Conference Presentations by Agnese Bresin
This paper examines the underinvestigated research area of address in Italian service encounters,... more This paper examines the underinvestigated research area of address in Italian service encounters, with a novel focus on restaurant encounters. Language practices may vary substantially from region to region in Italy. In fact, the concept of contemporary spoken Italian is often broken down into regional varieties of Italian (e.g. Tosi, 2001). In this paper, we argue that, apart from their historical, political and administrative aspects, Italian regions can also be understood as distinct communities of practice (Eckert, 2006), if we adopt a fluid and not necessarily intentional approach to agency (Bucholtz and Hall, 2005).
This research project utilises the interaction between waiters and customers as a case study to investigate regional variation in Italian pronominal address practices. A primary research question is: to what extent do restaurant customers and waiters report different address practices across Italian regions? Five geographically dispersed Italian regions were selected: Emilia in the north, Umbria and Lazio in the centre, Salento in the south and the island of Sardinia. Following Clyne et al.’s (2009) methodology, a combination of quantitative and qualitative data were collected. A large scale survey was completed by 519 restaurant customers, and interviews and focus groups involved both waiters and customers living in any of the five regions examined.
This study shows the extent of regional variation in reported address practices in Italian restaurant encounters. The regional variation identified is associated, among other variables, to the specific cultural and linguistic context of each region, including local dialects. In other words, Italian regions are interpreted as communities of address practice.
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse studies, 7(4-5), 585-614.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations: Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 683-685). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
In the diverse linguistic landscape that characterises Italy, the repertoire of a native speaker ... more In the diverse linguistic landscape that characterises Italy, the repertoire of a native speaker may include a local dialect, i.e. one of the many languages that developed from Latin parallel to Italian, as well as a ‘regional Italian’, i.e. a regional variety of contemporary spoken Italian (Tosi, 2001). This contribution has the main purpose of investigating a potential relationship between address practices in local dialects and address practices in regional varieties of Italian. Within a large scale research on language variation in service settings in Italy, restaurants in particular, Umbria has been selected as a case study for this purpose. The reason for this choice is the documented distribution of two distinct systems of address pronouns in the local dialects spoken in two parts of Umbria (Moretti, 1987). In north-western dialects, three address pronouns are used: the local versions of the T pronoun ‘tu’ (2sg) and the local versions of the two V pronouns ‘lei’ (3sg) and ‘voi’ (2pl). In south-eastern dialects, in contrast, ‘tu’ is traditionally used to address any single interlocutor, without a T-V distinction in pronouns.
Do respondents in north-western Umbria report different address practices from respondents in south-eastern Umbria? If so, to what extent? This investigation addresses the questions above based on quantitative data from 84 local speakers surveyed, as well as qualitative data originating from 7 interviews and 2 focus groups conducted on site.
Results show differences in the address practices reported in the two parts of Umbria. Results also suggest that different pragmatic behaviours reported in regional varieties of Italian could be related to different address resources in local dialects. However, many more variables could be at play, including perceived social prestige. Umbrians’ perceptions of dialect use show various degrees of dialect stigmatisation in the two geographical areas. This issue of prestige and stigmatization is of relevance to this study, because it can influence the way speakers report on language practices.
Moretti, G. (1987). Umbria. Pisa: Pacini.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Paper presented at the 2017 conference of the Australasian Centre for Italian Studies in Prato.
... more Paper presented at the 2017 conference of the Australasian Centre for Italian Studies in Prato.
Apart from their historical, political and administrative aspects, Italian regions can also be seen as different communities, each with their own specific linguistic and cultural identity. Language practices may vary substantially from region to region. What happens when individuals move across Italian regions? Whether they relocate permanently or visit briefly, speakers moving across Italian regions meet the local population in what we can call ‘Italian interregional encounters’, in which each individual brings his/her background of roles, identities, personal preferences, etc, and meets with individuals from other backgrounds. This paper explores perceptions of regional identities and misunderstandings in Italian interregional encounters through the analysis of language use, and the way speakers address each other in particular, as this is seen as a productive terrain for an investigation of human relations (Clyne et al., 2009).
The context in which such encounters are examined consists of interactions between waiters and customer in restaurants. Such encounters, and the way individuals talk about them, offer the opportunity not only to render and discuss the perception of Italian regional identities, but also to observe misunderstanding, negotiation and alignment of interactional language use when practices vary. Moreover, the particular situational and interactional context of restaurants offers the opportunity to explore the roles involved, i.e. waiter and customer, and the power relations that may be associated with them.
This paper is part of a large-scale study on address practices in Italian service encounters, based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in five regions of Italy.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations: Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
In this presentation, the expression ‘alternation between T and V address’ is used to refer to sw... more In this presentation, the expression ‘alternation between T and V address’ is used to refer to switching between T and V forms in any direction by the same interlocutors, other than the unidirectional transition from V to T.
