Language Mediation and Intercultural Communication

* Expert in linguistic and cultural mediation for commercial and service businesses
Job function:
- To facilitate communication among private companies in different countries and world areas so as to contribute to the projects and international activities promoted by the company where the expert works;
- To create texts (in the languages studied, included Italian) required for the operation of companies and institutions;
- To manage production, communication and sales from and to other countries;
- To develop promotional projects and advertising campaigns for international/multilingual audiences;
- To support web and digital communication;
- To support office activities through the organisation of meetings, business trips, appointments and contacts, by preparing documents and providing operational assistance;
- To serve as language project manager at international companies or specialised external agencies, with a view to supporting the internationalisation of businesses. The project manager takes care of the entire workflow of projects concerning translation, interpreting, transcreation, copywriting, localisation, media adaptation and other language services, from the identification of project requirements in concert with internal/external customers, to the allocation of resources, delivery and analysis of customer satisfaction;
- To define, schedule, implement and manage policies for the sale and distribution of goods and services;
- To support customers (especially international clients and non-Italian speakers) and give them information and advice.
Professional skills:
- Robust multilinguistic skills (besides Italian) with particular reference to specialised and professional discourse, and metalinguistic skills (listening, understanding and paraphrasing information, both orally and in writing) allowing for mediation between different languages;
- Cultural skills (knowledge of different cultures and cultural contexts) and the ability to apply them to different work situations;
- Social skills, with particular attention to the specific needs and sensibilities of internal and external stakeholders, often coming from different cultures and speaking different languages, and ability to use different registers according to users and contexts;
- Ability to understand microeconomic and macroeconomic dynamics and business processes, from a global and multicultural standpoint;
- Ability to understand contracts, especially the ones relevant for internalisation of business activities, as well as to understand business strategies and financial statements;
- Marketing skills;
- Ability to manage complex workflows according to the financial means available and in full compliance with deadlines and requirements;
- Teamwork skills, ability to work on international projects and activities of the company and to meet deadlines;
- Digital skills (using digital tools, creating digital contents and surfing the net safely);
- Ability to complete relatively complex technical practical tasks that require an extensive set of factual and procedural knowledge, in contexts where advanced proficiency in Italian and good command of at least one foreign language are a must.
Employment opportunities:
- Private companies, import-export companies and international relations (front office and/or back-office, administration, preparation of calls);
- National and international language service providers (e.g. translation agencies);
- International companies, departments that manage language services (such as translations, localisation etc.) both by outsourcing to external providers and relying on internal resources;
- Local authorities, chambers of commerce, trade associations (front and/or back-office, administration, preparation of calls);
- National and international retail chains (sales assistants, warehouse manager and store manager) of different sectors;
- Banks and insurance companies, as sales assistant (for banking, insurance and other financial services);
- Self-employed retailers.

* Expert in linguistic and cultural mediation for hospitality and tourism
Job function:
- To manage intermediation, hospitality, reception and use of services of the tourism and leisure industry;
- To take part in communication, intermediation, promotion and accommodation activities related to the tourism and leisure industry.
Professional skills:
- Robust multilinguistic skills (besides Italian) with particular reference to professional discourse related to tourism, in all its textual and lexical varieties, and metalinguistic skills (listening, understanding and paraphrasing information, both orally and in writing) allowing for mediation between different languages;
- Solid cultural skills and knowledge of different local specificities (lifestyles, contexts, languages; comprehension of the interaction between cultures and territories);
- Communication skills, flexibility and good attitude towards different stakeholders, whether individual or collective, private or institutional;
- Digital skills for the creation and management of web contents and platforms and social networks for tourism communication;
- Marketing, legal and communication skills applied to tourism, with regard to tangible and intangible cultural heritage;
- Ability to work in groups or individually and to meet deadlines.
Employment opportunities:
- Companies, public institutions and other organisations operating in the sector (tour operators, travel agencies, tourism interpreter, tourism influencer, travel designer, travel blogger);
- Tourist facilities (hotel personnel at different levels, such as front office and back office, guest relations); other businesses in the travel, entertainment and leisure industry;
- Organisations and other businesses in the travel, entertainment and leisure industry (hostess, steward, personal shopper);
- Private and public entities such as info points/DMOs (Destination Management Organisations) dedicated to promotion of tourism, or, with regard to incoming tourism, DMCs (Destination Management Companies), which specialise in the creation of package tours mainly for international customers.

* Language specialist
Job function:
- To facilitate communication between citizens of different cultures and origins and private companies, by covering both back-office functions (communication management) and front-office functions (reception at offices, exhibitions and company events);
- To provide linguistic consulting at a semi-specialised level with regard to projects and proposals developed and/or drafted by colleagues or customers;
- To draft or revise communications and presentations for international and/or multilingual audiences;
- To manage social media communication in the languages of specialisation;
- To translate semi-specialised texts into and from Italian, also using digital tools.
Professional skills:
- Robust multilinguistic skills (besides Italian) with particular reference to specialised and professional discourse, and metalinguistic skills (listening, understanding and paraphrasing information, both orally and in writing) allowing for mediation between different languages;
- Ability to interact with colleagues and customers in order to understand their communication goals and contribute to reaching them;
- Ability to work autonomously on the basis of colleagues and customers? inputs;
- Ability to recognise and choose the best communicative strategies according to different contexts;
- Digital skills (using digital tools, creating digital contents and surfing the net safely).
Employment opportunities:
- Private companies;
- Consulting firms;
- Entrepreneurship and freelance work.

* Expert in linguistic and cultural mediation for the third sector and public administrations
Job function:
- To facilitate communication between citizens of different cultures and origins in healthcare services, education and administration;
- To create texts (in the languages studied, included Italian) aimed at giving information to foreign citizens;
- To support and assist foreign citizens in their first approach to public administration, as well as during the different stages of their stay;
- To help create reception and integration projects and activities for foreign citizens;
- To manage communication activities aimed at encouraging local people to learn more about foreign communities in all their aspects;
- To develop training and information projects for foreign citizens;
- To support inclusiveness of public administration services as well as equal opportunities for foreign citizens to access these services;
- To facilitate conflict resolution among public administration operators/users/institutions;
- To provide support for the improvement of services aimed at immigrants and non-Italian speaking citizens;
- To contribute to training other mediators (at different professional levels);
- To contribute to intervention plans supporting immigrants and non-Italian speaking citizens;
- To provide immigrants with information regarding basic requirements in integration processes.
Professional skills:
- Robust multilinguistic skills (besides Italian) with particular reference to specialised and professional discourse, and metalinguistic skills (listening, understanding and paraphrasing information, both orally and in writing) allowing for mediation between different languages;
- Sociolinguistic skills in consideration of linguistic varieties, as well as social and identity aspects characterising languages;
- Competence in intercultural pragmatics, that is knowledge of sociocultural aspects related to communicative dynamics between different languages and cultures);
- Understanding of microeconomic and macroeconomic dynamics;
- Understanding of organisational processes from a global and multicultral standpoint;
- Basic knowledge of constitutional law in a comparative perspective;
- Knowledge of legislation regulating the treatment of foreigners and the transnational movement of people.
Employment opportunities:
- Third sector institutions;
- Social enterprises;
- Universal civil service and volunteering organisations;
- Public administrations such as Italian Register offices, public security institutions (Questura, Prefettura), employment centres, local immigration offices, INPS (National Institute for Social Security) offices, Equitalia offices, Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Agriculture, schools, hospitals, healthcare services, courthouses, municipality and regional offices, acting as language mediator or member of reception and information staff.