An international perspective on teaching Italian language and culture

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Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts

An international perspective on teaching Italian language and culture

O.V. Stebaieva, Assistant Professor

Abstract

This article discusses a series of considerations that underpin the design of a language and culture curriculum at lower level. These reflections are focused on the following areas: environments, text, culture and language, language and culture, authenticity. They are the result of several weeks of intensive online discussions and exchanges between different higher institutions in Ukraine.

Key words: teaching Italian language, international perspective, contemporary Italian pedagogy, new methodology, university reform, intercultural identity.

Introduction

Italian national security rests on our commitment to educate and prepare our youth for active engagement in the international community. We call on schools, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders to promote understanding of our nations and cultures by encouraging our young people to participate in activities that increase their knowledge offing foreign languages and appreciation for global issues, history, geography, literature, and the arts of other countries. We may mention now the importance of existence of integrated, effective and coherent foreign language programs at higher establishments that can prepare students for international and negotiation-based environments.

The urgency of the problem. Unfortunately, the present economic crisis fostered the review of particular second language curricula and programs in Ukraine. The resulting decrease in funding teaching and learning is also further aggravated by the fact that language instruction is not always a core curricular subject especially Italian as a second foreign language.

Despite these negative factors, the number of tertiary students enrolling in Italian and Spanish programs has, in the course of the last ten years, grown in Ukraine. Further, a renewed sensitivity towards pedagogical topics behind foreign language teaching and learning inspired academics to embark on various degrees of curriculum reforms - some of them supported by the academic institutions, most steered by individuals or foreign language departments.

The scientific results and their discussion

According to a new study conducted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the importance of learning the Italian language is growing all over the world. To the group of those who learn it for personal satisfaction, mainly for cultural reasons, is added the growing number of those who decide to learn it for study and work reasons. In recent days the Italian language is not taught in the preuniversity system from the third grade of the elementary school to the twelve grade of the high school which are public but the vocational educational schools provide with the following choice.

It is also worth to mention that the Italian language courses are offered to people who want to study or work in Italy, without excluding anyone, and by thus including all those who are interested in learning the Italian language through courses starting from children aged 5 to teenagers aged 11 to 14 years, or for students aged 17 and 18, who actually make up the majority of those who go to study in Italy.

Students take courses for level C1 or C2 which are the highest levels in the Italian language. Or those, who want to take A1 or A2 level language courses, when the time comes to go to study in Italy they must have achieved the minimum level of B2 in order to be accepted in the Italian Universities.

Those who receive the certificate of the Italian language acknowledgment in Ukraine go to Italy to study and not to be employed. Others who have attended the Italian language courses at the Italian Institute of Culture and have received different certificates have had the chance to be employed in some Italian enterprises in Ukraine.

What it helps the Ukrainian students when they receive the Certificate of Acknowledgement of the Italian language at this Institute is that it is easier for them to get integrated into the Italian society and to properly cope with the study. The teaching process of the foreign language has combined the humanist tradition and the scientific knowledge, providing not only the education of students who will be able to successfully pursue their studies in Ukraine or the Italian Universities, but also to become a connecting bridge in the relations between the two countries and the two cultures, so that after their university graduation they can work in a European context.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes the dissemination of the Italian language in Ukraine through the Italian-Ukrainian foreign sections in the high establishments of Ukraine. The level of knowledge of the Italian language in high school admission must be at least Bl but it is still needs to be improved. For the subjects such as: the Italian language and literature, history of world civilization, mathematics and physics, the teaching is carried out by teachers and sometimes native speakers and Italian unabridged texts, which are discussed by students in class. The first foreign languages taught in the Ukrainian public schools are: English, French, German and Italian, in which the percentage of the students, who learn foreign languages in Ukrainian Public schools, is: 49 % English, 6.3 % Italian. The Italian Language in the vocational schools is also becoming popular these days.

The Italian language teaching has also been considered as a priority in the vocational schools. To this aim, it has been believed to enrich the school programs of our vocational schools with Italian language courses intending to implement new methods of teaching both language and culture. It can be noted that the tendency is growing and in this sense it is right for the Italian party to undertake initiatives for teachers' trainings as well as for financing for the supply of materials and in general for activities at schools.