Alternation between V and T pronouns in Italian has rarely been investigated in detail. What has been reported in studies on fictional speech (Ala-Risku, 2013; Imperato, 2013; Pavesi, 2011; Scarpocchi and Vicenti, 1993) sees V/T pronoun alternation in Italian often linked to changing attitudes, settings or roles. Furthermore, Suomela-Härmä’s (2013) survey-based investigation has highlighted the importance of uncertainty in V/T alternation in Italian, but also the active use of it as a possible strategy for a transition from V to T. Studies on authentic speech point to further factors, such as language contact between standard Italian and local dialect (Sobrero, 1992), limited use of formal code (Tempesta, 1995) and lapses (Timm, 2001). Alternation between V and T pronouns in Italian appears to be a complex phenomenon: it is hard to distinguish whether it occurs voluntary or involuntary and whether it is related to a V to T transition or not.
In this presentation, we look at the alternation between V and T pronouns in the perception of Italian speakers living in selected regions of the north, centre and south of Italy. The phenomenon of V/T address alternation is analyzed both quantitatively – in relation to a number of demographic characteristics of the speakers, including age, gender, region and size of town where respondents live – and qualitatively – in the light of participants’ comments. For deeper analysis and more consistent comparison across groups, we chose to restrict our investigation to one kind of setting only, i.e. service settings, in particular restaurants. Therefore, this is the first study providing a detailed description and statistical data on V/T alternation in the perception of waiters and customers in the restaurants of Italy.
This presentation deals with the phenomenon of switching from V to T address (transition) in the... more This presentation deals with the phenomenon of switching from V to T address (transition) in the perception of restaurant customers and waiters in Italy
How do Italian women want to be called in different parts of Italy? This paper examines Italian w... more How do Italian women want to be called in different parts of Italy? This paper examines Italian women’s responses when called “signora” and “signorina” in the restaurants of five regions of Italy. Over 300 female respondents in Emilia, Umbria, Lazio, Salento and Sardinia reported on how they feel when addressed with each of these two forms of address: whether they like it, dislike it, or if it leaves them indifferent. Is there a relationship between the geographical region where Italian women live and how they perceive these two address terms?
Italy is a country characterised by great diversity, with each region boasting their own history, culture and customs. As is well known, food occupies a central position in Italian regional cultures. Restaurants are, therefore, privileged places for the full expression of Italian regional identities, and the interaction between customers and waiting staff is of particular interest.
How do women see themselves in this setting? Do they see themselves as “signore” or “signorine”? Traditionally “signora” is used to address a married woman, and “signorina” to address an unmarried woman. However, the perception of these address terms appears to be under discussion in contemporary Italy, and differences emerge when looking at responses from the five regions examined.
Looking at variables such as age, region and clothing style, this investigation describes Italian women’s perception of address terms “signora” and “signorina” in contemporary Italy. The presentation of quantitative data is accompanied by relevant comments taken from individual interviews conducted in Emilia, Umbria, Lazio, Salento and Sardinia.
Questa indagine offre una descrizione preliminare della percezione dell'uso dei dialetti a Roma e... more Questa indagine offre una descrizione preliminare della percezione dell'uso dei dialetti a Roma e provincia, dove per dialetti si intendono le parlate locali ma anche quelle originarie di altre aree linguistiche italiane. L'innovativo approccio utilizzato prevede la combinazione di metodo quantitativo, basato su un campione di 151 informatori e comprendente analisi statistiche, e metodo qualitativo, basato su 7 interviste individuali e 2 focus group. Nell'analisi dei dati, viene esplorata la relazione fra la percezione del proprio uso dei dialetti e variabili quali età e sesso, ma anche origine geografica degli informatori e uso dei dialetti nella famiglia d'origine. Nella discussione dei risultati, vengono considerati aspetti che possono influenzare le dichiarazioni sul proprio uso dei dialetti, come l'autocensura e il prestigio sociale attribuito ai dialetti. L'attenzione viene anche portata su un aspetto specifico della situazione linguistica di Roma, segnalato dagli stessi informatori, ovvero la prossimità fra romanesco e italiano, che rende problematica l'identificazione del romanesco contemporaneo come dialetto vero e proprio.
