OVERVIEW

The course introduces to the key theoretical elements related to teaching Italian as a foreign language and develops key foreign language teaching skills.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The students will learn how to describe key theoretical elements related to teaching Italian as a foreign language. This course also includes a practical part aiming to develop students’ practical teaching skills.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course aims to enable students to learn to describe:

- the different Italian language acquisition contexts;

- the different learner types;

- the role of variation in language acquisition;

- the main theories of language acquisition and the evolution of teaching methods;

- the Council of Europe language policy;

The course also aims to enable students to learn to:

- assess teaching materials;

- identify and implement language teaching techniques;

- create exercises and activities to practice language skills;

- plan a learning unit;

- understand the key elements of testing and evaluation.         

PREREQUISITES

No prior knowledge is required.
 

TEACHING METHODS

The course is made up of weekly lectures (3 hours a week). Attendance is not compulsory but recommended, especially for the practical part.

The course adopts a double approach: a frontal approach to explain the theoretical aspects and a "hands on" approach to get the students to practice the skills required by language teaching. 

AulaWeb will be used, as well as a repository of teaching materials, to:

- provide information about the course and the exams (“annunci”);

- interact with the students (“forum”);

- give online assignements (“compiti”).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course aims to describe the different Italian language acquisition contexts and learner types, as well as the role of variation in learning foreign languages and the main language teaching theories, approaches, methods and techniques.

The course focuses on how to plan and design lessons and how to assess linguistic competence.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The multimedia presentations used in class will be made available on AulaWeb and will be part of the required study material for the exam.

The required text for the oral exam is: BALBONI (2019), Le sfide di Babele, UTET (any edition is acceptable).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes will be held in the second semester from 18/02/25:

• Tuesday 16-18 Aula 18 Albergo dei Poveri
• Friday 10-11 Aula 17 Albergo dei Poveri.

Class schedule

TEACHING ITALIAN AS A 2ND LANGUAGE

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral in nature but includes the preparation of a final project (the design and development of a Learning Unit for teaching Italian as a foreign language), required for both attending and non-attending students.

Additional information and materials for the project are available on AulaWeb.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is oral in nature but includes the preparation of a final project (design and development of a Learning Unit for teaching Italian as a second language), which is required of both attending and non-attending students.

Additional information and materials for the project are available on AulaWeb.

The didactic project must be submitted via email or uploaded to AulaWeb in Word format at least two weeks before the scheduled exam date.

For the oral exam, which is the same for both attending and non-attending students, the required reading is: BALBONI (2019), Le sfide di Babele, UTET (any edition is acceptable).

Candidates will be asked questions on topics covered in class and in the textbook, with particular focus on:

• learning/teaching contexts for Italian as a second language

• learner typologies

• acquisition theories, approaches, and methods

• glottodidactic techniques and curriculum design

• assessment, evaluation, and certification of linguistic-communicative competence

• language policy of the Council of Europe

For attending students, the final grade will take into account both the results of the midterm assessment and the final evaluation.

FURTHER INFORMATION

A few days before the exam session, a list of candidates and their assigned time slots will be published on AulaWeb. Students are expected to arrive at the beginning of their designated time slot.

Students with Special Educational Needs

Students with certified specific learning disorders (SLD), disabilities, or other special educational needs are encouraged to contact the instructor at the beginning of the course to arrange appropriate teaching and examination methods. These arrangements will respect the learning objectives of the course while taking into account individual learning styles and ensuring suitable compensatory tools.