The Department of Italian Language Studies has numerous cooperation agreements with Italian universities such as Inter-University Consortium ICON and other foreign organizations operating in the dissemination of the Italian language such as "Dante Alighieri". It is also equipped with a rich library and a computerized laboratory and the presence of the Italian lecturers is secured with the continuous support of the Italian Foreign Ministry.

This department suggests a 3-year diploma course of the first cycle of studies in the Italian language and culture and a Master of Science degree course of the second cycle of studies specialized in three areas: The didactics of the foreign language - with the diploma title- "Teacher of the Italian language"; "Translation and Interpretation"; and "Language and Intercultural Communication and Tourism". "BA in the English and American Studies" "BA in the German Philology" "BA in the Italian Language and Culture", "BA in the French language and culture." Professional Master in "Translation and interpretation of the German language".

It can be mentioned and generalized that the sociolinguistic situation in Ukraine in the last decade has undergone significant changes making the Italian language have a strong penetration not only to the cognitive level of the Ukrainian population but also to its didactic level into the Ukrainian education system highlighting the natural disposition of the Ukrainian people toward the Italian language acquisition and as a good opportunity to further approach the Europe, in which they wish to integrate.

It is a pity that little or no recent literature exists on the integration of culture and language in Italian study course. Only a handful of papers engage with concepts of culture and language and attempt to define an approach or pedagogy for the integration of the two in Italian L2 environments [1; 2; 3].

The most insightful and extensive discussion on the relationship and integration of language and culture in foreign language programs can be found in the series of articles published together in The Modern Language Journal, issue number two of volume 92, published in 2008. More widely, and by contrast, there is a growing literature on pedagogy for ab initio tertiary programs [4; 5; 6]. The full work has been conducted on the earliest levels of instruction by L2 German scholars [7].

As a result, the present article represents an attempt to bring the Italian L2 literature into beneficial conversation with research in other languages. 'Languaculture' is the term Michael Agar uses to describe the integration of culture and language within a socio-collaborative environment in second language teaching and learning [8]. Recent literature [9; 10] (Laurillard; van Lier) on this topic - and its challenges-argues that blended environments offer the most flexible and comprehensive way to link "culture or content of a second language / cultural area with second language learning" [11] (Byrnes 2009, quoted above). In a blended environment learners can develop both the interpersonal communicative skills and academic literacy-normally developed in the more advanced stages of learning 'Blended learning' has a very broad meaning [12] and encompasses several different teaching practices, technologies and theories.

The aim of this paper is to join together the following sets of ideas and highlight the main techniques for teaching Italian language and culture.

The following scientists made a great effort on the way to improve the Pedagogy in teaching Italian: Kramsch, Whiteside, Willis, Nunan, Johns and others. Let's take a deeper look at their theory and practice. They have highlighted the main elements which should be taken into consideration. Let's take a deeper look at the scientific inversigations.

*Theories: socio-cultural and socio-constructivist theories of L2 [13]. The teaching and learning of L2 is situated within a community of practices and meaning-making processes (Lave and Wenger; Kramsch 2002) in which learners are able to communicate in the language of a community and to act according to its norms [14].

Pedagogies: task-based [14], content-based (Aski and Webb 13-16; also Rodgers) and text and genre based.

*Spaces: classroom and virtual spaces such as email, facebook and learning management tools.

*Texts: preference for 'authentic' audio and visual texts and materials that can be available through different environments (synchronous and asynchronous) to the pre-packaged textbook.

Roles: teachers and learners share the objectives and approaches in a more learner-centred teaching environment. The teacher becomes as a facilitator and has the role of identifying authentic tasks, simplifying them if necessary and training students to develop their analytical and "define the structure of learning required to achieve that task".

A blended and integrated curriculum takes into account the teacher's and learner's responsibilities, institutional agendas and management beyond the classroom by offering an environment that can easily adapt to change and diversity. The ideal L2 environment for students and teachers is the one that allows for negotiation of the curriculum's content through an ongoing collaboration between students and teachers together with an integrated pedagogy that focuses on the development of the learner's cognitive and collaborative skills.

