Naples

The Naples branch of Bilingualism Matters was established with the aim of fostering collaboration between researchers, language practitioners, and educators within the local Neapolitan community, with a long-term vision of extending its impact across the wider regional context. Naples, by its very nature, provides a fertile ground for multilingualism and multiculturalism. This is evident not only in the enduring vitality of the Neapolitan dialect alongside the national Italian language but also in the vibrant linguistic diversity brought by foreign communities, such as those from Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh, and Ukrain, who have enriched various city neighbourhoods. The Naples branch seeks to engage with this dynamic context to promote greater awareness, in alignment with the Third Mission of universities, of the value inherent in the existing heritage languages. It is equally committed to the preservation and safeguarding of the languages and varieties present within the territory. In the short term, the branch aims to conduct a sociolinguistic survey of the principal languages spoken in Naples by working closely with both migrant and non-migrant populations in schools and linguistic centres across the city. This initiative seeks to document the city’s rich linguistic diversity while also examining the benefits and challenges faced by different languages and their speakers as they interact and coexist within the same urban environment. This initial ambitious project, supported by both municipal and academic institutions, aspires to equip teachers and educators with practical tools to manage the linguistic diversity of multilingual classrooms more effectively. Additionally, it aims to promote cultural integration within public schools, ensuring that the city’s linguistic wealth becomes a cornerstone of its educational and cultural development.