The increasingly frequent use of digital tools in the post-pandemic era, defined as the era of the “new normal,” makes the design and delivery of training courses on multimedia and multimodal platforms essential, whether remotely or in hybrid mode, synchronously or asynchronously, depending on the needs and types of learners. The project aims to enhance online resources for self-learning of the Italian language, harnessing their potential and testing them with groups of students.
The approach adopted is both narrative-content-based, as it refers to “what language use creates,” that is, the product of the language, focusing on the various needs of speakers, and functional, as it describes “language in action,” not theoretically extracted from model situations, but arising from the specific needs of learners as they experience their daily lives in various contexts.
The training courses, aimed at self-learning, are therefore organized according to the following characteristics:
- networked, not representable in a linear way: these are not separate skill packages, but competencies built in synergy, also sharing types of skills;
- modular: the various modules are self-contained, expandable, reusable, interchangeable, and optional;
- synchronous and asynchronous: various stimuli and materials are offered, alternating asynchronous access with synchronous interaction with teachers and learners. The courses, delivered on the University’s Moodle platform, follow the development of syllabuses created for the teaching of Italian as a second/foreign language, making use of video clips from sitcoms and web series, as well as videos specifically produced by professionals in the field.
- Develop innovative teaching materials, interactive and multimedia educational resources that integrate the most advanced digital technologies to enhance the learning of Italian language and culture, also with reference to specialized languages.
- Promote the acquisition of multilingual and intercultural skills by valuing the diverse linguistic and cultural competencies of learners.
- Improve the effectiveness of online Italian language and culture learning, also through an in-depth analysis of student performance and feedback with the goal of continuous optimization.
- Foster accessibility and promote an inclusive learning environment through an educational approach that addresses multiple learning styles and specific needs.
- Analyze the impact of online teaching on student motivation using qualitative and quantitative tools.
- Build a global learning community by facilitating cultural and linguistic exchange through collaborative activities.
- Contribute to academic research by publishing project results in scientific journals and participating in international conferences in the field of Italian language teaching as L2/FL and technologies.
Letizia Cinganotto, RtdB researcher L-LIN/02
Roberto Dolci, associate professor L-LIN/02
Borbala Samu, associate professor L-LIN/02
Valentina Carbonara, RtdB researcher L-LIN/02
Chiara Bambagioni, native Italian CEL
Andrea Civile, native Italian CEL
Natale Fioretto, native Italian CEL
Simone Filippetti, PhD student (Linguistics and language teaching track), XXXIX cycle
Giorgia Montanucci, PhD student (Linguistics and language teaching track), XXXVIII cycle
Talia Sbardella, PhD student (Linguistics and language teaching track) XXXVI cycle
The study will take place over a period of about two years and will be divided into the following phases:
Phase 1: Preliminary study of opportunities for developing the online Italian language and culture course curriculum
The first phase focuses on preliminary analysis of the potential for expanding the online curriculum for Italian language and culture courses. The goal is to integrate innovative, interactive, and multimedia teaching materials, using the most advanced digital technologies. At the same time, the intention is to define pedagogical approaches and strategies to actively promote multilingualism among students.
Phase 2: Creation and implementation of innovative and interactive teaching materials
The second phase of the project is focused on the creation and implementation of innovative and interactive teaching materials for the online courses. The goal is to experiment with advanced tools and multimedia resources in order to personalize the learning journey, ensuring a high degree of accessibility for students.
Phase 3: Monitoring with data collection and analysis
Monitoring activities in the online courses, as well as collecting and analyzing data, constitutes a crucial phase of the project. This includes monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of teaching strategies and resources by analyzing student performance and their feedback. The collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data on the students’ learning experience will make it possible to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in the online Italian language and culture courses.
Phase 4: Improvement perspectives
The improvement perspectives, based on data analysis of user interactions with the platform and collected feedback, aim to promote effective online learning through specific optimizations within the courses. Within a recursive framework, further experimentation will be carried out to assess the validity of the proposed adaptations.
Phase 5: Dissemination of results
The dissemination and sharing of the project results will be promoted through publications in academic journals and presentations at international conferences. By sharing best practices, methodologies, and tools adopted, the aim is to contribute to the advancement of research in the field of online language teaching, with particular reference to the teaching of Italian as L2/FL.
- Cinganotto, L., Montanucci G. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Language Learning: A Case Study on the Online Italian Language and Culture Courses of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, Status Quaestionis, 1/2024
- Cinganotto, L. (2024). Linguistic and Multilingual Skills in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, in Ricucci R., Rosa A. (eds.), TEACHING FOR SKILLS AND EDUCATIONAL HORIZONS - The Lifelong Learning Perspective, PensaMultimedia
- Cinganotto, L. (2024). Language Testing Online: Experiments with the Italian Language, Italiano LinguaDue, number 1, 2024
- Cinganotto, L., Montanucci, G. (2024). Exploring the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Online Language Learning: A Case Example on Italian as a Foreign Language, in Greco, S., Cinganotto, L. (eds.), Innovation in Education for Deeper Learning, INDIRE-IUL Press, "Quaderni" Series - Florence
- Cinganotto, L. (2018). Language Learning Technologies: A Study. Humanising Language Teaching, 20(6)
- Cinganotto, L., & Cuccurullo, D. (2019). Techno-CLIL. Doing CLIL Digitally, Turin, Loescher
- Cinganotto, L. (2021). Learning English with Artificial Intelligence, Brescia, La Scuola Sei
- Cinganotto, L. (2022). Artificial Intelligence for Language Learning. In Conference Proceedings. Innovation in Language Learning 2022
- Cinganotto, L., & Greco, S. (2023). Re-thinking Education in the Age of AI, Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 19(3), I-IV
- Calicchio, C., Montanucci, G., & Peconi, A. (2023). Fostering Educational Sustainability Through Language Teachers' Training: Exploring Metacognitive Perspectives and Technological Integration. In Conference Proceedings. ICERI 2023
- Calicchio, C., Montanucci, G., & Peconi, A. (2023). Exploring The Potential Of Memes In Language Teaching: Enhancing Pragmatic Skills And Embracing Informal Learning. In Conference Proceedings. ICERI 2023
- De Cristofaro, G., Silva, F., & Samu, B. (2024). Language MOOCs and OERs: New Trends and Challenges. Language and Cultural Education (for Italian), Perugia Stranieri University Press, 1-536
- Montanucci, G., & Peconi, A. (2023). Artificial Intelligence and Special Educational Needs: Exploring the Potential for Personalized and Inclusive Learning. In Conference Proceedings. Innovation in Language Learning 2023
- Samu, B., Santucci, V., & Sbardella, T. (2019). Technologies for Teaching and Learning Intercultural Competence and Interlanguage Pragmatics in L2 Italian. Experiences of Implementing an Online Language Course on Moodle Platform. In Conference Proceedings. Innovation in Language Learning 2019
- Silva, F., Duarte, I. M., Samu, B., & Carvalho, Â. (2022). The LMooc4Slav Project: Academic Discourse for Academic Mobility. In EDULEARN22 Proceedings (pp. 7442-7449). IATED
The dissemination of the project “Teaching/learning Italian L2/FL in digital environments: focus on online courses from planning to assessment” includes a final phase aimed at sharing results, methodologies, and innovations developed both online and in the academic context. The goal of the initiative is to reach a diverse audience, involving key stakeholders in the fields of language teaching, linguistics, and online learning. The dissemination methods are designed and structured to amplify the impact of the project and encourage the adoption of innovative approaches in teaching Italian as a foreign or second language.