Lingue e Culture Straniere per l'Era Digitale L-11

The course aims to develop advanced competences in English language and linguistics through the analysis of contemporary English variation and its uses in professional and digital contexts.

Metalinguistic awareness is strengthened through the study of:

• sociolinguistic, pragmatic, and phonological variation in global varieties of English (World Englishes);
• register and genre as tools for understanding how context and communicative purpose shape linguistic choices;
• English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and tourism communication, with an introduction to the general principles of ESP designed to support the analysis of English for Tourism and its digital and multimodal realisations (websites, social media, promotional content).

The course combines theoretical insight and practical application in order to enhance precision, adaptability, effectiveness, and intercultural awareness in English communication.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Describe the main types of variation in English (diatopic, diastratic, diaphasic, diamesic);
• Explain key theoretical models of World Englishes and the related historical and colonial dynamics;
• Recognise phonetic, phonological, and prosodic features of the main varieties examined in the course (RP, Indian English, Australian English, Nigerian English);
• Define and distinguish register, genre, style, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP);
• Identify linguistic and multimodal features typical of tourism communication.

 Applying Knowledge and Understanding

• Analyse authentic texts using linguistic tools (phonetic, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and textual);
• Recognise and describe prosodic variation in real audio samples;
• Apply the concepts of register and genre to the analysis of professional and digital texts;
• Analyse tourism and promotional materials by identifying communicative strategies and multimodal resources;
• Produce short, effective tourism-oriented texts appropriate in register, communicative purpose, and audience design.

 Autonomy of Judgement and Communication Skills

• Reflect critically on the relationship between language, identity, media, and ideology.
• Communicate complex content in English with pragmatic accuracy, textual effectiveness, and intercultural awareness.

The bibliographic references and recommended readings for each lesson are provided in the corresponding lesson handouts.

The following is a concise selection of key texts that offer a solid theoretical framework for further exploration of the topics covered in the course.

• Crystal, David. English as a Global Language. 2nd ed., Cambridge UP, 2003. (A clear and accessible introduction to the global spread of English, with attention to the historical, demographic, and cultural dimensions of its international role)
• Eggins, Suzanne. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics. Continuum, 2004 (especially chapters 1–4; useful for understanding the theory underpinning field–tenor–mode and the notions of register and genre within the functional linguistic framework)
• Fuller, Janet M., and Ronald Wardhaugh. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 7th ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2015. (A key reference for the fundamentals of sociolinguistics, useful for understanding linguistic variation, identity, and the relationship between language and society)
• Jenkins, Jennifer, and Sonia Morán Panero. Global Englishes: A Resource Book for Students, 4th ed., Routledge, 2025. (An introductory and modular text on global varieties of English, offering activities and materials that can help you reflect on theoretical foundations and apply them to real-world examples)
• Kecskés, István. Intercultural Pragmatics. Oxford UP, 2014. (A key reference for the pragmatic and intercultural dimensions addressed in the first section of the course)
• Maci, Stefania M. English Tourism Discourse: Insights into the Professional, Promotional and Digital Language of Tourism. Hoepli, 2020. (A specialised reference for the section on English for Tourism and for the analysis of professional, promotional, and multimodal communication in the tourism sector)
• Schneider, Edgar W. English Around the World. An Introduction. Cambridge UP, 2011. (A foundational text for understanding World Englishes and the historical and sociolinguistic dynamics that have shaped global English varieties)

The course is organised into three thematic sections* that explore the variation of contemporary English and its uses in professional and digital contexts. Attention is devoted to the linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic, and multimodal dimensions that shape communication across different domains. The lessons combine the analysis of authentic texts, applied activities, and moments of critical reflection, with the aim of fostering metalinguistic awareness and advanced communicative competences.

Section 1 – English(es) in the World: Varieties, Registers and Sociolinguistic Contexts*

This first section introduces the complexity of contemporary English as a pluricentric and globally used language, providing students with the sociolinguistic and pragmatic tools necessary to interpret its variability. Through examples of language contact, classification models, and a critical perspective on colonial legacies, the section examines how historical, social, and cultural factors have shaped the development of English varieties around the world. At the same time, it introduces the role of appropriate language use across communicative contexts, while also addressing fundamental pragmatic mechanisms and their intercultural dimension. The overall aim is to develop an awareness of how contemporary Englishes are the product of the complex and continually evolving interplay between language, culture, power, and identity.

Section 2 – The Sound of English Around the World: Accent Variation and Prosodic Identity

The second section explores the phonetic, phonological, and prosodic dimensions of variation, guiding students in the analysis of the segmental and suprasegmental features that characterise several national varieties of contemporary English. Building from a review of articulatory phonetics and the structure of the English vowel and consonant systems, the section introduces the role of stress, rhythm, intonation, and connected speech in shaping prosodic identity. After examining the history and distinctive features of RP and its ideological weight in language teaching, the lessons analyse three national varieties in detail: Indian English, Australian English, and Nigerian English. Through authentic examples, targeted listening activities, and reflections on intercultural pragmatics, students learn to recognise salient phonetic and prosodic traits in each variety and to connect them to the sociolinguistic contexts and cultural values that shape them. The section thus consolidates advanced analytical competence regarding pronunciation, the sound identity of languages, and the social role of accent.

Section 3 – English for Specific Purposes: Register, Genre, and Tourism Discourse

The third section applies the knowledge developed in the previous sections to the study of English in professional and digital contexts. Following a theoretical introduction to the concept of register as situational variation and to genre as a recognisable and structured communicative action, the section presents the fundamental principles of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), exploring communicative needs, discourse communities, and textual conventions across major professional domains. The second part focuses on English for Tourism as a case study: students analyse authentic materials drawn from brochures, websites, promotional texts, digital platforms, and online reviews, developing competences in multimodal reading, destination evaluation, and tourism discourse construction. Particular attention is dedicated to experiential language, place branding, narratives of wine tourism and sustainable tourism, and strategies for inclusive and ethically responsible communication. The section includes guided activities in text analysis and production designed to simulate real professional writing tasks in the tourism sector.

*Note

In this syllabus, the term section refers exclusively to an internal thematic subdivision of the course. These sections do not correspond to autonomous modules and must be completed as integral components of a single course, to be taken in its entirety.