At our University, we are the custodians of a rich linguistic heritage. In our student community, we can hear Indo-European, Dravidian, Turkish, Caucasian, Afro-Asiatic, Niger-Congo, Sino-Tibetan, Thai, Austro-Asiatic and Japanese languages.
Languages define personal identities, while also forming part of a common heritage. By promoting mutual understanding, they serve as a bridge towards other people, other countries and other cultures.
In line with the goals of the European Union, the University of Bologna is committed to raising awareness of the value and opportunities of linguistic diversity and encouraging the removal of barriers to intercultural dialogue.
Actions for language inclusion and multilingualism at the University of Bologna
Students, teachers and staff can count on a range of services and initiatives aimed at overcoming language barriers and enhancing internationality.
Projects and services
Language skills project - Free language courses for all students
The project is an evolution of the ULCAM Project - University of Bologna: Languages on Campus started in a.y. 2016/17 on the Forlì Campus.
Who it’s for
All students enrolled at the University of Bologna.
What it offers
The project offers the opportunity to broaden one's knowledge of foreign languages through new pathways, so as to approach different linguistic and cultural realities. Watch the video presentation of the project.
Through the Language skills project, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese-Brazilian, German, Hindi, Romanian, Russian, Korean, Swahili and Chinese (in English) language and courses on intercomprehension for multilingual communication can be included in the curriculum as electives.
Educational Interpreting project - Simultaneous interpreting of lectures
Who it’s for
Students and lecturers of the University of Bologna upon request of Degree Program Directors.
What it offers
The Educational Interpreting project involves the provision of simultaneous interpreting from English into Italian and from Italian into English of the University's curricular lectures.
The project, which is unique in the Italian academic landscape, has so far involved courses relating to a variety of subjects.
Through this service, offered by professional interpreters, comprehension of content and participation in class activities is ensured even for students with a level of linguistic preparation that is not yet sufficient to attend a course delivered in a foreign language.
At the same time, this service also allows teachers to overcome language barriers and deliver lessons in the desired language.
Finally, the project also offers the opportunity to create a new professional profile, that of the academic interpreter, which may be in great demand in universities.
Information on courses with simultaneous interpreting, the service and contacts
Language course units at the University Language Centre
Who it’s for
The University of Bologna community and international exchange students.
What it offers
The University Language Centre (CLA) offers language courses for students. In-person, online and self-learning courses are offered.
For further information, please visit the CLA website.
Resources
MOOCs - courses open to all
The University of Bologna develops and delivers MOOCs through the BOOK platform (UniBO Open Knowledge). The project enhances teaching innovation methods and technologies and is aimed at promoting digital learning programmes designed to bridge students’ learning gaps, support teaching activities abroad, promote university knowledge by making it accessible to all citizens, and develop new training programmes for teachers.
Linguisticamente, the science popularisation website
Linguisticamente is a website aimed at all those who are interested in language-related facts without being specialists in the field. The website is maintained by teachers and researchers from the Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies - FICLIT.
Language teaching resources for language teachers, managers of higher education institutions and educational policy makers
The following resources are available online:
- Databases of language teaching sources selected, examined, tested, evaluated and validated, based on e-learning and aimed at higher education students and all those who want to learn 18 different European languages;
- E-learning modules with which teachers can develop the skills required to identify, evaluate, use and create digital language teaching resources based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT);
- Theoretical and practical guidelines addressed to higher education policy-makers and language teachers to improve the implementation of digital-based language learning opportunities in higher education.
These resources have been created as part of the QUILL - Quality in Language Learning project, see the project sheet on the website of the Department of Interpreting and Translation - DIT
Volume entitled "La classe plurilingue” (The multilingual classroom), for teachers and educators of multilingual people
For primary and secondary school teachers, a book is available in printed and electronic form describing the most common foreign languages present in schools. The information in the book enables teachers to engage bilingual learners more effectively in their teaching activities, thanks to cross-references and comparisons with their other language.
See the book "La classe plurilingue” (The multilingual classroom) and the website of the research project: La classe plurilingue. Research on linguistic complexity for inclusive education.
Network
Student Ambassadors programme: reception, events and promotion of Unibo for prospective international students
Set up by the International Relation Strategy Support Unit of the University of Bologna, the programme now counts 190 Student Ambassadors from 53 different countries.
The Student Ambassadors:
- give their views on life at the University of Bologna, through events or interviews;
- welcome and interact with new international students in online and in-person events;
- promote the University of Bologna through videos, podcasts and social media.
Check out the information and the events of the Student Ambassador programme.
Bilingualism Matters, the international network promoting research
Bilingualism Matters is an international network aimed at promoting research on bilingualism, multilingualism and language learning, in collaboration with schools, clinical centres and social and healthcare professionals.
The University of Bologna is a member of the Bilingualism Matters network with the Department of Education Studies "Giovanni Maria Bertin" - EDU.
The activities of the network include:
- organisation of training events
- publication and dissemination of materials in several languages
- collaboration in the development of research-training-action projects on bilingualism and language learning.
Check out the information and events of Bilingualism Matters@Bologna
Events and initiatives
Find out more
- Glottolog Published