Uses of English as a Lingua Franca in contexts of the new digital-financial communications for migrant communities in Italy

The present paper intends to explore the impact of the new emerging digital modes of communication in the field of financial support to migrant communities residing locally in the South of Italy, as they could represent not only social tools for integration but also important instruments of linguistic mediation. One of its main aims is to analyse the mini-corpus of available texts, which linguistically may represent new resources to explore both in terms of intercultural communication, as well as disciplinary genres. The main issue is indeed correlated to the levels of accessibility and acceptability, and the potential need to revise ‘standard’ Western codes of communication, which are intuitively applied even to these kinds of direct communication. Text types that could be taken into account will be mainly of an informative type, i.e. aiming to target a wider audience of people speaking English and which could be also analysed in order to test: a) the text accessibility, and b) the actual strategies applied to enhance or which prevent communication in certain fields of action. One of these is banking and the EU/national communications as a social system, which could be considered here in the perspective of text simplification, as well as a setting for communication in English. Indeed, although various studies in the field of migrations and English as a lingua franca have been the object of recent research, it is important to reconsider the ‘variations’ of English as a core of this study, generating a new focus into the implications of such uses. In other words, the research addresses migrants as the main receivers of these informative texts, and could be also of interest to future mediators (also involving students of non-linguistic faculties at an academic level), who may interact with foreign nationals and migrants resident in the local area and need to perform economic transactions

The voice-over technique in four films by Sarah Polley

This article discusses the use of the voice-over technique in four films by the Canadian actress, director and screenwriter Sarah Polley: Away from Her (2006), Take This Waltz (2011) Stories We Tell (2013) and Women Talking (2022). In order to inscribe the critically neglected tool within an irreducibly audiovisual ensemble and unpack its multifaceted and multifunctional meaning-making system, a multimodal stylistic lens and toolkit have been adopted. Results show that the cinematic strategy is used across the films by the Canadian director with different extent, in different forms, and with different functions, thus showing the artist’s talent and creativity. The voice-over functions are mainly related to the enactment of processes of characterisation, narration, and screen adaptations. However, and most interestingly, the strategy is used to question and challenge the very modes and forms of these phenomena. In Away from Her, it challenges the traditional characterisation of a patient affected by Alzheimer’s disease as a passive and weak human being. In Stories We Tell, it subverts the narration process itself as univocal, linear, and stable, showing an ultimate meta-narrative concern. In Women Talking, it negotiates the process of screen adaptation, by replacing the male narrator of the adapted text with a female homodiegetic retrospective voice-over narrator as survivor and witness. Even its (almost) absence in Take this Waltz can be perceived as meaningful, as it is related to the multimodal shaping of the trope of absence that Polley presents as her main aim

“It was about a Chinese idol”. Murder and the empire in Fergus Hume’s The Golden Wang-ho

This essay focuses on Fergus Hume’s 1901 novel The Golden Wang-ho, whose most striking character is the Chinese monk Jinfou. At the time of its publication, China was at the forefront of international news, with the Boxer uprising, the rescue of the Beijing Legation quarter, and the ongoing tension among the Western powers on the still doubtful fate of the Qing empire. It is likely that Hume meant to capitalise on the public’s interest with a China-themed story, but his text also offers an intriguing example of the formal and ideological flexibility of turn-of-the-century crime fiction. In particular, the depiction of Jinfou, combined with the representation of other characters variously involved in the imperial project, conveys a multi-layered image of Britain’s engagement overseas, which is further reinforced by the comments of the narrator. I suggest that, in this work, Hume plays with current stereotypes about crime and ethnicity, challenging readerly expectations both through his plot twists and his formal choices

Bijouterie et joaillerie éthiques en France: Métamorphoses linguistiques et stratégies sémio-communicationnelles des marques durables

