Valentina Carbonara has taught Italian as a second/foreign language in various contexts in Italy and abroad. She obtained her PhD in Linguistics and Teaching of Italian Language to Foreigners in 2017 from the University for Foreigners of Siena. From 2017 to 2023, she was a research fellow at the CLUSS Language Center of the University for Foreigners of Siena, coordinating, together with Andrea Scibetta, the project “L’AltRoparlante: Plurilingual Teaching and Translanguaging in Primary Education" (Scientific Coordinator: Prof. Carla Bagna). From 2016 to 2023, she collaborated with the Conta Bilingualism Center (Siena branch). In 2022-2023, she was an adjunct lecturer at the University of Insubria and the University of Bergamo. Since February 2024, she has been a Type B fixed-term Researcher at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, with the role of Academic Coordinator for Italian Language and Culture Courses for Foreigners. Her research interests include the teaching of Italian as a second/foreign language, early foreign language learning, bilingualism, and plurilingual education.