Different languages, one shared understanding. This was the guiding principle of the UNITA Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “Intercomprehension for Specific Purposes: Tourism in Rural Areas”, organised by the University of Turin, in collaboration with the Université Savoie Mont Blanc and the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour.
From 29 June to 3 July the programme brought together 22 students from several UNITA universities to explore one of the Alliance’s distinctive educational approaches: intercomprehension. Rather than asking participants to communicate in a single common language, intercomprehension enables speakers of different Romance languages to understand one another while each continues to use their own language. This innovative approach promotes multilingualism, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue, while strengthening receptive language skills in authentic international environments.
Throughout the programme, students discovered how these linguistic competences can be applied on tourism and rural development. Before meeting in Turin, participants completed online learning activities through Elementi di Intercomprensione, the multilingual course available on the Start@UniTo platform, ensuring a common theoretical foundation before the intensive week.
The in-person activities combined interactive seminars, collaborative workshops, and field-based learning, allowing participants to experience multilingual communication beyond the classroom. A particularly significant part of the programme took place in the mountain village of Jouvenceaux, where students explored the opportunities and challenges of rural tourism while applying intercomprehension strategies in real-life contexts and interacting with local environments.
By the end of the week, participants had strengthened not only their linguistic competences but also their ability to work in multicultural teams, communicate across languages, and understand how linguistic diversity can become a valuable resource for sustainable territorial development.