The rise of ethical French jewellery and watchmaking brands in recent years is a tangible response to the environmental and social challenges faced by the traditional sector. At the same time, they have adopted sustainability-focused terminology and introduced concepts like ‘recycled gold’ or ‘responsible jewellery’ to meet the increasing consumer expectations for ethics and transparency. This evolution largely relies on semiotic and communicational strategies aligned with the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and green marketing. This study examines a collection of digital promotional discourses from the websites of leading brands in the industry using social and pragmatical terminology, semiotics, and communications approaches. The aim is to explore lexical innovations and discursive strategies specific to eco-responsible jewellery. The analysis highlights the emergence of a new sociolect and the lexical processes redefining the traditional vocabulary of jewellery-making, while also shedding light on the narrative and semiotic strategies used to showcase brands’ ethical and environmental commitments. This study thus underscores the growing integration of the ethical dimension as a strategic lever, contributing to the transformation of values and practices within the luxury industry. This study thus underscores the growing integration of the ethical dimension as a strategic lever, contributing to the transformation of values and practices within the luxury industry. Ces dernières années, l’essor de marques françaises de bijouterie et joaillerie éthiques reflète une réponse concrète aux enjeux environnementaux et sociaux du secteur traditionnel. Ces entreprises privilégient l’utilisation de matériaux recyclés, de pierres traçables, et s’engagent à améliorer les conditions de travail des artisans et des mineurs. Parallèlement, elles adoptent une terminologie axée sur la durabilité, introduisant des concepts tels que « or recyclé » ou « bijou responsable », pour répondre aux attentes croissantes des consommateurs en matière d’éthique et de transparence. Cette évolution repose, en grande partie, sur des stratégies sémio-communicationnelles alignées avec les principes de Responsabilité Sociale des Entreprises (RSE) et le marketing vert. En s’appuyant sur des approches socio-pragmaterminologiques et sémio-communicationnelles, cette étude analyse un corpus de discours promotionnels numériques issus des sites des principales marques du secteur, dans le but d’explorer les innovations lexicales et les stratégies discursives propres à la bijouterie écoresponsable. L’analyse met en avant la formation d’un nouveau sociolecte et les procédés lexicaux qui redéfinissent le vocabulaire traditionnel de la joaillerie, tout en soulignant les stratégies narratives et sémiotiques utilisées pour promouvoir les engagements éthiques et environnementaux des marques. Cette étude met ainsi en évidence l’intégration croissante de la dimension éthique comme levier stratégique, participant à la transformation des valeurs et des pratiques dans l’industrie du luxe.  

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Lingue e Linguaggi 73 (2025

Studi - Articles

Lingue e Linguaggi 73 (2025

“auf die höchste Blüte der Kunst- und Erwerbsbetriebsamkeit gestellten Erdendasein” Pfisters Mühle di Wilhelm Raabe e la questione della tecnica

This article offers a new interpretation of Wilhelm Raabe’s Pfisters Mühle, moving beyond the conventional reading of the story as a conflict between humans and nature. It situates the narrative within the broader philosophical problem of technology (téchne) and human rationality, which Raabe enacts through the motif of original sin and humanity’s natural drive to manipulate and dominate nature. The story shows how technical reasoning can become a pervasive mode of domination, subordinating existence to efficiency and utility, with rapid technological change intensifying existential anxiety and fostering nihilism. The problem lies not in technology itself, but in human capacity to perceive change and respond ethically to its transformations. In this context, Raabe examines the tension between technical rationality and humanistic knowledge, as reflected in the protagonist’s manuscript. Art and narrative emerge as enduring repositories of experience and ethical insight, countering the abstraction and control inherent in unexamined technical thought. In doing so, Raabe shifts the focus from environmental consequences to how humans perceive the world, interpret knowledge, and relate to one another in a context shaped by technological power. Ultimately, the text suggests that existence gains meaning through shared experience and relational awareness, rather than through mastery of the external world

Beyond the nativeness principle: Rethinking English language learning in the era of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)

