Language and media
We are pleased to present the new “Language and Media” section of the Center for Italian Studies at TU Dresden, in which language experts explore issues related to the Italian language and its varieties. The goal is to provide critical commentary from linguistics or related fields on topics related to the (Italian) language that are the subject of heated debate in the media, thereby
1) Geolier’s Neapolitan
The first dossier is dedicated to the highly controversial debate surrounding the linguistic variety of the song “I p’ me, tu p’ te,” which the Neapolitan rapper Geolier performed at the 2024 Sanremo Festival.
A wide range of opinions and evaluations have been expressed regarding this song, relating to various linguistic aspects: there are comments on the quality of the sung language, alongside those that disparage his written language; violations of grammatical rules have been noted (without specifying them in detail), and the spelling has also been criticized... What stands out in this discussion, therefore, is a strongly normative judgment, which—given the musical genre in question—is surprising.
To highlight Geolier’s linguistic diversity and shed light on the Neapolitan dialect he uses in his lyrics, the Center for Italian Studies is providing a press review on the “Geolier case” here, including an interview with Prof. Daniela Pietrini (University of Augsburg).
Linguistic Reflections: The Geolier Dossier
Geolier’s Neapolitan_Center for Italian Studies_TUD_Language and Media_07.2025.pdf
2) Student Writing in Italy
The Center for Italian Studies at TU Dresden has published an interview with Prof. Nicola Grandi (University of Bologna) to shed light on the writing styles of students attending universities in Italy. The interview is preceded by a press review.