Marcel Danesi is Professor of Semiotics and Anthropology at the University of Toronto . He directs the program in Semiotics and Communication Theory at Victoria College of the University of Toronto , and also holds an appointment at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education as Professor and Researcher in bilingual education.

He has been a visiting professor at Rutgers University (1972), The University of Rome "La Sapienza" (1988), the Catholic University of Milan (1990), and has given lectures throughout the academic world. As of 1996-97 he will hold the Chair of Language and Media Studies at the University of Lugano.

He has published extensively on semiotic, linguistic, and pedagogical topics. Among his books are: Vico, Metaphor, and the Origin of Language (1993); Neurolinguistica e glottodidattica (1988); Cervello, lingua, ed educazione (1988); Cool: The Signs and Meanings of Adolescence (1994); Giambattista Vico and the Cognitive Science Enterprise (1995), La metafora nel pensiero e nel linguaggio (2003). He has also authored and co-authored numerous language manuals for the study of Italian and Spanish, including Adesso: A Functional Introduction to Italian (1992; 2nd ed. 1996); Con fantasia: A Functional Review of Italian (1995; 2nd ed. 2004; with M. Lettieri and S. Bancheri); and Learn Italian the Fast and Fun Way (1985).

He is editor in chief of Semiotica. He is also editor of various book series, including Toronto Studies in Italian Pedagogy and Applied Linguistics, Toronto Studies in Semiotics (published by the University of Toronto Press), and Signs and Semaphors (St. Martin's Press).