99925 - Teaching of the Italian Language L1 (LM) (A-L)

Course contents

Concepts, methods and tools to teach Italian as mother tongue

 

The course focuses on the main linguistic contents underpinning the teaching of the Italian as first language (linguistic and communicative competence, linguistic skills, variation, norm, text, text typologies, role of grammar in teaching activities, readability, cross-sectoral nature of the linguistic elements in the disciplinary learning processes), linguistic education in Italy, from the point of view of its history, most recent research trends and training methods.

Particular attention is paid to the development of the various areas of linguistic competence (oral, reading, writing, lexicon, grammar) at school, to the transversal dimension of language teaching and to the potential related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

 

Students who opt for the single exam of 6 ECTS shall attend the course in the 3rd period of the academic year (23 September - 23 October 2026) with the specific 6 CFU program.

The changes from the A-L course to the M-Z course (and viceversa) are possible only with the consent of the teacher, as outlined in the first lessons of the course.

 

Classes begin September 23, 2026.

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

The course's textbooks are:

• DILP = Luca Cignetti, Silvia Demartini, Simone Fornara, Matteo Viale, Didattica dell'italiano lingua prima, Bologna, il Mulino, 2022.
• TIC = Matteo Viale (ed.), Tecnologie dell’informazione e della comunicazione e insegnamento dell’italiano, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2018.

 

These textbooks are supplemented by additional lessons, as specified below for each topic.

 

Students who do not attend classes supplement the materials and activities on the learning platform with the following readings:

• For the Module 1: Simone Fornara, La punteggiatura, Roma, Carocci, 2026 (new edition).
• For the Module 2: Massimo Palermo, Scrivere è bene, riscrivere è meglio. Prove ragionate di (ri)scrittura, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2026.

 

Module 1

1) Language Education in the Past and Today

• Insegnamento e apprendimento dell’italiano, in DILP, Cap. 1, pp. 21-50.

2) Teaching Italian from a Sociolinguistic Perspective

• Quale italiano insegnare, in DILP, Cap. 2, pp. 51-68.
  
• Enrico Bononcini, La creazione di fumetti tramite app come mezzo per sviluppare la competenza linguistica in classe, in TIC, pp. 91-102.

3) The Role of Technology in Language Education

• Matteo Viale, Le tecnologie dell’informazione e della comunicazione per un reale rinnovamento della didattica dell’italiano, in TIC, pp. 9-22.
• Fabrizio Ruggeri, Didattica Digitale Integrata per l’apprendimento dell’italiano LS: un’esperienza didattica con le app, «Italiano a Scuola», 7, 2025, pp. 279-318 (https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2704-8128/21963).
• Barbara Lamaddalena, Il podcast e la web radio: sviluppare l’oralità in classe con le nuove tecnologie, in TIC, pp. 49-70.
• Annarita Miglietta, Le nuove tecnologie per migliorare le abilità di sintesi, in TIC, pp. 71-90.

4) Teaching Grammar: Old and New Models

• La riflessione sulla lingua, in DILP, Cap. 6, pp. 185-247.
  
• Massimo Palermo, Le regole della grammatica e le regole del testo. Riflessioni in chiave didattica, «Italiano a Scuola», 3, 2021, pp. 191–206 (https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2704-8128/12993).
  
• Zuzana Toth, Grammatica col cellulare. L’uso di video per esaminare i fattori che influenzano la difficoltà di compiti linguistici, in TIC, pp. 31-48.

 

Module 2

5) Teaching and Assessing Reading Comprehension

• La didattica della lettura e della scrittura, in DILP, Cap. 4 (only par. 2), pp. 122-142.
• La lettura espressiva ad alta voce, in DILP, Cap. 5, pp. 173-184.
• La valutazione, in DILP, Cap. 10, pp. 339-360.

6) Teaching and Assessing Written Production

• Il testo e la sua didattica, in DILP, Cap. 8, pp. 283-309.
  
• La didattica della lettura e della scrittura, in DILP, Cap. 4 (only par. 3), pp. 142-171.
  
• Giuseppina Lenoci, Esperienze di didattica della scrittura con le nuove tecnologie nella scuola secondaria di primo grado, in TIC, pp. 103-120.
  
• Federica Rinaldi, Scrittura collaborativa e tecnologie nella scuola secondaria di primo grado: sperimentazioni didattiche sul processo redazionale, «Italiano a Scuola», 3, 2021, pp. 233–262 (https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2704-8128/13046)
  
• Martina Giunchi, Analisi degli aspetti metacognitivi del processo di scrittura in studenti liceali, «Italiano a Scuola», 4, 2022, pp. 71-104 (https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2704-8128/14846)

7) Teaching Vocabulary

• La didattica del lessico, in DILP, Cap. 7, pp. 249-281.
  
• Federica Murino, La gamification in classe: Kahoot! per la didattica del lessico dell’italiano, in TIC, pp. 183-200.

8) Language Teaching Across School Subjects

• L’italiano come lingua di comunicazione a scuola, in DILP, Cap. 9 (only par. 5), pp. 328-337.
• Matteo Viale, L’italiano per l’accesso alle discipline scolastiche, in Disuguaglianze e crescita nella scuola italiana. Politiche, programmi, prospettive, edited by Patrizio Bianchi, Luciano Formisano, Massimo Inguscio, Stefano Leonardi, Roma, Carocci, 2026, pp. 37-50.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars and workshops; round tables with experts.

Assessment methods

For all students, the exam consists of a written exam lasting 105 minutes. The written exam aims at assessing the knowledge of the concepts, methods and tools to teach Italian and assess the ability to use the conceptual tools to design training paths.

The exam is differentiated between attending and non-attending students. The exam consists of 29 multiple choice items (of 0.5 points each) and 5 open-ended questions (2 of 5 points and 3 of 2,5 points each) about all the readings. For incorrect or not given answers the score is 0 points. The final grade is given by the sum of the points, where 31 and 32 correspond to cum laude.

In the evaluation of the open-ended questions the following evaluation grid will be used:

• full score (80-100% of the score): detailed knowledge of the contents of the bibliography, combined with a precise and widely effective language;
• average high score (60-80% of the score): excellent knowledge of the bibliography, expressed through a precise and overall effective language;
• average score (40-60% of the score): good knowledge of the bibliography and use of a language sufficiently precise and congruous, albeit with inaccuracies and excessive simplifications;
• low-medium score (within 40% of the score): sometimes uncertain knowledge of the contents of the bibliography and language with inaccuracies and inconsistencies;
• no score assigned: serious gaps in the preparation and use of imprecise and ineffective language.

Students whose mother tongue is not Italian must have a good knowledge of the Italian language.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Students who regularly attend the lessons can use the reference material provided online. In particular, an up-to-date calendar of the classes and an e-learning platform reserved to attending students.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Viale