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Article published In:
Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 46:3 (2022) ► pp.231–255

Language policy in Italian universities

Navigating the language ambiguities of higher education internationalisation

ORCID logo | Stockholm UniversityStockholm | University of Roma Tre
 | Stockholm UniversityStockholm
 | Stockholm UniversityStockholm
In recent years, the significant expansion of English-medium instruction (EMI) programmes across higher education institutions outside English-speaking contexts has brought with it an inherent set of language-related tensions and ambiguities. In this article, we explore how a selection of Italian universities have tackled these tensions. Via a content analysis of university policy documents, we investigate the key language-related themes in them, and the orientations to language that these themes entail. The results show that English is seen as necessary for and almost synonymous to internationalisation, as well as a language that can bring benefits to both institutions and individuals. However, a commitment to multilingualism and to the promotion of Italian from a non-protectionist stance is apparent in the documents analysed. This finding, we argue, puts the Italian context apart from other settings that have been previously investigated (e.g. the Nordic countries), and points to an original way in which universities can navigate the language ambiguities that come with the process of higher education internationalisation.
Keywords: English-medium instruction, English, higher education, Italian, language policy
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Internationalisation and language policy in Italian HE
  • Data and methodology
  • Results
  • Discussion of results
    • Orientation 1: English as a desired/desirable language for institutions and individuals
    • Orientation 2: English as a synonym of internationalisation
    • Orientation 3: Multilingualism as a key strategic goal
  • Conclusions
  • References
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Published online: 14 July 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.21029.zua
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