Belgian researchers launch app mapping language change among Italians around the world
A group of European universities, including the KU Leuven and VUB in Belgium, uses a new app to measure how standard Italian is changing and has changed under the influence of migration and digital connectivity. The MovIT app was launched on Friday in Belgium, Italy and Switzerland, but Italians in other countries can also contribute.
How does moving affect the use of Italian among Italians? And what does that mean for the future of the language? These are some of the questions that researchers want to answer with the “MovIT - Moving Italian(s)” project.
“In many societies, including in Belgium and Italy, language change provokes heated debate,” stated professor Stefania Marzo of KU Leuven, co-initiator of the project. “Changes in standard language are quickly seen as deterioration. But what exactly is changing? And is there really that much change? We want to answer those questions with data.”
“Changes in standard language are quickly seen as deterioration"
The app collects language data from Italians abroad via crowdsourcing. Users can fill out surveys, record speech fragments and participate in interactive quizzes. This way, the app is building a unique database of Italian in migration contexts. The aim is to measure the change in Italian on a global scale, under the influence of new contexts, contacts and cultures.
The project is a collaboration within the framework of the WEAVE programme, an initiative for international research coordination. It is carried out by researchers from KU Leuven, VUB, the University of Bern and the University of Turin.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © BELGA PHOTO MARIUS BURGELMAN
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