This article outlines the main design and development of the authentic materials with the aim of achieving an optimal mix between in-class and out-of-class learning in the context of teaching Italian language and culture at Ukrainian university. The research discusses three aspects in relation to the following themes: (a) conceptions of the in-class/out-of-class activities, (b) the pedagogical necessity for out-of-class creative materials development, (c) the nature of the language-learning materials required for different technologies, and (d) the concomitant demands on the language-teacher-developer.

The three projects could be realized throught: (a) Italia oggi, a videodisc-based facility for self-access work with television news; (b) the Italian SMS project, a mobile learning project using bulk text messaging; and (c) La mensa, a class blog designed to support reading and writing practice.

The recent situation proves that all these materials need to be implemented these days and developed- and the role of the teacher-as- materials-developer - need to be observed and extended wider with the great range of technologies currently in use. This has major implications for teacher education and learner training in the new school. Language teaching, suggested the development of two kinds of materials: the basic traditional which highlight the main core aspects of the course and new creative materials to serve as "guidelines or frameworks for the learners' use of the foreign professional communicative competence. This general framework for our understanding of the new materials is helpful particularly now, when we need to expand our conception of the new school in the 21st century, not only because of the increasing number of technologies that are now in use, but also because of a diversity of function that reaches well beyond the conventional computer tutor. For example, developing contemporary materials using Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs and wikis is very much concerned with structuring and activating a process. Such new process materials segment, mediate, and help manage-both implicitly and explicitly-the interactions between students, teachers, and the computer in different ways from earlier approaches. The implementations of the communicative methods are of great importance for fluency and communicative interaction. They should be based on:

1. Language grounded, teaching the foreign language through communication. Communicative approach was first based on the theory that teaching communication is possible only by means of communication. Which means that the main part of the class should be oriented on speaking? It is necessary to mention that communication itself is the main educational condition. The speaking is not only declaration, being the simple addition to teaching process, but also serves: a) a channel, which provides with knowledge; b) the way, which develops individuality; c) the educational instrument of the necessary personality traits; d) the way of experience transition and possibility of speaking in the right manner.

2. Functioning. This approach gives the understanding, first of all, helps to realize by students the functional aspects of the language, so every student should understand the personal value of the practical language skills. Language activity has three directions: lexical, grammatical and phonetical. They are connected closely with one another in the speaking process. The conclusion is that words are impossible to learn out of the context. Functioning helps to understand that both words and grammar forms are remembered at once in action: the student chooses any language task - proves his opinion, has doubts in what he has heard, asks about something, forces for interaction and at the same time learning the necessary words or grammar forms. The following proves that functioning appears not as separated language techniques but functions provided by them. The materials and their structure depend on the functions expressed by students.

3. Situations. In other words this is the role organization of the educational process. The communicative study is provided by means of situations, which is understood as a system of relations. It is very important to have a close look at choosing and organization of materials based on situations and problem conversational topics which could be interesting for different students age groups. The situation exists as the integrative dynamic system of socio, role, active and moral interaction between the speaking audiences. It is the universal form of the teaching process function and serves as the way of organization, their presentation, motivation of speaking activity, the main condition of communicative skills development. education italian linguistic communicative

Conclusions

We have mentioned that the design and way of teaching Italian language and culture needs further discussion and new materials.

The materials development landscape is marked now by its range and diversity. The reasons are many, but two key factors most certainly arise: (a) the increasing number of generic technologies available which can be used to facilitate and encourage interaction between the teacher and students and among students themselves across the in-class/out-of-class divide and (b) students' and teachers' increased proficiency in the use of the technologies. These two factors have meant that we now have the means and the skills to enhance and perhaps intensify the in-class/out-of-class relationship.

However, in spite of all this, it is still necessary to seek the optimal in-class / out-of-class mix materials for teaching Italian to intensify speaking and improve the level of the foreign communicative competence.

This still is, and perhaps always will be, a work in progress because, as Jim Pusack and his colleagues pointed out many years ago (Hope, Taylor & Pusack, 1984), ultimately it all depends upon the teacher.

Without the pivotal role played by the language teacher in developing new century materials and orchestrating their implementation, the potential of an engaging, powerful language-learning environment breaks down.

