30921 - DIDATTICA DELLA LINGUA ITALIANA L2 (LM)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the disciplinary and applied field of teaching Italian as a second language, which combines, for its own purposes, knowledge drawn from various domains of Italian linguistic research and from the international field of second language learning and teaching, which transcends individual languages. By the end of the course, students will have an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of the main theoretical and methodological foundations necessary to operate in a wide range of L2 Italian teaching contexts and with diverse learner profiles. They will also be able to design coherent and well-founded teaching proposals aimed at facilitating and promoting the learning of Italian as a second language.

Course contents

The field of Learning and Teaching Italian as a Second Language (L2) is highly heterogeneous, both in terms of the learners' individual characteristics (age, motivations, linguistic needs, linguistic biographies, etc.) and learning contexts (institutional, non-formal, informal; in Italy and abroad).
By drawing on the most important international and local research, we will address both the processes related to the Italian L2 acquisition as a cognitive and sociocultural phenomenon (the theoretical bases), and the teaching models and tools aimed at the fostering learning in the class (the methodological bases).

In the first part of the course, we will introduce a number of studies in the field of second language acquisition, which have developed from the concept of interlanguage, with the aim of describing the phases and sequences through which the acquisition of language structures takes place, as these gradually appear during the individuals’ cognitive processing of L2 structures. In order to relate this concept to concrete situations of spontaneous and guided learning (and to consider the difference due to learners’ age), we will analyse samples of interlanguage taken from both monologs and dialogues.

In the second part of the course, we will examine Italian L2 learning from the perspective of ‘language socialisation in a second language’. In other words, we will consider learning as an interactional process and observe it as it takes place in the discourse practices, which, in turn, are embedded in social situations. Among the possible situations, we will specifically focus on educational contexts which are sociolinguistically and culturally heterogeneous, being characterized by bilingualism, multilingualism, code switching or other phenomena linked to the contact among different languages and cultures. Sessions of analysis of audio- and video-recorded class interactional sequences will allow us to identify what are the recurring features of human interaction in general and what phenomena specifically pertain to plurilingual classes.

Overall, the course aims at developing awareness of the processes involved in language learning and teaching, at fostering the ability to observe the very interactional dynamics of the language class, and at reaching an understanding of how such dynamics can ease L2 acquisition. More specifically, at the end of the course, students will be able to “read and interpret” linguistic, communicative, interactional competences of Italian L2 learners.

We will consider the implications of each of these aspects when addressing language teaching to specific groups of learners: children, young adults, and adults.

Readings/Bibliography

A brief introductory reading:

R. Pugliese (2017) “Come si impara una lingua straniera”, in N. Grandi, F.Masini, Tutto ciò che hai sempre voluto sapere sul linguaggio e sulle lingue, Cesena, Caissa, pp. 77-80 [4 pagg].

Second language acquisition

• C. Andorno, A. Valentini, R. Grassi (2017), Verso una nuova lingua: capire l’acquisizione di L2, UTET: capitoli 1 e 2 pp. 1-42.
• D. Bao (2019), “The place of silence in second language acquisition”, in ELTAR- English Language Teaching and Research 1/1, pp. 26-42 [16 pagg.]
• M.T. Guasti et al. (2024), "L’acquisizione dell’italiano come seconda lingua da parte di bambini con mandarino o arabo come prima lingua, in Ricerche di Psicologia, Vol. 47 (1) [15 pagg.]
• E. Nuzzo, S. Rastelli (2009), “Didattica acquisizionale e cortesia linguistica in italiano L2”, in Cuadernos de Filología Italiana, 16, pp. 13-30 [17 pagg.]. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/38830506.pdf

• G. Scivoletto (2022), “I marcatori del discorso per la didattica dell’italiano L2: dalla ricerca acquisizionale alla pratica glottodidattica”, in Italiano LinguaDue, 1 [21 pagg.]. https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/promoitals/article/view/18171
• R.Nodari, S.Calamai (2023), “La lingua il seme, i dialetti sono i fiori e gli accenti sono i petali”: competenze meta-sociolinguistiche e contesti scolastici, Quaderns d’Italià 28, pp.125-146.

