Italian at the crossroads of internationalization: the language policy discourse of an expanding language

This paper aims to contribute to the debate concerning the interplay between language education policy and the internationalisation of higher education in the framework of European macro-strategies, focusing on the case of Italian as a non-native language. After discussing the reasons why Italian can be considered an expanding language in the global language market, we will analyse the promotional strategies and discourse of its recent language policy to attract foreign students to study Italian and enrol in Italian institutes of higher education. Focusing our attention on some Italian higher education programmes for international students and on a case study on the offer of Italian as a second language in a medium-sized University, we will discuss the impact of these economy-driven policies and actions on a local level, presenting some of the possible risks that they may entail as far as language teaching is concerned, with regard to Chinese students in particular.