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Maggio 9, 2025

  • INFORMAL ENGLISH LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY

    Maggio 9, 2025  7:30 am - 3:30 pm

    PRIN CONFERENCE

    INFORMAL ENGLISH LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY. A KALEIDOSCOPE OF VOICES AND PATHWAYS

    May 9, 2025, 9:30 - 17:30

    Università di Pavia, Aula Bottigella, Palazzo San Tommaso

    Giuseppe Balirano, President of AIA - Introductory remarks

    Sandro Caruana, University of Malta - Keynote Speaker

    Paolo Della Putta, University of Turin, Discussant

    Speakers from the PRIN Project Team

    Maria Pavesi - Principal investigator and local coordinator, University of Pavia

    Francesca Bianchi - Local coordinator, University of Salento

    Silvia Bruti - Local coordinator, University of Pisa

    Raffaele Zago - Local coordinator, University of Catania

    Cristina Mariotti, University of Pavia

    Emanuela Paone, University of Bologna

    Irene Ranzato, Sapienza University of Rome

    Nicoletta Simi, University of Pisa

    Massimo Sturiale, University of Milan

    Elena Ballante, University of Pavia

    Camilla De Riso, University of Pavia

    Maicol Formentelli, University of Pavia

    Elisa Ghia, University of Pavia

    Paola Leone, University of Salento

    CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION

    The ecology of language use and language learning has drastically changed in Europe and beyond, as media affordances around the individual L2 useroffer unprecedented opportunities to experience English in daily life. Inresponse to these evolving English-centred ecologies, research on second language acquisition (SLA) has increasingly shifted its focus from traditional classroom settings to non-institutional, naturalistic environments. This shift in emphasis has led to empirical investigations into the role of informal exposure to English across Europe, particularly in relation to media-driven and digitally mediated language contact.

    The national PRIN project “The informalisation of English language learning through the media: Language input, learning outcomes and sociolinguistic attitudes from an Italian perspective” represents the first large-scale study in Italy to investigate the impact of emerging language environments upon the behaviour of university students and their English SLA. The study collected over 4,000 valid questionnaires and lexical tests from students enrolled at the Universities of Pavia, Pisa, Salento, and Catania, providing extensive empirical data on informal exposure to English. A series of interviews and longitudinal case studies were also conducted, allowing participants to articulate their experiences while enabling researchers to trace their L2 developmental trajectories beyond formal classroom settings.

    In this one-day conference, we will present and discuss key findings of the PRIN project by placing them within the expanding field of Informal Language Learning. The study highlights the diverse and dynamic ways in which university students engage with English, revealing novel patterns in spontaneous, media-related language acquisition and appropriation. The event further serves as a platform for disseminating the research findings to both the academic community and the participants who made the data collection possible.

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    Participation in the conference is free of charge. Registrations are open until full capacity is reached.

    Scientific committee: Maria Pavesi, Giuseppe Balirano, Francesca Bianchi, Silvia Bruti, Francesca Costa, Bronwen Hughes, Maicol Formentelli, Elisa Ghia, Cristina Mariotti, Elisa Perego, Raffaele Zago

    Local organising committee: Maria Pavesi, Luca Briatico, Camilla De Riso, Maicol Formentelli, Elisa Ghia, Elena Giribaldi

    Contacts: camilla.deriso@unipv.it

Maggio 14, 2025

  • AIA SEMINAR Breaking Barriers: Empowering Interactions in Language, Literature, and Culture

    Maggio 14, 2025 - Maggio 15, 2025  

    Breaking Barriers: Empowering Interactions in Language, Literature, and Culture

    Aldo Moro University of Bari. 14-15 May, 2025

    https://2025aiaseminar.wixsite.com/breaking-barriers

    The 2025 AIA Seminar “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Interactions in Language, Literature, and Culture” will take place at the Aldo Moro University of Bari on 14 and 15 May, 2025.
    We invite contributions on a variety of discursive areas, from across different and / or cross-disciplinary research fields, welcoming diversity in theoretical and methodological approaches. Our elective focus, Breaking Barriers, offers itself to multiple inflections, showcasing the need for change and empowerment as a key quality that underlies recent developments in contemporary discourses, in the fields of – amongst others – (critical) discourse analysis, literary studies, cultural studies, (critical) disability studies, environmental studies, museum studies (‘New Museology’).

