A language app for global Italian
The newly launched app MovIT – Moving Italian(s) tracks how the Italian language is changing in the context of migration and global networking. It was developed by a team of researchers from the University of Bern, two Belgian universities, and an Italian university.
Italy’s history is shaped by emigration, which has given rise to a now globally networked Italian-speaking diaspora. What does Italian sound like in their world? And how is it changing compared to the Italian-speaking cultural sphere? These are the questions addressed by the project MovIT – Moving Italian(s) which systematically records and analyzes the development of the Italian language using a smartphone app that can be used all over the world. This is of particular interest at a time when migration from Italy has increased again since the 2008 financial crisis, and affordable telephony and digital communication platforms make it possible to remain closely connected with the Italian-speaking cultural sphere.
The MovIT project team consists of researchers from the Institute of Italian Language and Literature at the University of Bern, KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and the University of Turin. The project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO).
Crowdsourcing-based tool
The MovIT app contains surveys on language use, allows users to make anonymous voice recordings, and offers entertaining features such as interactive maps and quizzes. The crowdsourcing initiative is creating a unique database on the Italian language in the context of migration.
“Our app enables active participation of Italian speakers through crowdsourcing,” says co-initiator Prof. Dr. Silvia Natale of the University of Bern. “In this way, we want to capture the modern facets of the developments of the Italian language, whose history has always been closely linked to migration.”
The MovIT app builds on language apps developed at the University of Bern that have attracted considerable international attention, most notably the Dialäkt Äpp by Prof. Dr. Adrian Leemann and the English Dialects App by Prof. Dr. Dave Britain of the University of Bern.
The data collected through the app will feed into a database for a wide range of linguistic analyses and ultimately document modern Italian language practices both within and beyond the Italian-speaking world.
Project team and websiteLeads Prof. Dr. Silvia Natale (University of Bern) Prof. Dr. Stefania Marzo (KU Leuven) Prof. Dr. Stefano de Pascale (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) Partners Prof. Dr. David Britain (University of Bern) Prof. Dr. Massimo Cerruti (Università di Torino) Doctoral students Benedetta Piceni (University of Bern) Chiara Arcadio (KU Leuven) Website https://www.movingitalians.org/ |
About the Institute of Italian Language and LiteratureTeaching and research at the institute focus on the Italian language, which has shaped Europe’s cultural heritage for over a thousand years, not least through its extensive literary history. Italian is also an essential part of Swiss identity, particularly through Italian-speaking Switzerland’s role as a cultural bridge between Northern and Southern Europe. The institute is divided into two departments: Linguistics and Literature. |
Another Study on the Italian languageMoMIt: Mental Models of Italian as a Foreign Language in SchoolsHow parents and teachers influence children’s motivation in learning a foreign language at school is the subject of an international research project co-led by the University of Bern and the University of Teacher Education of the Graubünden. Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the MoMIt project investigates mental models of Italian as a foreign language in schools in German-speaking Grisons. More information (Media release of October 7, 2025) |
2025/11/05
