Alfonsina BuonicontroView profile
Researcher
Alfonsina Buonicontro is a Researcher in the Department of Humanities (DIPSUM) at the University of Salerno, Italy, where she conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of linguistic typology, cognitive linguistics, and language education. Her work focuses on motion event encoding, covert linguistic strategies, and pedagogical models for teaching general linguistics and text comprehension. Her research interests include: Linguistic and lexical typology, especially in Romance languages Motion event semantics and syntax (verb-framed vs. satellite-framed languages) Covert encoding and inferential meaning in motion expressions Constructional semantics and Gestalt theory in language interpretation Development of annotation tools like Modeg for motion event analysis Pedagogical innovation in linguistics education and reading comprehension Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on diachronic and cross-linguistic analysis of Italian, French, Spanish, Latin, and Ancient Greek, with an emphasis on how meaning is constructed beyond explicit lexical items. She explores how learners interpret motion and cohesion in texts, contributing to both theoretical linguistics and applied educational practices. Scientific contributions include: Development of the Modeg (MOtion DEcoding Grid) annotation tool for systematic motion event analysis Experimental educational project LeCo for enhancing reading comprehension in secondary schools Pioneering studies on boundary-crossing events in Romance languages Analysis of Source/Goal asymmetry in classical languages Proposals for top-down, semantics-first models in teaching linguistics Buonicontro actively publishes in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, often in collaboration with scholars such as Claudio Iacobini and Debora Vena. While no formal list of advisees is provided, her involvement in educational projects suggests mentorship and curriculum leadership roles. She maintains a presence on academic platforms including ORCID, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu, indicating ongoing scholarly engagement.