    PLENARY SPEAKERS:

    Maria Grazia Guido, Professoressa Ordinaria di Lingua e Traduzione Inglese, Università del Salento

    Michaela Mahlberg, Alexander-von-Humboldt Professor of Digital Humanities, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

    Alex Robinson, Honorary Fellow, University of Liverpool, Centre for the Study of International Slavery (CSIS)

    Elena Spandri, Professoressa Ordinaria di Letteratura Inglese, Università di Siena

    We invite submissions addressing the core topic from either theoretical or applied and text-focussed perspectives, in literature, linguistics, and cultural studies, including discussion of best practices in teaching and other professional experiences. Contributions from established scholars, early-career researchers, and PhD students are welcome.

    Possible topics and research areas to be explored include, but are not limited to:

    • Academic, professional and corporate communication
    • Accessibility and disability studies
    • Digital Humanities and AI
    • Environmental humanities
    • Gender studies
    • Multimodality, intermediality and AVT
    • Medical humanities
    • Migration, border discourse and cultural mediation
    • News, mass media, social media
    • Political discourse
    • Specialized discourse and translation
    • Travel, tourism and heritage

    Abstract Submission and Timeline
    Panel sessions: 20-minute presentations + 10 minutes Q&A
    Abstracts: max 500 words, including references

    The call is now open:
    https://auth.oxfordabstracts.com/?redirect=/stages/77754/submissions/new

    SUBMISSION DEADLINE
    1 March, 2025
    ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION
    15 March, 2025
    CONFERENCE
    14-15 May, 2025

    REGISTRATION FEES
    Eur. 80,00 (standard)
    Eur. 65,00 (PhD students only)

    Details on the registration procedures will follow.

Maggio 16, 2025

  • ACCESSIBILITY TO MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: HISTORIES, PARADIGMS, AND REVOLUTIONS

    Maggio 15, 2025 - Maggio 17, 2025  
    ACCESSIBILITY TO MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: HISTORIES, PARADIGMS, AND REVOLUTIONS

    May 15-17, 2025 University of Macerata

    Accessibility and inclusion are human rights that have consistently been invoked and upheld by major international organisations through conventions, charters, directives and regulations. The European Accessibility Act, which will apply across all European Union member states from June 2025, ensures widespread and meaningful accessibility to information, technologies and even social and cultural life for everyone, regardless of ability, leaving national governments little leeway for exceptions.

    Over the past 50 years, many scholars (Grossi and Ravagnan, 2013; Stadler, Jepson, and Wood, 2022)[1] have shown that participating in cultural and entertainment activities plays a crucial role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life of people with and without disabilities. For the latter, at times, access is still limited and limiting, despite significant global progress in the last 20 years towards greater openness and an increased focus on accessibility and meaningful opportunities for inclusion.

    This conference aims to assess the progress of accessibility to media, entertainment and cultural heritage, both in Italy and internationally, by discussing good practices and addressing current and future needs and opportunities. With a focus on technological development as a potential driver of accessibility, while keeping people, their diversity and needs central to the discussion, plenary lectures, individual presentations and thematic sessions aim to offer insights, models and paradigms that promote an increasingly universal, open and flexible approach to cultural accessibility in all its forms. The four workshops that precede the main program are aimed at all participants (professionals, scholars, students, managers) wishing to acquire detailed knowledge of specific areas and activities.

    The conference will feature virtual and in-person sessions. Interpreting will be provided for in-person sessions. Additionally, participants coming to the conference can choose from four thematic workshops that are offered in either Italian or English.

    The conference is part of the PNRR SAFINA project within the Vitality ecosystem, Smart solutions and educational programs for anti-fragility and inclusivity. The University of Macerata is a partner in this initiative. It is also supported by the international Master’s programme in Accessibility to Media, Arts and Culture (AMAC).

    [1] Grossi, E., Ravagnan, A. (2013). Cultura e salute. La partecipazione culturale come strumento per un nuovo welfare. Milano: Springer; Stadler, R., Jepson, A., Wood, E. (2022). Introduction: Special Issue on ‘Events and Wellbeing’. Event Management 26(1), 1- 5.