Articles & Chapters by Agnese Bresin
Il dualismo Nord-Sud: vecchie e nuove questioni in Italia e nel Mediterraneo , 2019
Introduzione Nel contesto di grande varietà linguistica degli italiani regionali, molti dei tratt... more Introduzione Nel contesto di grande varietà linguistica degli italiani regionali, molti dei tratti fonetici, lessicali e morfo-sintattici sono ben documentati nella letteratura scientifi-ca, mentre la variazione regionale in termini di linguistica pragmatica è un campo ancora poco esplorato dell'italiano contemporaneo. Tra i vari livelli e ambiti nei quali si può approcciare lo studio della variazione regionale in italiano, questo contributo prende in esame le percezioni che i parlanti hanno delle macro-regioni Nord, Centro e Sud come possibile fattore di variazione per le pratiche allocutive. Questo contributo è parte di uno studio più ampio che ha analizzato la variazione linguistica nell'allocuzione nei ristoranti d'Italia.
The Journal of Pragmatics 143, 2019
Italian regions constitute distinct cultural and linguistic entities, each with their own languag... more Italian regions constitute distinct cultural and linguistic entities, each with their own language varieties. Address forms are reported to be used with different frequencies and connotations in the various regions, not only in local Italo-Romance dialects but also in regional varieties of Italian. As part of a large-scale study on address in Italy with a focus on
restaurant encounters, this article investigates perceptions of address practices when individuals relocate to or simply visit other regions of Italy. Upon enquiring about regional differences in the ways waiters and customers address each other, it has emerged that: a) many speakers do perceive regional differences in address practices; b) being addressed by waiters with unexpected forms in interregional encounters can result in positive or negative reactions; and c) reflecting on the perceived pragmatic behaviour by waiters can sometimes lead speakers to formulate representations of regional cultures and identities. Regional pragmatic variation in Italian presents itself as a promising field of research, the results of which would improve our current knowledge of regional varieties of Italian and
perceptions thereof.
Australian Slavonic and East European Studies 27.1-2 (2013), 87-103, 2013
In: Pîrvu, Elena (ed.), La lingua e la letteratura italiana in prospettiva sincronica e diacronica. Atti del VI Convegno internazionale di italianistica dell’Università di Craiova, 19-20 settembre 2014. Florence: Cesati (Quaderni della rassegna; 105), 103-113.
This is a preliminary description of reported use of dialects in contemporary Rome. 151 responden... more This is a preliminary description of reported use of dialects in contemporary Rome. 151 respondents living in Rome were invited to specify how often they speak a local dialect or any other Italian dialect in their everyday life. Their answers are seen in relation to their age and gender. The interpretation of results is informed by qualitative data and considers aspects that could have influenced respondents' answers, such as self-censorship, social prestige attached to dialects, proximity of Roman dialect to normative Italian and perception of what is Roman dialect.
The under-representation of culturally and linguistically diverse participants in clinical trials... more The under-representation of culturally and linguistically diverse participants in clinical trials is an ongoing concern for medical researchers and the community. The aim of this review is to examine the complex issue of recruiting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older people to medical research and to examine responses to these issues. The review focuses on (1) trends in the existing literature on barriers to and strategies for recruiting CALD and older people to clinical research, (2) issues with informed consent for CALD populations, and (3) the efficacy of innovative approaches, including approaches incorporating multimedia in research and consent processes. The literature indicates that predominant barriers to greater involvement of CALD patients in clinical trials are communication, including literacy and health literacy considerations; English language competence; and cultural factors in the research setting such as mistrust of consent processes, as well as considerable practical and logistical barriers, including mobility considerations. Some evidence exists that incorporating multimedia resources into the informed consent process can improve patient understanding and is preferred by patients, yet these findings are inconclusive. A multi-methodological approach, including the use of culturally and linguistically sensitive multimedia tools, may help address the issue of low inclusion of CALD groups in clinical research. Researcher education needs to be taken into account to address preconceptions about CALD resistance to research participation and to raise awareness of cultural concerns in regard to research participation.
Background. Low-participation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in medical... more Background. Low-participation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in medical research remains a problem in migrant and refugee destination countries such as Australia. The aims of this study were to explore i) CALD persons' perceptions and experiences of the medical system and medical research, in this case, older Italian Australians; and ii) the views of research professionals on CALD patient participation in medical research. Design and Methods. A qualitative study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015 utilising in-depth interviews and focus groups with four stakeholder groups: older Italian Australians (n=21); adult children of older Italian Australians (n=10); hospital Human Research Ethics Committee administrators (n=4); and clinical researchers (n=4). The data were analysed for content and thematic analysis. Results. Themes for the CALD and family group were getting by in medical interactions; receptivity to medical research: testing the waters; and, receptivity to technology for support: passive versus active. Themes for the researcher and HREC groups about CALD patient participation in research were: exclusion; cultural factors; and e-consent.
