gennaio-2013. Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche.
─ Giornata di studio: Aplicacionesdidácticas con poemas, refranes y adivinanzanas, 15 e 16 aprile-2013.
─ Giornata di studio: Recursos on-line para la preparación de los niveles B1 y B2, 20 Febbraio 2013. Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche.
─ 23 marzo-2012, Prof. Narciso Contreras Izquierdodell Università di Granada: “Lenguajecientífico-técnico y diccionariosgenerales de español”, seminario tenuto alla Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia dell’Università di Catania.
─ I Encuentro sobre Didáctica del Español como L2: Enseñanza, contrastividad y registros lingüísticos.25 Settembre-2009. Facoltà di Lingue e Letterature straniere dell’Università di Catania.
─ 14 marzo 2009, Prof. Miguel BecerraPérezdell’Università di Extremadura,Las hablasandaluzas y su manifestacióntetual, tenuta alla Facoltà di lingue e lettere e filosofia, Università di Catania.
─16 marzo 2009, Prof. José Carlos Martín Camachodell’Università di Extremadura,Aspectos de la afijación en españo. Prefijos, sufijos e interfijos, Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, Università di Catania.
Research Areas
Her scholarly activity constitutes a coherent and continuous research trajectory, developed over time through an ongoing dialogue between linguistics, phraseology, translation, bilingual lexicography, discourse analysis, and language teaching. Her work is characterized by a strong Spanish–Italian contrastive perspective and constant attention to the cultural, intercultural, and social dimensions of language.
A first major research strand concerns the study of Spanish phraseology and paremiology, approached from both theoretical-descriptive and applied perspectives. In this field, her research focuses on the analysis of phraseological units, routine formulae, verbal idioms, and metaphorical expressions, examined in their diachronic and diatopic variation as well as in their vitality in contemporary usage. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of phraseology in canonical and modern literary texts, with specific interest in the Cervantine universe and in the persistence of phraseological structures from Don Quijote to present-day Spanish, as well as in the role of phraseology in the construction of literary dialogue.
Closely connected to this area is her research on conceptual and linguistic metaphor, investigated as a privileged cognitive and cultural tool for expressing emotions, identities, and social representations. From this perspective, metaphor is analyzed in heterogeneous corpora—literary, journalistic, migration-related, and specialized—highlighting its role in shaping emotional discourse, migration discourse, and ideological discourse, with particular reference to contemporary press language and the discourses of populism.
A second central line of research concerns Spanish–Italian bilingual lexicography, examined from both descriptive and critical viewpoints. This research focuses on the analysis of monolingual and bilingual lexicographic resources, with particular attention to the treatment of phraseology, specialized terminology, and culturally marked units. Within this framework, phenomena of linguistic interference, equivalence errors, definitional gaps, and problems in rendering phraseological units are examined, also in specific domains such as legal language, investigative terminology, and specialized lexicon. The aim is to contribute to a methodological reflection on the development of bilingual dictionaries better suited to the needs of translators, students, and Italian-speaking learners.
Another strongly interdisciplinary research strand concerns literary and specialized translation, with particular attention to the translation of phraseology and cultural metaphors between Spanish and Italian. In this context, the contrastive analysis of contemporary literary works—such as the emblematic case of Sabbia nera and its Spanish translation Arena negra—makes it possible to investigate processes of linguistic and cultural adaptation, the translation strategies adopted, and the challenges related to rendering domain-specific and diatopically marked phraseological units. Translation is understood as a privileged space of intercultural mediation and as a laboratory for observing the deeper mechanisms of linguistic functioning.
A fourth line of research is devoted to discourse analysis from a social and cultural perspective, with particular reference to issues of migration, identity, gender, and the representation of women. In this field, the study of lexicographic resources, literary, theatrical, and journalistic texts highlights the linguistic and phraseological mechanisms through which images, stereotypes, and social narratives are constructed. Special attention is paid to the language of migration and its ideological implications, as well as to the contrastive analysis of gender inequalities in public and specialized discourse.
Alongside its theoretical and descriptive dimension, her scholarly activity is characterized by a strong applied orientation, realized in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) and in teacher training. In this area, research focuses on linguistic interference among Italian-speaking learners, mediation competence, the use of phraseology and literature as tools of cultural mediation, and the development of innovative teaching materials based on literary, artistic, and multimodal texts. The integration of linguistics, culture, and pedagogy represents one of the distinctive features of this line of research.
Overall, these research lines outline a contrastive, interdisciplinary, and intercultural approach in which linguistics constitutes the theoretical core around which studies in phraseology and paremiology, translation, lexicography, discourse analysis, and language teaching are articulated, with constant attention to the relationship between language, culture, and society.