Ep. 41 - Exploring Italian Dialects

About this episode

This episode explores the rich world of Italian dialects, focusing on the Umbrian dialect and its impact on identity and community.

In this episode, we explore the rich world of Italian dialects and how language changes from region to region. Focusing on the Umbrian dialect spoken in Perugia, we discuss how everyday speech differs from the standardized Italian taught in classrooms. We also talk with two students from the University of Perugia—one from Jesi (Emilia Romagna region) and one from Perugia —who share their regional expressions, and insights into how dialect shapes connections, identity, and community. This episode was created by Umbra Reps Fall 2025 students Katherine Wells (University of Richmond) and Meredith Stemm (Grand Valley State University).

People in this episode

Hosts: Katherine Wells, Meredith Stemm

Guests: Student from Jesi, Student from Perugia

Topics covered

• Italian dialects
• language variation
• regional expressions
• identity
• community

Keywords

• Italian dialects
• Umbrian dialect
• language change
• regional expressions
• identity
• community

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Perugia

Places: Perugia, Jesi, Emilia Romagna, Italy

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