Talks by Agnese Bresin
Addressing one another entails determining the relationship and relative status between ourselves... more Addressing one another entails determining the relationship and relative status between ourselves and our interlocutors (Clyne et al., 2009). Important parameters often considered in this process include distance, closeness, power and respect. When interacting with each other, the perception of our interlocutors’ identities and the construction of our own identity are strictly related to the communities of practice we belong to (Eckert, 2006). Our language use is largely a reflection of who we are, where we grew up, the groups we frequent, our personal preferences and so on. In the context of the great linguistic and cultural diversity of Italy (Tosi, 2001), this thesis posits Italian regions as communities of address practice, and seeks to verify if and to what extent speakers in different regions report different address practices and, in particular, a different use of singular address pronouns tu, voi and lei.
The investigation of regional variation in reported address practices in this study has been restricted to service encounters (Félix-Brasdefer, 2015), and restaurant encounters in particular. This choice was guided by the aim to conduct a detailed analysis of the situational and interactional context where language use occurs and to ensure comparability of groups. Therefore, a primary research question is: do restaurant customers and waiters report different address practices across Italian regions? Moreover, the relationship between waiters and customers is interesting in terms of status and power dynamics, and lends itself to a variety of interpretations, which can be subjective, but, as it emerges, also region-specific.
Whilst regional variation is the main focus of this study, the effect of two further variables, namely age and restaurant level, has been analysed in detail due their relevance for address practices. In addition, three case studies have been conducted: the first on the use of voi in Salento, with reference to the scope and significance of this address form in that particular region; the second on two dialect areas of Umbria, and the influence of local dialects on local varieties of Italian; the third on the phenomenon of transition from formal to informal address, highlighting the dynamism of address practices in Italian restaurant encounters.
The data collected for this investigation of language variation in Italian service encounters consist of a large-scale quantitative part, involving 519 surveyed respondents, and a detailed qualitative part, involving 37 interviews, 10 focus groups and 25 observed encounters. The findings of this study illustrate the complexity and variety that characterise address practices in contemporary Italy, including regional variation, and provide a novel contribution to the underinvestigated area of address in Italian service encounters.
This powerpoint presentation is the basis of Agnese Bresin's PhD completion talk, which focuses on the results on regional variation in the address practices reported in the restaurants of Italy.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations. Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 683-685). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Félix-Brasdefer, C. (2015). The language of service encounters. A pragmatic-discursive approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Papers by Agnese Bresin
Kretzenbacher, Heinz L. / Hajek, John / Lagerberg, Robert / Bresin, Agnese. 2019. Now you Sie me,... more Kretzenbacher, Heinz L. / Hajek, John / Lagerberg, Robert / Bresin, Agnese. 2019. Now you Sie me, now you don’t: the history and remnants of the 3pl V address pronoun calque in Slovak (onikanie) and in Czech (onikání). In: Kluge, Bettina / Moyna, María Irene (eds.), It’s not All about You: New Perspectives on Address Research. Amsterdam: John Benjamins (Topics in Address Research; 1), 125-137.
Among the neighbouring languages that calqued the third person plural (3pl) address pronoun Sie from German in the 18th century, the closely related languages Czech and Slovak offer contrasting diachronic and synchronic uses of their respective Sie-calques. In Czech, onikání (literally ‘addressing with the 3pl masculine pronoun oni’) was among the German linguistic influences hotly fought against by linguistic purists in the Czech National Revival of the 19th century, and, as a consequence, its use today is restricted to jocular or ironic use only. In Slovakia, the national revival came later, and purist proponents of Slovak as a national language did not just have German as a linguistic adversary, but also Hungarian, and to a certain degree, even Czech. Therefore, there was less pressure for onikanie, the Slovak version of onikání, to be ousted so clearly. As a result, the subsequent history and development of 3pl address differs somewhat in Slovak from Czech, something which is confirmed by the status we can still find today of remnants of Slovak onikanie. The diachronic development of Slovak onikanie shows some differences to that of Czech onikání, due, we argue, to the different social and political histories of both languages and of their respective national states. We conducted a pilot study (including data drawn from online discussions by native speakers) into the extent, varieties, and domains where Slovak onikanie is still used. Results show its present usage to be different from that of its Czech counterpart.
Bresin, Agnese / Hajek, John / Kretzenbacher, Heinz L. 2019. Transition from V to T address among... more Bresin, Agnese / Hajek, John / Kretzenbacher, Heinz L. 2019. Transition from V to T address among restaurant customers and waiters in Italy. In: Kluge, Bettina / Moyna, María Irene (eds.), It’s not All about You: New Perspectives on Address Research. Amsterdam: John Benjamins (Topics in Address Research; 1), 221-250.