The demands on the teacher are becoming even more intensive compared with the early days of teaching Italian language and culture in Ukraine, partly because the expectations of the student body are now much more sophisticated and demanding.

They also invoke the need for a rich institutional and technical support structure, and also learner training so that learners can distinguish between using generic technologies for learning as opposed to social purposes. Although, again, much learner training may come back to the work of the language teacher in class, perhaps there are avenues for increased learner training to be conducted through tutorial software out of class, in larger groups beyond the individual class, or even across language-learning programs.

These factors are particularly important if we wish to avoid the novelty trap in class and want the student experience to be engaging and sustained over the long term. In all of this, still, locating the ideal in-class / and out-of-class mix and the teacher's role are critical.

References

1. Ciccarelli Andrea "Teaching Culture through Language : Suggestions for the Italian Language Class" / Andrea Ciccarelli. - Italica 73.4 (1996). - Pp. 563-576.

2. Rodgers Daryl M. "Developing Content and Form : Encouraging Evidence from Italian Content-Based Instruction" / Daryl M. Rodgers // The Modern Language Journal. - 90.3 (2006) - Pp. 373-386.

3. Diadori Pierangela Insegnare I'italiano a Stranieri / Pierangela Diadori. - Florence : Le Monnier, 2001.

4. Leder Gabriela Ab Initio Language. A Guide to Good Practice in Universities and Colleges / Leder Gabriela, G. Reimann, and Riana Wash // The Example of German. - London : Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT), 1996.

5. Risager Karen "Languaculture as the Key Concept in Language and Culture Teaching" / Karen Risager // The Consequences of Mobility ; [Ed. B. Preisler, A. Fabricius et al.]. Roskilde : Roskild, 2005. - Pp. 185-196.

6. Swaffar Janet Reading for Meaning: An Integrated Approach to Language Learning / Janet Swaffar , Katherine Arens, Heidi Byrnes. - Englewood Cliffs, NY : Prentice- Hall, 1991.

7. Trude Helf "Student Modeling and Ab Initio Language Learning"/ Helf Trude, Mathias Schulze // System. - 31.4 (2003). - Pp. 519-535.

8. Agar Michael Language Shock : Understanding the Culture of Conversation / Michael Agar. - New York : Morrow, 1994.

9. Laurillard Diana Rethinking University Teaching : A Conversational Framework for the Effective Use of Learning Technologies / Diana Laurillard. - London : Routledge Falmer, 2002.

10. Lier Leo van "An Ecological-Semiotic Perspective on Language and Linguistics" / Lier Leo van // Language Acquisition and Language Socialization : Ecological Perspectives. - Ed. Claire Kramsch. London: Continuum Press, 2002. - Pp. 140-164.

11. Byrnes Heidi "Systemic-Functional Reflections on Instructed Foreign Language Acquisition as Meaning-Making : An Introduction / Heidi Byrnes //" Linguistics and Education. - V. 20 (2009). - Pp. 1-9.

12. Carroli Piera Literature in Second Language Education: Enhancing the Role of Texts in Learning / Piera Carroli. - London and New York : Continuum, 2008.

13. Kramsch Claire Language Acquisition and Language Socialisation : Ecological Perspectives / Claire Kramsch. - London : Continuum, 2002.

14. Willis Jane A Framework for Task-Based Learning / Jane Willis. - London : Longman, 1996.

Анотація

Основні теми включають в себе викладання граматики, Podcast та iPod у навчанні та вивченні італійської мови, проте в Київських національних університетах пріоритет надається комунікативному підходу, розгляду життєвим ситуаціям. У роботі проаналізовано важливість застосування методології дидактичного перекладу в контексті реформ університетського університету 21 століття, побудови міжкультурної ідентичності в міжкультурному переході, використанням фільмів на всіх рівнях вивчення та сприйняття історії італійської культури . У даній публікації розглядається низка міркувань, які лежать в основі розробки навчальної програми з мови та культури Італії на початковому рівні. Ці роздуми орієнтовані на такі сфери: середовище, текст та культура, мова, мова та культура, автентичність. Вони є результатом декількох тижнів інтенсивних онлайнових дискусій та обмінів між вищими навчальними закладами України.

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