The Preservation of Language Diversity: a study of the relationship between power, identity, ideologies and language variety.

The focus of this dissertation is the correlation between language, power and identity. I will try to support the idea that non-official languages are a great richness that needs to be preserved, and so through which means their preservation can take place. In the first chapter, I will set the premises of my inquiry and define the different notions that will come into play throughout my work; this means I will explain specific terms and differences between commonly used words and compounds. I will then develop further the strong influence one's language variety has on one's identity and how that is perceived by others. The creation of prejudices and power dynamics based on language will be explored in detail as well. In the second chapter, my study will focus on the Italian Peninsula, more specifically on the region of Sardinia. First, I will present a brief overview of the history of the Italian territory and its wide language variety; it follows an explanation of the attitudes and ideologies towards local language varieties in contrast with the official Italian language. Second, the focus will be solely on Sardinia Island and an analysis of some Conference proceedings, which centre on the promotion of local languages, will be dealt with dutifully. The third chapter will present the idea of preservation and promotion of local language varieties by analysing the global, European and Welsh scenarios. Consequently, and at last, I will propose possible ways of preservation, focusing on digitalisation and AI-technologies, globalisation and glocalisation and the role of the education system. Furthermore, I will provide a pertinent analysis of the applied usages of these methods in concrete scenarios, such examples will try to lead to the conclusion that possible paths for preservation are applicable and a successful solution.