"The English language and Anglo-American culture in Twentieth-Century Italy"

This chapter reports on different attitudes towards the influence of the English language in Italy during the twentieth century, a phenomenon which has constantly grown and experienced a sharp increase since the end of the World War II. This time frame, which is split in half by major historical events, was characterized by different views on the influence of Anglo-American culture, life-styles and language, ranging from overt political opposition during the fascist regime, and the disapproval of neo-purist scholars in the first half of the century, to the welcoming and favourable sentiments of present-day Italian society. This overview will focus especially on the attitudes of lexicographers and linguists engaged in the compilation of Italian dictionaries and in the description of the state of the language vis-à-vis the inflow of Anglicisms. We will also consider the contribution of the Accademia della Crusca to the recent debate on the adoption of English as a language of instruction in Italian universities, which has stirred new hostile feelings in the humanities quarters of Italian academia towards the dominance of English.