    Topics of interest

    Culture, entertainment, inclusion and well-being

    Digital accessibility and audiovisual media

    Old and new strategies for inclusion in live performances and events

    Access to, and participation in, cultural heritage

    Language strategies and inclusive communication

    Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, new technologies

    New languages and textualities for accessibility

    Inclusive design: guidelines and best practices in media and entertainment

    Experiences of co-creation in media and entertainment access

    Reception studies: tools methodologies, results

    Types of contribution

    There are two types of contribution, which can be presented in Italian or English:

    in-person presentation: a 20-minute presentation, given in either Italian or English.

    video presentation: a pre-recorded video of 8 to 10 minutes, in Italian or English, with subtitles in the other language (e.g.: video in English, subtitles in Italian).

    Deadlines and contribution submission methods

    Abstract submission deadline: February 28, 2025

    Notification of acceptance: March 10, 2025

    Registration is open until April 15, 2025

    Visit the conference website for further information:

    masteramac.unimc.it/accessibility-conference/

    KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

    Gabriella Cetorelli, Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Department of General Affairs - Directorate General of European and International Affairs - UNESCO Office.

    Christopher Patnoe, Head of Accessibility and Inclusion for EMEA at Google.

    Enrico Dolza, Director of the Deaf Institute of Turin, Italy

    Aldo Grassini, President of the Omero National Tactile Museum, in a dialogue with sculptor Felice Tagliaferri

    Thematic workshops

    The conference is preceded by four workshops to be held on 15 May in the afternoon. All workshops will be led by instructors both with and without disabilities. The workshops will be held in either Italian or English, with the option of providing translation into the other language upon request.

    15:00 - 17:00 Planning, organisation, and funding of accessibility projects (ITA)

    Andrea Rurale (Director of the Master’s programme in Arts Management and Administration, Bocconi University), Marco Luchetti (PhD Candidate, University of Macerata), Anna Chiara Scarponi (ENS - Italian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Ascoli Piceno-Fermo) (ITA)

    15:00 - 17:00 Participatory accessibility for children and adults: projects and principles (ENG)

    Elena Di Giovanni (Full Professor, University of Macerata) and Daniela Fiordalisi (Disability Manager, University of Brescia) (ENG)

    17:00 - 19:00 AI, new technologies and accessibility (ENG)

    Francesca Raffi (Associate Professor, University of Macerata) and Francesco Cusati (Institute of the Blind, Milan) (ENG)

    17:00 - 19:00 Museums, sign languages and inclusion in the artistic experience

    Brunella Manzardo (Education Department, Castello di Rivoli, Contemporary Art Museum) and Violante Nonno (Deaf Tourist Guide) (ITA)

    Social programme

    The conference’s social programme includes a visit to the museums of Macerata, led by people with disabilities, as well as an accessible concert.

    _________

    Conference Website: masteramac.unimc.it/accessibility-conference/

    Contacts: accessconference@unimc.it

Maggio 29, 2025

  • Communicating transparency: New trends and insights for professional and intercultural settings

    Maggio 29, 2025 - Maggio 30, 2025  
    PRIN/CLAVIER 2025 Joint Conference


    Communicating transparency: New trends and insights for professional and intercultural settings

    Tropea, Calabria (Italy), May 29-30, 2025

    We are pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the Joint PRIN/CLAVIER 2025 Conference to be held May 29-30, 2025 at the conference facilities of Hotel Tropis in Tropea, Calabria. The conference marks the end of a three-year PRIN1 research project entitled Communicating transparency: New trends in English-language corporate and institutional disclosure practices in intercultural settings (CommTran). It is being jointly organized under the auspices of CLAVIER, an Italian inter-university research center.

    Transparency broadly refers to the degree of openness in conveying information to key stakeholders as well as the public at large. A perception of transparency becomes a precursor to trust as manifested in the belief that organizations will act in the best interests of their stakeholders and also assume accountability for their actions (Ball, 2009; Rawlins, 2008). Thus, demonstrating transparency remains a critical communicative objective of organizations, particularly in light of recurring scandals and growing scrutiny on the part of informed citizens whose expectations of and access to information are ever-expanding (Christensen & Cheney, 2015).

