The Impact Of The English Language In Italy

This series offers a wide forum for work on contact linguistics, using an integrated approach to both diachronic and synchronic manifestations of contact, ranging from social and individual aspects to structural-typological issues. Topics covered by the series include child and adult bilingualism and multilingualism, contact languages, borrowing and contact-induced typological change, code switching in conversation, societal multilingualism, bilingual language processing, and various other topics related to language contact. The series does not have a fixed theoretical orientation, and includes contributions from a variety of approaches.

This pamphlet is dedicated to those English-speaking lovers of Italian who believe that the integrity of the most beautiful language in the world should not be surrendered to the vagaries of Anglo-American jargon.It is almost impossible to calculate how many words there are in any language. The only practical way is to try to identify those words that are considered fundamental and of these, those that are more commonly used. It has been calculated that the Italian language has about 260,000 fundamental words. Of these, 10,000 are generally known but only 2,000 are used on a daily basis.The percentage of foreign, mainly American-English, terms used by present-day Italians is said to vary between 1.7% and 8% of the total words in the Italian dictionary; no assessment has been made of what the percentage is of the 2,000 words in common use...One does not have to be a mathematical genius to draw a moral from these figures...!If, as this essay aims to show, the Italian language is sick, the fault is ours, the Italians'. We must suffer from the same malady; after all, language is but a tool to communicate, make ourselves understood, and express our views, our desires. It is us.We, the Italians, wallow in an orgy of self-deprecation and linguistic masochism, which are an offence to our dignity and traditions and neglectful of the language of art, music, food and style.Arturo Barone is a retired solicitor, born in London of Neapolitan parents. He completed his studies in Italy where he took his first Law Degree. In this booklet he considers, with a highly critical eye, the deterioration in the use of the most beautiful language in the world as a result of the influence of English and American terms and expressions.He records the circumstances in which the impact of American and English 'culture' have developed at an ever-increasing pace since the end of the Second World War, reaching the conclusion that neither has been linguistically beneficial for Italy; more particularly, he considers the consequences that the indiscriminate abuse of an alien manner of speaking has had on the psyche of the average Italian.He maintains that his compatriots are oblivious both to the linguistic and to the psychological detriment of accepting as normal, if not desirable, the use of English and American words.

This white paper is part of a series that promotes knowledge about language technology and its potential. It addresses educators, journalists, politicians, language communities and others. The availability and use of language technology in Europe varies between languages. Consequently, the actions that are required to further support research and development of language technologies also differ for each language. The required actions depend on many factors, such as the complexity of a given language and the size of its community. META-NET, a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission, has conducted an analysis of current language resources and technologies. This analysis focused on the 23 official European languages as well as other important national and regional languages in Europe. The results of this analysis suggest that there are many significant research gaps for each language. A more detailed expert analysis and assessment of the current situation will help maximise the impact of additional research and minimize any risks. META-NET consists of 54 research centres from 33 countries that are working with stakeholders from commercial businesses, government agencies, industry, research organisations, software companies, technology providers and European universities. Together, they are creating a common technology vision while developing a strategic research agenda that shows how language technology applications can address any research gaps by 2020.

This pamphlet is dedicated to those English-speaking lovers of Italian who believe that the integrity of the most beautiful language in the world should not be surrendered to the vagaries of Anglo-American jargon. It is almost impossible to calculate how many words there are in any language. The only practical way is to try to identify those words that are considered fundamental and of these, those that are more commonly used. It has been calculated that the Italian language has about 260,000 fundamental words. Of these, 10,000 are generally known but only 2,000 are used on a daily basis. The percentage of foreign, mainly American-English, terms used by present-day Italians is said to vary between 1.7% and 8% of the total words in the Italian dictionary; no assessment has been made of what the percentage is of the 2,000 words in common use... One does not have to be a mathematical genius to draw a moral from these figures...! If, as this essay aims to show, the Italian language is sick, the fault is ours, the Italians'. We must suffer from the same malady; after all, language is but a tool to communicate, make ourselves understood, and express our views, our desires. It is us. We, the Italians, wallow in an orgy of self-deprecation and linguistic masochism, which are an offence to our dignity and traditions and neglectful of the language of art, music, food and style. Arturo Barone is a retired solicitor, born in London of Neapolitan parents. He completed his studies in Italy where he took his first Law Degree. In this booklet he considers, with a highly critical eye, the deterioration in the use of the most beautiful language in the world as a result of the influence of English and American terms and expressions. He records the circumstances in which the impact of American and English 'culture' have developed at an ever-increasing pace since the end of the Second World War, reaching the conclusion that neither has been linguistically beneficial for Italy; more particularly, he considers the consequences that the indiscriminate abuse of an alien manner of speaking has had on the psyche of the average Italian. He maintains that his compatriots are oblivious both to the linguistic and to the psychological detriment of accepting as normal, if not desirable, the use of English and American words.

This book examines the interrelation between language and society in contemporary Italy. It aims to provide an up to date account of linguistic diversity, social variation, special codes and language varieties within Italian society, and in situations of language contact both within and outside Italy.

A sweeping account of the global rise of English and the high-stakes politics of languageSpoken by a quarter of the world's population, English is today's lingua franca- - its common tongue. The language of business, popular media, and international politics, English has become commodified for its economic value and increasingly detached from any particular nation. This meteoric "riseof English" has many obvious benefits to communication. Tourists can travel abroad with greater ease. Political leaders can directly engage their counterparts. Researchers can collaborate with foreign colleagues. Business interests can flourish in the global economy.But the rise of English has very real downsides as well. In Europe, imperatives of political integration and job mobility compete with pride in national language and heritage. In the United States and England, English isolates us from the cultural and economic benefits of speaking other languages.And in countries like India, South Africa, Morocco, and Rwanda, it has stratified society along lines of English proficiency.In The Rise of English, Rosemary Salomone offers a commanding view of the unprecedented spread of English and the far-reaching effects it has on global and local politics, economics, media, education, and business. From the inner workings of the European Union to linguistic battles over influence inAfrica, Salomone draws on a wealth of research to tell the complex story of English - and, ultimately, to argue for English not as a force for domination but as a core component of multilingualism and the transcendence of linguistic and cultural borders.

We learn a foreign language in order to connect with the people of the country speaking it. Connecting may be necessary when work comes into play - perhaps not as relevant when pleasure, not business, is involved. In both cases, we are challenged by new structures, new patterns, new vocabulary which make sure that culture comes to life. Whenever possible, we look out for reassuring similarities with the language/s we are familiar with. Such similarities are not always (easily) found. At times, words and expressions are misleading since their meaning unexpectedly differs. At times, it is the people's customs and habits which puzzle us. This book attempts to straighten out some instances native speakers of English may find tricky when coming to grips with Italian.