Drawing from two surveys and four experiments (Lambert et al. 1960) published as Christiansen (2017, 2018a, 2018b and 2019), this presentation explores NNES ELF users’ attitudes towards learning English and measures their willingness to emulate the English of different personas. The results reveal nuanced interactions between perceived nativeness, celebrity status, and attractiveness, in particular a feeling of affinity with speakers, rather than a simple desire to emulate native speakers, which is still the unquestioned premise of many approaches. These studies highlight the limitations of the nativeness principle (see: Seidlhofer 2001, 2011; Jenkins 2007), noting the absence of a singular native English model as well as the difficulty in accurately identifying NESs. Our findings suggest that NNES ELF users may not prioritize emulating NESs and instead exhibit the propensity to emulate or mimic other ELF users who they may find attractive as models in some way. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of survey responses from almost 500 English learners in various countries, but mostly Italy, we compare responses on reasons for learning English and attitudes towards English norms. This study will identify a shift away from NES-norm orientation towards more diverse and fluid ELF-oriented perspectives. This shift signifies a changing paradigm in English language education, recognizing the importance of diverse language variations (Widdowson 2015) and flexible models of communication in rapidly changing global contexts

"Amar después de la muerte" di Pedro Calderón de la Barca nelle due versioni italiane distanti due secoli

This study examines the two Italian translations of Amar después de la muerte by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, produced almost two centuries apart: Pietro Monti’s nineteenth-century prose version (1855) and Diego Símini’s recent verse translation (2023). The analysis highlights the substantial differences between the two renderings, shaped by their respective historical and cultural contexts as well as by the translators’ stylistic choices. Through a comparative reading of selected passages, the article addresses issues of textual criticism, metrical reproduction, translation strategies, lexical choices, and the representation of the gracioso. The findings show that, while both translations aim to remain faithful to Calderón’s original, they embody distinct approaches: Monti’s version is marked by a didactic and accessible style, whereas Símini’s seeks to recreate the polymetric structure and baroque effects of the source text. The comparison thus underscores the role of translation as both cultural mediation and a reflection of changing modes of reception of Golden Age Spanish theatre in Italy.Il presente studio analizza le due traduzioni italiane di Amar después de la muerte di Pedro Calderón de la Barca, realizzate a quasi due secoli di distanza: quella ottocentesca in prosa di Pietro Monti (1855) e quella recente in versi di Diego Símini (2023). L’indagine mette in luce le differenze sostanziali tra le due versioni, determinate dal diverso contesto storico-culturale e dalle scelte stilistiche dei traduttori. Attraverso un’analisi comparata di passi significativi, lo studio esamina questioni di ecdotica, resa metrica, strategie traduttive, lessico e rappresentazione del personaggio comico del gracioso. L’approccio evidenzia come entrambe le traduzioni, pur condividendo l’obiettivo di mantenere fedeltà all’originale calderoniano, riflettano esigenze e tendenze proprie delle rispettive epoche: la prima orientata a una fruizione divulgativa e semplificata, la seconda volta a riprodurre fedelmente la polimetria e gli effetti stilistici barocchi. In questo senso, il confronto contribuisce a chiarire il ruolo della traduzione come mediazione culturale e come testimonianza delle diverse modalità di ricezione del teatro aureo in Italia

The effects of Chinese CLIL-based online culture lessons on cultural awareness and vocabulary learning

Although a teaching design based on CLIL methodology has been proposed in the Teaching Chinese ad Second Language (TCSL) area, still little to no attention has been paid to the teaching of Chinese Culture and Chinese as a Foreign language (CFL) through this approach. For this study we embrace the CLIL methodology in the delivery of six lessons of Chinese culture to a group of 15 second-year Italian university students with an intermediate level Chinese proficiency. The research was guided by two questions: (1) How effective is the CLIL method for learning Chinese specific vocabulary? (2) To what extent may CLIL-based teaching enhance Chinese FL learners’ cultural awareness? Data, collected through pre- and post-test focusing on learners’ cultural and linguistic knowledge of Chinese dining manners and etiquette rules seem to back up our initial hypothesis of CLIL providing students with the necessary skills to study and work in a globalized environment thanks to their constant exposure to more authentic materials and the instructor’s focus on the scaffolding of cultural awareness and understanding