    In corporate settings, transparency is typically associated with financial disclosure, a well-consolidated practice comprising both mandatory and voluntary reporting genres that are produced to comply with legal requirements but also to proactively engage with stakeholders. In recent years, non-financial disclosure relating to environmental and social issues has become increasingly important and, like financial disclosure, is now often mandated by regulatory directives (Jackson et al., 2020). Moreover, thanks to an increasing array of digital affordances, companies are also leveraging their own web-based communications, as well as social media platforms (e.g., X, Instagram, Facebook), to boost perceptions of transparency among a wider audience. In institutional settings (e.g., media organizations, governmental authorities, political entities), communicating with transparency is also an ongoing concern in an effort to establish trustful relationships with citizens (Chilton, 2004). In the current context of growing public suspicion and distrust, institutions are under mounting pressure to commit to disclosing information in a way that is perceived as transparent and trustworthy.

    Language clearly plays a vital role in communicating transparently and establishing trust. For organizations operating in international/intercultural contexts, regardless of country of origin, it is now common to find disclosure-oriented communications in English posted on publicly accessible Internet venues. This reflects not only the need to overcome barriers with a shared code of communication (Kecskes, 2004), but also to promote an image of transparency to a global and multicultural audience (Crowley et al., 2015). Thus, culture can play a key role in the communicative strategies of corporate and institutional actors from different linguacultural backgrounds when producing written and oral texts in English aiming to boost perceptions of transparency.

    This conference intends to provide a platform for research that sheds light on how transparency is constructed and communicated across professional and intercultural contexts. We invite proposals related but not limited to the following themes:

    1. Communicating transparency across sectors and discourse domains

    2. Communicating transparency in institutional contexts

    3. The impact of digital technologies on communicating transparency

    4. Cultural differences in communicating transparency

    5. The role of English in communicating transparency in cross-cultural/intercultural contexts

    6. The role of normative requirements in communicating transparency

    7. Transparency in the context of sustainability

    8. Transparency in the context of diversity, equity and inclusion

    9. Enhancing, hindering or violating transparency

    10. Teaching skills for communicating transparently

    We welcome submissions from scholars working in various fields such as discourse analysis, genre analysis, corpus-assisted discourse analysis, pragmalinguistics, critical discourse analysis, multimodality, intercultural communication, ESP teaching and learning, and other related fields, as well as interdisciplinary approaches.

    Keynote speakers

    Lars Thøger Christensen - Department of Management, Society and Communication, Copenhagen Business School

    Marlies Whitehouse - ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Applied Linguistics, Institute of Language Competence

    Conference chair:

    Belinda Crawford Camiciottoli

    Organizing committee

    Assunta (Susie) Caruso, Belinda Crawford Camiciottoli, Jean Jimenez, Vanessa Marcella, Sergio Pizziconi, Ian Robinson, Ida Ruffolo

    Guidelines for abstract submission

    Individual papers: Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words + max 5 references. Presentation format is 20 minutes followed by 5 minutes for discussion.

    Panels: Panels should feature 3-5 speakers. Panel proposals must include 200-250 words of general presentation, followed by individual abstracts (max 250 words + max 5 references). Presentation format is 20 minutes per individual paper, with 10 minutes for discussion at the conclusion of the panel.

    To prepare the abstract, please use the template provided on the conference website:

    https://prin2020commtran.dices.unical.it/

    Abstracts should be submitted electronically via email to the conference email-address PRIN-CLAVIER2025@unical.it, together with a separate cover letter indicating the author's name, affiliation, contact information and title of of the contribution. Please use the APA 7 citation style for your references and indicate minimum 3 and maximum 5 keywords.

    Important: do not indicate author name(s) and affiliation(s) on the abstract file.

    All abstracts will be submitted to a double-blind review process.