Drawing on a large-scale study on reported address practices in restaurant encounters in Italy, this chapter examines transition from formal V to informal T singular address pronouns in Italian, focusing on five geographically dispersed regions. Quantitative data suggest that the customer/waiter interaction provides opportunity for frequent V to T transition, with restaurants of a more modest type and those in small towns facilitating such a shift. The region where respondents live also seems to play a role and may be indicative of the effect of local dialects on regional varieties of Italian. Qualitative data indicate that the issue of who initiates the switch is revealing of power dynamics, sometimes involving imposition and resistance. Morphological aspects, such as the complex management of the V form lei, may also be involved.
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Conference Presentations by Agnese Bresin
This research project utilises the interaction between waiters and customers as a case study to investigate regional variation in Italian pronominal address practices. A primary research question is: to what extent do restaurant customers and waiters report different address practices across Italian regions? Five geographically dispersed Italian regions were selected: Emilia in the north, Umbria and Lazio in the centre, Salento in the south and the island of Sardinia. Following Clyne et al.’s (2009) methodology, a combination of quantitative and qualitative data were collected. A large scale survey was completed by 519 restaurant customers, and interviews and focus groups involved both waiters and customers living in any of the five regions examined.
This study shows the extent of regional variation in reported address practices in Italian restaurant encounters. The regional variation identified is associated, among other variables, to the specific cultural and linguistic context of each region, including local dialects. In other words, Italian regions are interpreted as communities of address practice.
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse studies, 7(4-5), 585-614.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations: Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 683-685). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Do respondents in north-western Umbria report different address practices from respondents in south-eastern Umbria? If so, to what extent? This investigation addresses the questions above based on quantitative data from 84 local speakers surveyed, as well as qualitative data originating from 7 interviews and 2 focus groups conducted on site.
Results show differences in the address practices reported in the two parts of Umbria. Results also suggest that different pragmatic behaviours reported in regional varieties of Italian could be related to different address resources in local dialects. However, many more variables could be at play, including perceived social prestige. Umbrians’ perceptions of dialect use show various degrees of dialect stigmatisation in the two geographical areas. This issue of prestige and stigmatization is of relevance to this study, because it can influence the way speakers report on language practices.
Moretti, G. (1987). Umbria. Pisa: Pacini.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Apart from their historical, political and administrative aspects, Italian regions can also be seen as different communities, each with their own specific linguistic and cultural identity. Language practices may vary substantially from region to region. What happens when individuals move across Italian regions? Whether they relocate permanently or visit briefly, speakers moving across Italian regions meet the local population in what we can call ‘Italian interregional encounters’, in which each individual brings his/her background of roles, identities, personal preferences, etc, and meets with individuals from other backgrounds. This paper explores perceptions of regional identities and misunderstandings in Italian interregional encounters through the analysis of language use, and the way speakers address each other in particular, as this is seen as a productive terrain for an investigation of human relations (Clyne et al., 2009).
The context in which such encounters are examined consists of interactions between waiters and customer in restaurants. Such encounters, and the way individuals talk about them, offer the opportunity not only to render and discuss the perception of Italian regional identities, but also to observe misunderstanding, negotiation and alignment of interactional language use when practices vary. Moreover, the particular situational and interactional context of restaurants offers the opportunity to explore the roles involved, i.e. waiter and customer, and the power relations that may be associated with them.
This paper is part of a large-scale study on address practices in Italian service encounters, based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in five regions of Italy.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations: Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Alternation between V and T pronouns in Italian has rarely been investigated in detail. What has been reported in studies on fictional speech (Ala-Risku, 2013; Imperato, 2013; Pavesi, 2011; Scarpocchi and Vicenti, 1993) sees V/T pronoun alternation in Italian often linked to changing attitudes, settings or roles. Furthermore, Suomela-Härmä’s (2013) survey-based investigation has highlighted the importance of uncertainty in V/T alternation in Italian, but also the active use of it as a possible strategy for a transition from V to T. Studies on authentic speech point to further factors, such as language contact between standard Italian and local dialect (Sobrero, 1992), limited use of formal code (Tempesta, 1995) and lapses (Timm, 2001). Alternation between V and T pronouns in Italian appears to be a complex phenomenon: it is hard to distinguish whether it occurs voluntary or involuntary and whether it is related to a V to T transition or not.
In this presentation, we look at the alternation between V and T pronouns in the perception of Italian speakers living in selected regions of the north, centre and south of Italy. The phenomenon of V/T address alternation is analyzed both quantitatively – in relation to a number of demographic characteristics of the speakers, including age, gender, region and size of town where respondents live – and qualitatively – in the light of participants’ comments. For deeper analysis and more consistent comparison across groups, we chose to restrict our investigation to one kind of setting only, i.e. service settings, in particular restaurants. Therefore, this is the first study providing a detailed description and statistical data on V/T alternation in the perception of waiters and customers in the restaurants of Italy.
