Since English is recognised as the global lingua franca, and is studied as the main foreign language in Europe (Eurostat, 2019), it comes to no surprise that its presence has been increasingly noticed in the Italian linguistic landscape (e.g. Bagna et al., 2024) and elsewhere in Europe (e.g. Cenoz & Gorter, 2006). However, the use of English alongside local European languages does not guarantee openness to multilingualism and translingual mixing in actual, active language use. Drawing from Ben Said (2011), who suggested that LL research should “include voices from the people as an essential part of the interpretation of the linguistic landscape” (p. 68), and in line with Dannerer and Soukup (2025), this study investigated the language attitudes of Italians studying abroad towards the linguistic soundscape they found themselves in. Semi-structured interviews were employed to explore the participants’ social and mental spaces rather than the physical-material ones (Britain, 2013). 19 students and PhD candidates staying in 7 different countries (2 Anglophone, 5 non-Anglophone) were interviewed to study their attitudes, beliefs and ideologies towards multilingualism, English as a Lingua Franca, and speaking English with a foreign accent. The analysis revealed a strong aversion to language mixing, as it is often taken to signal lack of skills; strongly internalised native-speakerism (Holliday, 2006); and consequently, the belief that a ‘standard’ and ‘true’ English exists and should be used by those who wish to ‘speak good English’, both in terms of grammar and accent (Boonsuk & Fang, 2022). The results of this study shed some light on the power relations underlying the widespread use of English alongside other languages, and reveal a stark contrast between what the linguistic landscapes and soundscapes show – a variety of languages and accents, especially in multilingual and multicultural Study Abroad spaces – and the attitudes and beliefs held by the respondents, who display homogenising, monolingual tendencies.
Seeking standard English in multilingual environments: the experience of Italians during Study Abroad / Cigliano, Chiara. - (2025). ( AIA 32 - Human, Humane, Humanities. Voices from the Anglosphere).
Seeking standard English in multilingual environments: the experience of Italians during Study Abroad
Chiara Cigliano
Primo
2025
Abstract
Since English is recognised as the global lingua franca, and is studied as the main foreign language in Europe (Eurostat, 2019), it comes to no surprise that its presence has been increasingly noticed in the Italian linguistic landscape (e.g. Bagna et al., 2024) and elsewhere in Europe (e.g. Cenoz & Gorter, 2006). However, the use of English alongside local European languages does not guarantee openness to multilingualism and translingual mixing in actual, active language use. Drawing from Ben Said (2011), who suggested that LL research should “include voices from the people as an essential part of the interpretation of the linguistic landscape” (p. 68), and in line with Dannerer and Soukup (2025), this study investigated the language attitudes of Italians studying abroad towards the linguistic soundscape they found themselves in. Semi-structured interviews were employed to explore the participants’ social and mental spaces rather than the physical-material ones (Britain, 2013). 19 students and PhD candidates staying in 7 different countries (2 Anglophone, 5 non-Anglophone) were interviewed to study their attitudes, beliefs and ideologies towards multilingualism, English as a Lingua Franca, and speaking English with a foreign accent. The analysis revealed a strong aversion to language mixing, as it is often taken to signal lack of skills; strongly internalised native-speakerism (Holliday, 2006); and consequently, the belief that a ‘standard’ and ‘true’ English exists and should be used by those who wish to ‘speak good English’, both in terms of grammar and accent (Boonsuk & Fang, 2022). The results of this study shed some light on the power relations underlying the widespread use of English alongside other languages, and reveal a stark contrast between what the linguistic landscapes and soundscapes show – a variety of languages and accents, especially in multilingual and multicultural Study Abroad spaces – and the attitudes and beliefs held by the respondents, who display homogenising, monolingual tendencies.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
