Sviluppare la competenza metapragmatica di studenti in mobilità internazionale
Una proposta didattica in prospettiva plurilingue
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15162/1970-1861/2662Keywords:
multilingual approach; metapragmatic awareness; intercultural reflection; study abroad studentsAbstract
This study proposes a multilingual approach to developing metapragmatic awareness among university students involved in international mobility programmes, who are required to mediate between different languages in increasingly multilingual environments. Several studies have emphasised the need to overcome the monolingual paradigm and to adopt an approach that values students’ complex and interconnected linguistic repertoires. However, this approach is still rarely applied to the development of metapragmatic skills in mobility contexts and in L2 Italian programmes. The teaching module, delivered to 14 students attending the University of Galway, is centred around the analysis of (im)politeness in different sociocultural contexts; different languages were used throughout the course to carry out reflective activities and collaborative tasks. Data analysis focused on students’ group projects, consisting of intercultural role plays followed by metapragmatic reflections. Preliminary findings attest to the effectiveness of this approach in fostering an awareness of how cultural assumptions shape language use, while also promoting cooperative learning. The results also underscore the need for more structured reflection on mediation strategies, strategic use of multilingual resources and non-verbal communication. Overall, data highlight the potential of the proposed approach in fostering multilingual metapragmatic awareness and suggest its transferability to other learning contexts.
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