Italy is a country characterised by great diversity, with each region boasting their own history, culture and customs. As is well known, food occupies a central position in Italian regional cultures. Restaurants are, therefore, privileged places for the full expression of Italian regional identities, and the interaction between customers and waiting staff is of particular interest.
How do women see themselves in this setting? Do they see themselves as “signore” or “signorine”? Traditionally “signora” is used to address a married woman, and “signorina” to address an unmarried woman. However, the perception of these address terms appears to be under discussion in contemporary Italy, and differences emerge when looking at responses from the five regions examined.
Looking at variables such as age, region and clothing style, this investigation describes Italian women’s perception of address terms “signora” and “signorina” in contemporary Italy. The presentation of quantitative data is accompanied by relevant comments taken from individual interviews conducted in Emilia, Umbria, Lazio, Salento and Sardinia.
Articles & Chapters by Agnese Bresin
restaurant encounters, this article investigates perceptions of address practices when individuals relocate to or simply visit other regions of Italy. Upon enquiring about regional differences in the ways waiters and customers address each other, it has emerged that: a) many speakers do perceive regional differences in address practices; b) being addressed by waiters with unexpected forms in interregional encounters can result in positive or negative reactions; and c) reflecting on the perceived pragmatic behaviour by waiters can sometimes lead speakers to formulate representations of regional cultures and identities. Regional pragmatic variation in Italian presents itself as a promising field of research, the results of which would improve our current knowledge of regional varieties of Italian and
perceptions thereof.
Talks by Agnese Bresin
The investigation of regional variation in reported address practices in this study has been restricted to service encounters (Félix-Brasdefer, 2015), and restaurant encounters in particular. This choice was guided by the aim to conduct a detailed analysis of the situational and interactional context where language use occurs and to ensure comparability of groups. Therefore, a primary research question is: do restaurant customers and waiters report different address practices across Italian regions? Moreover, the relationship between waiters and customers is interesting in terms of status and power dynamics, and lends itself to a variety of interpretations, which can be subjective, but, as it emerges, also region-specific.
Whilst regional variation is the main focus of this study, the effect of two further variables, namely age and restaurant level, has been analysed in detail due their relevance for address practices. In addition, three case studies have been conducted: the first on the use of voi in Salento, with reference to the scope and significance of this address form in that particular region; the second on two dialect areas of Umbria, and the influence of local dialects on local varieties of Italian; the third on the phenomenon of transition from formal to informal address, highlighting the dynamism of address practices in Italian restaurant encounters.
The data collected for this investigation of language variation in Italian service encounters consist of a large-scale quantitative part, involving 519 surveyed respondents, and a detailed qualitative part, involving 37 interviews, 10 focus groups and 25 observed encounters. The findings of this study illustrate the complexity and variety that characterise address practices in contemporary Italy, including regional variation, and provide a novel contribution to the underinvestigated area of address in Italian service encounters.
This powerpoint presentation is the basis of Agnese Bresin's PhD completion talk, which focuses on the results on regional variation in the address practices reported in the restaurants of Italy.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations. Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 683-685). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Félix-Brasdefer, C. (2015). The language of service encounters. A pragmatic-discursive approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Papers by Agnese Bresin
Among the neighbouring languages that calqued the third person plural (3pl) address pronoun Sie from German in the 18th century, the closely related languages Czech and Slovak offer contrasting diachronic and synchronic uses of their respective Sie-calques. In Czech, onikání (literally ‘addressing with the 3pl masculine pronoun oni’) was among the German linguistic influences hotly fought against by linguistic purists in the Czech National Revival of the 19th century, and, as a consequence, its use today is restricted to jocular or ironic use only. In Slovakia, the national revival came later, and purist proponents of Slovak as a national language did not just have German as a linguistic adversary, but also Hungarian, and to a certain degree, even Czech. Therefore, there was less pressure for onikanie, the Slovak version of onikání, to be ousted so clearly. As a result, the subsequent history and development of 3pl address differs somewhat in Slovak from Czech, something which is confirmed by the status we can still find today of remnants of Slovak onikanie. The diachronic development of Slovak onikanie shows some differences to that of Czech onikání, due, we argue, to the different social and political histories of both languages and of their respective national states. We conducted a pilot study (including data drawn from online discussions by native speakers) into the extent, varieties, and domains where Slovak onikanie is still used. Results show its present usage to be different from that of its Czech counterpart.
Drawing on a large-scale study on reported address practices in restaurant encounters in Italy, this chapter examines transition from formal V to informal T singular address pronouns in Italian, focusing on five geographically dispersed regions. Quantitative data suggest that the customer/waiter interaction provides opportunity for frequent V to T transition, with restaurants of a more modest type and those in small towns facilitating such a shift. The region where respondents live also seems to play a role and may be indicative of the effect of local dialects on regional varieties of Italian. Qualitative data indicate that the issue of who initiates the switch is revealing of power dynamics, sometimes involving imposition and resistance. Morphological aspects, such as the complex management of the V form lei, may also be involved.
