About the lecture / 讲座概览
1. Speaker / 主讲人
Faculty of Linguistic Sciences and Foreign Literatures，
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan(Italy)
Pierfranca Forchini hold a PhD in Linguistic andLiterary Sciences, an MA in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics and an MA in Foreign Languages and Literatures. Her research interests focus on the lexico-grammatical interface of spoken language and cinematic conversation, particularly in American English, explored through corpus linguistics and Biber’s Multi-Dimensional Analysis. Other areas of expertise include applied corpus
linguistics, language varieties, contrastive linguistics, and Italian cartoon songs.
Pierfranca Forchini拥有语言与文学博士学位，以及理论与应用语言学硕士学位与外国语言文学硕士学位。她的研究主要聚焦于口语与影视对话中的词汇-语法界面，并以美式英语为主要研究对象。在方法论上，她主要采用语料库语言学方法与多维分析法（Biber, 1988）。此外，她还关注应用语料库语言学、语言变体研究、对比语言学，以及意大利卡通主题曲等相关领域。
2. Overview / 讲座预告
This lecture examines the cultural and linguisticsignificance of Cristina D’Avena, whose extensive repertoire and long-standing career have established her as a central figure in Italian popular culture. While her impact is often attributed to nostalgia, the study argues that this explanation is insufficient. Through the application of corpus-driven methodologies, her influence is instead interpreted as emerging from the interaction of linguistic structure, vocal features, and perceptual responses. The first axis of analysis focuses on the linguistic configuration of Italian cartoon theme songs, shaped in part by Alessandra Valeri Manera. Corpus evidence shows that Italian lyrics tend to be more narrative, descriptive, and value-oriented than their English counterparts, constructing a participatory textual space characterized by recurring themes such as growth, relationships, and optimism. The second axis addresses D’Avena’s vocal profile. Acoustic and prosodic analyses identify a stable and recognizable configuration associated with clarity, modulation, and auditory comfort. These findings are supported by audience discourse and preliminary biofeedback data indicating reduced skin
conductance during listening. The study proposes that her impact results from a measurable convergence of linguistic, vocal, and perceptual factors, extending beyond nostalgia.
本期讲座将以意大利著名歌手Cristina D’Avena为个案，分析其在文化与语言方面的重要影响。Cristina D’Avena凭借丰富的演唱曲目和持久的艺术生涯，已成为意大利流行文化的代表性人物，且其影响力常归因于“怀旧”。本讲座所介绍的研究认为，这一解释并不充分。借助语料库驱动的方法，研究发现，歌手Cristina D’Avena的影响力应当从语言结构、声音特征与听众感知之间的复杂互动来理解。首先，在语言层面，研究分析意大利卡通主题曲的语言构型，该构型在一定程度上受到Alessandra Valeri Manera影响。语料证据表明，相较于英语歌词，意大利语歌词更具叙事性、描写性与价值导向性，从而建构出一种具有参与感的文本空间。该空间常围绕成长、人际关系、乐观等核心主题展开。其次，在声音层面，研究探讨了Cristina D’Avena的声学与韵律特征。分析显示，Cristina D’Avena呈现出稳定且辨识度高的特征，具体表现为发音清晰、音调变化自然以及听感舒适。这些结论不仅得到了听众主观评价的支持，也得到了初步生理数据的印证。例如，在聆听过程中，听众的皮肤电导水平下降，表明其处于更放松的状态。总体而言，研究认为，Cristina D’Avena的影响力并非仅源于怀旧，而是建立在语言、声音与感知等多重可测量因素协同作用之上。
Organizer / 主办
Muhammad Afzaal, Associate Professor
Institute of Language Sciences, ShanghaiInternational Studies University
上海外国语大学 语言科学研究院
Attendance / 参会方式
April 22nd, 2026
2:00 PM, Italian time
8:00 PM, Shanghai time
Online Meeting/ 线上会议
Zoom Meeting ID / 会议号:851 4549 6452
Passcode / 密码:728232
