Learning and acquisition of Italian as a foreign language

Research Projects:

Italian teaching and learning contexts in Brazil

Description: This project aims to research the teaching and learning/acquisition of Italian by Brazilians in different contexts and at the interface with other disciplines. More specifically, it includes studies that focus on teaching and learning strategies, the role of the competences and the different interpretations of communicative competence, the assessment and production of teaching materials, the relationship between mother tongue and foreign language and between spontaneous and guided learning, interlanguage and the learning process of Brazilian learners of Italian.

Professors:
Olga Alejandra Mordente (coordinator) - alemordente@usp.br; Angela Zucchi - angelazucchi@usp.br; Maria Cecilia Casini - casini@usp.brFernanda Ortale - ortale@usp.br

 

Educational materials for teaching Italian as a foreign language in Brazil

Description: This project aims to investigate issues related to the analysis and development of materials for teaching Italian as a foreign language in Brazil, with special emphasis on the use of technology and online dissemination. Also, in this context, there are studies on the development of learner’s autonomy and on teaching problems encountered in using this type of material.

Professors:
Paola Baccin (coordinator) - pbaccin@usp.br; Giliola Maggio - gilimaggio@usp.br; Fernanda Ortale - ortale@usp.br

 

Professional development of teachers of Italian as a foreign language and as a heritage language: theoretical tenets and teaching-learning practice 

Description: This project aims to investigate teachers’ professional development and practice in the contexts of Italian as a foreign language and as a heritage language. The analysis is focused on the problems encountered in teaching and teachers’ professional development, from the initial planning stage to the final implementation stage of Italian courses for different types of public.  Based on Postmethod Pedagogy, it is expected to identify distinguishing features of teachers’ education in the context of Italian as a heritage language and in the hybrid context of online and face-to-face learning.

Professors:
Fernanda Ortale (coordinator) -
ortale@usp.br; Paola Baccin - pbaccin@usp.br; Angela Zucchi - angelazucchi@usp.br

 

Discursive competence in Italian L2: teaching/learning and assessing

Description: Based on different theoretical and methodological approaches, this project aims to investigate the construction of interactional competence in the linguistic repertoire of native and non-native speakers in symmetrical and asymmetrical conversations. More specifically, the project encompasses studies that will contribute to interlanguage analysis as well as to the assessment and development of pedagogical material specially designed to teach/learn discursive competence in Italian as a foreign language. Furthermore, comparisons between Italian and Brazilian speakers will be carried out.

Professors:
Roberta Ferroni (coordinator) - robertaferronibr@gmail.com ;Elisabetta Santoro - esantoro@usp.br