Classroom interaction and the language socialization approach

• L. Sterponi, P. F. Lai (2015), “Culture and language development” in F. Sharifian (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Language and Culture, Routledge, pp.325-38.
• A. Siegel, P.Seedhouse (2019), “Conversation Analysis and Classroom Interaction”, in C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, John Wiley & Sons, pp.1-6.
• N. Nasi (2020), “Socializzarsi all’uso appropriato dell’italiano L2: norme linguistiche e pragmatiche nell’interazione tra pari”, in Italiano LinguaDue, n. 1 pp.1-21.
• R. Pugliese (2020), “In italiano e in altre lingue, a casa e a scuola: le interazioni tra pari nella socializzazione linguistica”, in LEND, 1, pp.25-39.
• D.S. Fagan (2015), “Managing language errors in real-time: A microanalysis of teacher practices”, in System, 55, pp.74-85.

The plurilingual perspective: dynamics of classroom communication and teaching approaches

• R.Pugliese, S. Malavolta (2017), “La pluralità linguistica in classe come risorsa per le attività riflessive. Esperienze didattiche nella scuola secondaria di I e II grado”, in M. Vedovelli (a cura di), L’italiano dei nuovi italiani. Atti del XIX Convegno Nazionale del GISCEL, Siena, 7-9 aprile 2016, Aracne, pagg. 269-289
• A. Borri A., F.Minuz, R.Pugliese (2026), Lingue prime e plurilinguismo nell’educazione agli adulti e nella formazione professionale, I Quaderni della ricerca 96, Loescher, Torino.
• M. D’Agostino (2023), “Comunicazione multilingue fra apprendimento e uso. In Italia ma senza italiani”, in Italiano LinguaDue 1 https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/promoitals/article/view/20395

 

 

Italiano L2, In-class activities: one of the following two texts (to be chosen):

cap.10, “Modelli operativi”, in P. Diadori P., M.Palerno, D.Troncarelli, Manuale di didattica dell’italiano L2, Guerra Edizioni, 2009: [la ristampa del 2021 è pubblicata da Carocci, con il titolo: Insegnare l’italiano come seconda lingua]; pp.204-227.

A. Pona, Modelli operativi nella didattica dell’italiano come lingua seconda, Polo regionale di documentazione interculturale, Regione Toscana, 2015.

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and dialogic lessons. Students attending the course are expected to read the corresponding study material, which will be suggested in a detailed course outline ("dates, contents and readings"), on the first day of the course.

In-class activities in order to analyze (i.) different examples of interlanguage, taken from linguistic elicited or spontaneous productions; (ii.) several examples of natural interaction in the classroom (transcribed audio sequences), with the aim to identify some specific phenomena of the plurilingual classes and of the L2 socialization, together with the structural aspects of the interaction.

Examples are drawn on real-life situation and concern, respectively, child learners, teenagers and adults.

Assessment methods

Learning will be assessed through an oral examination, during which students will be required to analyse a short transcribed oral or written piece produced by a learner of Italian as a second language (specific guidelines regarding this part of the examination will be provided at the start of the course). General and specific questions will then be asked on the topics covered during the course.

The evaluation criteria of the student's answers will be mainly the following: precision and appropriateness, an organic and broad view of themes, a capacity in establishing connections among topics, clearness and language accuracy of the oral exposition.

 

Students with SLDs or temporary or permanent disabilities:

we suggest that you contact the relevant university office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and your teacher immediately to work together to find the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for exams.

Any requests for exam accommodations must be made at least 15 days before the date of the exam, by sending an email to the teacher and copying (Cc) the email address disabilita@unibo.it [mailto:disabilita@unibo.it] (in case of disability) or dsa@unibo.it [mailto:dsa@unibo.it] (for students with Specific Learning Difficulties).

Teaching tools

Slides that will be available on Virtuale.

During in-class activities different materials will be used: photocopies; teaching websites; video and audio material.

Office hours

See the website of Rosa Pugliese