Lingue a contatto in Sudtirolo. Riflessioni sul code-switching tra tedesco e italiano

Code-switching is a largely widespread practice in Bolzano and its province, mostly favoured by social, cultural and economic factors. The research follows the example of the most important experts in the field of code-switching. After a brief outline of the particular historical situation in South Tyrol, the paper exposes the trilingual conversational strategy (which involves Italian, German and South Tyrolean dialect) practised in the province of Bolzano. Finally, the positive value and importance of linguistic variation is recognized, which, as Aurelia Marcarino maintains, «does not stand for a faulty knowledge of a grammatical system, but rather for a major consideration and sensibility towards a communicative style, towards the situation and the communicative conventions».