This research project utilises the interaction between waiters and customers as a case study to investigate regional variation in Italian pronominal address practices. A primary research question is: to what extent do restaurant customers and waiters report different address practices across Italian regions? Five geographically dispersed Italian regions were selected: Emilia in the north, Umbria and Lazio in the centre, Salento in the south and the island of Sardinia. Following Clyne et al.’s (2009) methodology, a combination of quantitative and qualitative data were collected. A large scale survey was completed by 519 restaurant customers, and interviews and focus groups involved both waiters and customers living in any of the five regions examined.
This study shows the extent of regional variation in reported address practices in Italian restaurant encounters. The regional variation identified is associated, among other variables, to the specific cultural and linguistic context of each region, including local dialects. In other words, Italian regions are interpreted as communities of address practice.
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse studies, 7(4-5), 585-614.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations: Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 683-685). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Do respondents in north-western Umbria report different address practices from respondents in south-eastern Umbria? If so, to what extent? This investigation addresses the questions above based on quantitative data from 84 local speakers surveyed, as well as qualitative data originating from 7 interviews and 2 focus groups conducted on site.
Results show differences in the address practices reported in the two parts of Umbria. Results also suggest that different pragmatic behaviours reported in regional varieties of Italian could be related to different address resources in local dialects. However, many more variables could be at play, including perceived social prestige. Umbrians’ perceptions of dialect use show various degrees of dialect stigmatisation in the two geographical areas. This issue of prestige and stigmatization is of relevance to this study, because it can influence the way speakers report on language practices.
Moretti, G. (1987). Umbria. Pisa: Pacini.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Apart from their historical, political and administrative aspects, Italian regions can also be seen as different communities, each with their own specific linguistic and cultural identity. Language practices may vary substantially from region to region. What happens when individuals move across Italian regions? Whether they relocate permanently or visit briefly, speakers moving across Italian regions meet the local population in what we can call ‘Italian interregional encounters’, in which each individual brings his/her background of roles, identities, personal preferences, etc, and meets with individuals from other backgrounds. This paper explores perceptions of regional identities and misunderstandings in Italian interregional encounters through the analysis of language use, and the way speakers address each other in particular, as this is seen as a productive terrain for an investigation of human relations (Clyne et al., 2009).
The context in which such encounters are examined consists of interactions between waiters and customer in restaurants. Such encounters, and the way individuals talk about them, offer the opportunity not only to render and discuss the perception of Italian regional identities, but also to observe misunderstanding, negotiation and alignment of interactional language use when practices vary. Moreover, the particular situational and interactional context of restaurants offers the opportunity to explore the roles involved, i.e. waiter and customer, and the power relations that may be associated with them.
This paper is part of a large-scale study on address practices in Italian service encounters, based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in five regions of Italy.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations: Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Alternation between V and T pronouns in Italian has rarely been investigated in detail. What has been reported in studies on fictional speech (Ala-Risku, 2013; Imperato, 2013; Pavesi, 2011; Scarpocchi and Vicenti, 1993) sees V/T pronoun alternation in Italian often linked to changing attitudes, settings or roles. Furthermore, Suomela-Härmä’s (2013) survey-based investigation has highlighted the importance of uncertainty in V/T alternation in Italian, but also the active use of it as a possible strategy for a transition from V to T. Studies on authentic speech point to further factors, such as language contact between standard Italian and local dialect (Sobrero, 1992), limited use of formal code (Tempesta, 1995) and lapses (Timm, 2001). Alternation between V and T pronouns in Italian appears to be a complex phenomenon: it is hard to distinguish whether it occurs voluntary or involuntary and whether it is related to a V to T transition or not.
In this presentation, we look at the alternation between V and T pronouns in the perception of Italian speakers living in selected regions of the north, centre and south of Italy. The phenomenon of V/T address alternation is analyzed both quantitatively – in relation to a number of demographic characteristics of the speakers, including age, gender, region and size of town where respondents live – and qualitatively – in the light of participants’ comments. For deeper analysis and more consistent comparison across groups, we chose to restrict our investigation to one kind of setting only, i.e. service settings, in particular restaurants. Therefore, this is the first study providing a detailed description and statistical data on V/T alternation in the perception of waiters and customers in the restaurants of Italy.
Italy is a country characterised by great diversity, with each region boasting their own history, culture and customs. As is well known, food occupies a central position in Italian regional cultures. Restaurants are, therefore, privileged places for the full expression of Italian regional identities, and the interaction between customers and waiting staff is of particular interest.
