The Master's Degree Course in Teaching Italian to foreigners trains participants to be LS/L2 Italian teachers (Italian as a foreign language/second language) and cultural operators, qualified to carry out their activity in public and private schools and universities in Italy and abroad, but also in local institutions and international organizations working towards the inclusion and integration of minors and adult immigrants or the promotion of Italian language and culture in the world.
The Course is aimed both at foreign students interested in teaching Italian and promoting Italian culture and civilization in their country of origin and also at Italian students who intend to work in the field of teaching Italian to foreigners either abroad or in Italy (Subject certification A-23 Italian Language for foreign language learners). In fact, the course makes it possible to attain the 24 ECTS credits necessary to be eligible for the FIT (Initial Training and Internship) programme, the three-year training and internship programme, in order to be eligible for secondary school positions.
The Study course is structured into two curricula:
Cultural Identity (ItaS-C)
Educational goals
Linguistic and foreign language teaching study area
develop a specialized command of the Italian linguistic system, as well as of the relationships between language and context, also linked to the Italian socio-linguistic framework and to the languages of the new media, useful for the construction of innovative teaching tools
gain knowledge and learn how to apply the operational principles and models of foreign language teaching of educational linguistics, in relation to the different audiences of foreign learners (inside and outside the national borders)
learn how to facilitate understanding and intercultural dialogue in multi-ethnic and multilingual social contexts
gain knowledge and learn how to illustrate the historical process of formation and development of the Italian language, its expansion abroad and the main current motivations for learning Italian abroad
acquire the theoretical basis for evaluating language skills and consequent operational skills required for carrying out language tests, demonstrating and guaranteeing their validity
develop specific knowledge regarding the languages and the socio-cultural situations of a European Country (and/or of the Far East or the Arab world)
Philological-literary study area
gain knowledge of Italian literary authors and works in relation to the genres and the historical-cultural context of the various periods, also from a comparative perspective
gain knowledge of the main philological methods for the critical edition of a text
learn how to interpret literary texts, placing them in a suitable critical perspective, also for the development of teaching strategies that are effective in teaching Italian literature and cultural heritage to foreigners
Historical-political and historical-artistic study area
gain knowledge and learn how to interpret the historical events that affected Italy between the 19th and 21st centuries, placing them in the broader European and international context
gain knowledge and learn how to illustrate evolutionary processes and events regarding Italian civilization, with reference to the history of ideas, cultural traditions and political ideologies with a broader international appeal
gain knowledge of the main artists and stylistic trends in Italian art, particularly regarding Umbria's rich artistic heritage
Professional opportunities
The main goal of the Master's Degree Course is to train participants to be future L2 Italian teachers, inside and outside the national borders. The MUIR (Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research) has instituted a specific subject certification, A23 - Italian language for foreign language learners (those speaking a minority language), which provides ItaS graduates with a new important opportunity for work in the context of the state school system. In-depth knowledge of Italian civilization means that graduates can also find employment in institutions and organizations that deal with promoting Italian language and cultural heritage abroad.
Professional profiles:
teacher of Italian as a non-mother tongue language in state schools in Italy and abroad (subject certification A-23, “Italian Language for foreign language learners”)
teacher of Italian as a non-mother tongue language in private institutions and schools, territorial centres (CPA) and other cultural or humanitarian institutions, in Italy and abroad, also with organizational duties and directives relative to courses in Italian language and culture
associate linguistic expert in Italian language and culture courses, in the University Language Centres and in the Centres for the verification and evaluation of language skills
reader of Italian in universities and schools abroad
cultural official at offices representing Italy abroad, among which Italian cultural institutes, and at institutions and foundations that deal with spreading Italian language and culture abroad
writer and publicist in the field of publishing, both traditional and multimedia, linked to foreign language teaching and Italian culture
consultant and associate in public and private schools for the inclusion and linguistic support of foreign pupils
linguistic-cultural mediator and facilitator
researcher or professional working on-site in research projects linked to the various areas of theoretical and applied Italian studies and linguistics