    The proposed abstracts will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

    • Original topic of relevance to conference theme(s)

    • Appropriate theoretical background and references

    • Clearly articulated aim(s) and methodological approach

    • Presentation of findings (or preliminary findings)

    • Well-structured, coherent, and clearly written

    Dates to remember

    Abstract Submission Deadline: 20 November 2024

    Notification of Acceptance: 20 December 2024

    For information, please write to: PRIN-CLAVIER2025@unical.it

Giugno 3, 2025

  • SUMMER SCHOOL: Digital Humanities and Digital Communication: Integrating traditional and innovative tools

    Giugno 3, 2025 - Giugno 6, 2025  

    Digital Humanities and Digital Communication: Integrating traditional and innovative tools

    Unimore Doctoral Programme in Human Sciences – Summer School 2025
    June 3rd – 6th, 2025 | MODENA

    #CallforApplications: Summer School in “Digital Humanities and Digital Communication: Integrating traditional and innovative tools”
    University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
    June 3rd-6th, 2025

    We are happy to announce the 7th edition of the Summer School in Digital Humanities and Digital Communication, which will be hosted by the Department of Studies on Language and Culture of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, in collaboration with the Fondazione Marco Biagi and with the patronage of AIA. As part of the Doctoral Programme in Human Sciences, the Summer School aims to provide PhD students and young researchers with methodological tools for the study of digital communication and data analysis. This year’s focus is on challenges and opportunities of integrating traditional methods with innovative tools, with topics ranging from digital resources for research in the humanities to the use of new information technologies for data analysis. The programme combines lectures by invited speakers and workshops where young researchers can present their work and get feedback from the invited speakers.

    Abstract submission deadline: March 28th
    Notification of acceptance: April 11th

    Date: June 3rd-6th, 2025
    Location: Modena, Italy
    Registration fee: € 100,00

    Further information can be found here:
    https://www.summerschooldigitalhumanities.unimore.it/2025-edition/

Giugno 7, 2025

  • Back to the past to understand the present. Exploring the interplay between socio-cultural and political issues and language education

    Giugno 5, 2025 - Giugno 7, 2025  

    “Back to the past tounderstand the present. Exploring the interplay between socio-cultural andpolitical issues and language education”.
    International inter-association conference on the history of language teaching.

    Date: June 5-7, 2025

    Place: University of Insubria, Como, Italy

    Organisers:Mario Corveddu, Gilberto Giannacchi, Martina Guzzetti, PaoloNitti, Daniel Russo, Alessandra Vicentini (University of Insubria), Hugo E.Lombardini (University of Bologna), Polina Shvanyukova (University of Udine)

    Submission deadline for abstracts: January 15, 2025. For individual papers, send 300-wordproposals; for panels, send individual proposals plus a 300-word paneldescription to ichollt@uninsubria.it

    Conference website: https://www.uninsubria.eu/ichollt

    This conference aimsto examine and interpret past developments and challenges in the field oflanguage teaching and learning in order to shed light on contemporary issues.In particular, the objective is to study how socio-cultural and politicaltrends and events have influenced practices and methods in the field of languageeducation over the centuries, as is happening today. What insights can thehistory of language teaching offer? Have problems similar to those faced today alreadybeen addressed in the past? If so, what solutions, tools and methods wereadopted, and with what specific intent? These are some of the researchquestions that the conference participants will be invited to explore.

    Over the centuries, economic,political and socio-cultural transformations, including migratory crises,globalisation and advancements in information and communication technologies(Motteram 2013), have had a significant impact on language teaching andlearning (Doff & Smith 2022), while historical phenomena such ascolonialism and fascism have influenced language policies and educationalapproaches (Capstick 2020). During wartimeconflicts (e.g., world wars), language teaching strategies tied to the militarycontext emerged, with the use of specialised teaching materials and thepresence of atypical actors (e.g., interpreters and translators working at thefront who were employed as teachers). Moreover, teachers and students are andhave been a reflection of the social dynamics of their time, also implicated inideologies determined by socio-cultural and political circumstances (Ricento2000). For example, one can observe differences in education, pedagogicalapproaches and teaching materials used by female teachers or directed at femalelearners, rather than males, in specific historical contexts; or, consider how thetheme of psychological and social well-being was addressed in the past from theperspective of individual improvement through learning a new language or enhancingone’s linguistic skills.

    History provides uswith a valuable perspective to critically assess current practices and informfuture decisions in the field of language education (McLelland & Smith2018; Castillo & San Vicente 2023; Smith & Giesler 2023). At the sametime, writing the history of language learning and teaching can be seen as apolitical act. Papers will be welcome which relate to the issue of whether thehistory of language education can itself ever be apolitical or neutral.

    Keynote speakers: MarcDebono (University of Tours), John Gallagher (University of Leeds), CarmenCastillo Peña (University of Padua).

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