How do women see themselves in this setting? Do they see themselves as “signore” or “signorine”? Traditionally “signora” is used to address a married woman, and “signorina” to address an unmarried woman. However, the perception of these address terms appears to be under discussion in contemporary Italy, and differences emerge when looking at responses from the five regions examined.
Looking at variables such as age, region and clothing style, this investigation describes Italian women’s perception of address terms “signora” and “signorina” in contemporary Italy. The presentation of quantitative data is accompanied by relevant comments taken from individual interviews conducted in Emilia, Umbria, Lazio, Salento and Sardinia.
restaurant encounters, this article investigates perceptions of address practices when individuals relocate to or simply visit other regions of Italy. Upon enquiring about regional differences in the ways waiters and customers address each other, it has emerged that: a) many speakers do perceive regional differences in address practices; b) being addressed by waiters with unexpected forms in interregional encounters can result in positive or negative reactions; and c) reflecting on the perceived pragmatic behaviour by waiters can sometimes lead speakers to formulate representations of regional cultures and identities. Regional pragmatic variation in Italian presents itself as a promising field of research, the results of which would improve our current knowledge of regional varieties of Italian and
perceptions thereof.
The investigation of regional variation in reported address practices in this study has been restricted to service encounters (Félix-Brasdefer, 2015), and restaurant encounters in particular. This choice was guided by the aim to conduct a detailed analysis of the situational and interactional context where language use occurs and to ensure comparability of groups. Therefore, a primary research question is: do restaurant customers and waiters report different address practices across Italian regions? Moreover, the relationship between waiters and customers is interesting in terms of status and power dynamics, and lends itself to a variety of interpretations, which can be subjective, but, as it emerges, also region-specific.
Whilst regional variation is the main focus of this study, the effect of two further variables, namely age and restaurant level, has been analysed in detail due their relevance for address practices. In addition, three case studies have been conducted: the first on the use of voi in Salento, with reference to the scope and significance of this address form in that particular region; the second on two dialect areas of Umbria, and the influence of local dialects on local varieties of Italian; the third on the phenomenon of transition from formal to informal address, highlighting the dynamism of address practices in Italian restaurant encounters.
The data collected for this investigation of language variation in Italian service encounters consist of a large-scale quantitative part, involving 519 surveyed respondents, and a detailed qualitative part, involving 37 interviews, 10 focus groups and 25 observed encounters. The findings of this study illustrate the complexity and variety that characterise address practices in contemporary Italy, including regional variation, and provide a novel contribution to the underinvestigated area of address in Italian service encounters.
This powerpoint presentation is the basis of Agnese Bresin's PhD completion talk, which focuses on the results on regional variation in the address practices reported in the restaurants of Italy.
Clyne, M., Norrby, C., & Warren, J. (2009). Language and human relations. Styles of address in contemporary language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. In K. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 683-685). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Félix-Brasdefer, C. (2015). The language of service encounters. A pragmatic-discursive approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tosi, A. (2001). Language and society in a changing Italy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Among the neighbouring languages that calqued the third person plural (3pl) address pronoun Sie from German in the 18th century, the closely related languages Czech and Slovak offer contrasting diachronic and synchronic uses of their respective Sie-calques. In Czech, onikání (literally ‘addressing with the 3pl masculine pronoun oni’) was among the German linguistic influences hotly fought against by linguistic purists in the Czech National Revival of the 19th century, and, as a consequence, its use today is restricted to jocular or ironic use only. In Slovakia, the national revival came later, and purist proponents of Slovak as a national language did not just have German as a linguistic adversary, but also Hungarian, and to a certain degree, even Czech. Therefore, there was less pressure for onikanie, the Slovak version of onikání, to be ousted so clearly. As a result, the subsequent history and development of 3pl address differs somewhat in Slovak from Czech, something which is confirmed by the status we can still find today of remnants of Slovak onikanie. The diachronic development of Slovak onikanie shows some differences to that of Czech onikání, due, we argue, to the different social and political histories of both languages and of their respective national states. We conducted a pilot study (including data drawn from online discussions by native speakers) into the extent, varieties, and domains where Slovak onikanie is still used. Results show its present usage to be different from that of its Czech counterpart.
Drawing on a large-scale study on reported address practices in restaurant encounters in Italy, this chapter examines transition from formal V to informal T singular address pronouns in Italian, focusing on five geographically dispersed regions. Quantitative data suggest that the customer/waiter interaction provides opportunity for frequent V to T transition, with restaurants of a more modest type and those in small towns facilitating such a shift. The region where respondents live also seems to play a role and may be indicative of the effect of local dialects on regional varieties of Italian. Qualitative data indicate that the issue of who initiates the switch is revealing of power dynamics, sometimes involving imposition and resistance. Morphological aspects, such as the complex management of the V form lei, may also be involved.