Bilingualism and Multilingualism

A reality like that of South Tyrol's population, which is characterized by its three linguistic and cultural groups, offers a panorama of great interest for the study of phenomena related to language learning and language contact. Which issues pertain to the learning of more than one foreign language and which tools are best suited for the analysis and evaluation of language competence? Why do some people learn a foreign language more easily than others? In what way can new technologies support language learning?

These are some of the fundamental questions addressed under "Bilingualism and Multilingualism" through projects involving the analysis of linguistic proficiency and which focus in particular on the related psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic aspects. Finally, the methodologies of computer-assisted lexicography and the development of new material for learning German, Italian and the Italian Sign Language give new impulse to the study of foreign language learning.

Furthermore, interaction with computational linguistics provides an important contribution through the application of the new technologies to language learning and the creation of personalised, user-friendly material.

• ELDIT
  (electronic learner's dictionary German - Italian)
• e-LIS
  (electronic bilingual dictionary Italian Sign Language - Italian)
• Language Bridges
  (studies on multilingualism in European border regions)
• KOLIPSI
  (South Tyrolean pupils and the second langage from a linguistic, psychological and social perspective)
• TĚŠÍN - CIESZYN (study on Polish as a minority language in the Czech Republic)
• DeKo (concluded)
  (German language competence of Italian native speakers in the schools of Bolzano and Trento)
• SDaF
  (South Tyrolean Dialect as a Foreign Language)
• Multicultural Education on Borders
  (Language proficiency assessment & promotion of children with migration background)

The institute's research projects also focus on:

Specialised Communication
Language Technologies

The Institute also offers different services:

consulting, teaching, cooperation