Using Digital Resources To Enhance Language Learning Case Studies In Italian

A group of Italian language tutors attended sessions dedicated to Italian language teaching and learning that were included in the SIS Biennial Conference in 2015. Following the conference, the group suggested that a publication of the proceedings to mark the first of these meetings would be a useful resource for all language tutors. To five of the original papers presented in Oxford, another three were added in order to include a range of ideas and experiences in one publication.

In today’s modern world, it is crucial to ensure diversity and inclusion are present in all forms of education. This can be particularly difficult to achieve in virtual learning environments as educators and students adjust to this new way of teaching and learning. Further study on how schools and institutions across the globe are promoting diversity in online environments is necessary to discover the best practices and ensure education as a whole remains inclusive. Comparative Research on Diversity in Virtual Learning: Eastern vs. Western Perspectives collects lived experiences of stakeholders from different countries regarding their experiences with teaching in diverse virtual learning environments. The book identifies characteristics of diversity in virtual online learning and explores the best practices of teaching and learning in said environments. Importantly, the reference covers experiences from both Eastern and Western countries and compares the challenges and opportunities afforded to both. Covering topics such as student engagement, computational thinking, and diverse environments, this reference work is ideal for teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Comprehensive and evidence-based, this book presents the best practices for designing and sustaining study abroad programs to maximize the outcomes and benefits of education abroad for all students. Distilling the history, research, and variations of study abroad programs, Goertler and Schenker provide a clear-eyed analysis of the lessons learned and the common obstacles associated with education abroad. Organized in three parts – the state of education abroad in the US; research on education abroad outcomes; and best practices – Goertler and Schenker demonstrate the benefits of long-term study abroad for the development of advanced language skills and intercultural competence, and the need for diversity in participation. Chapters offer theory-based, practice-proven recommendations to invigorate, innovate, and implement successful study abroad programs that are sustainable and ethically engage with the local community. The authors discuss design features to maximize language proficiency and intercultural competence. Grounded in up-to-date research and theory, the book responds to the challenges associated with long-term education abroad programs and provides recommendations on (re)invigorating long-term programs and diversifying participation in education abroad. From Study Abroad to Education Abroad is vital reading for academics, researchers, and students in the fields of language education and education policy, as well as practitioners, such as language program coordinators and education abroad administrators.

This textbook takes a Complex Systems Theory approach to examine individual differences between learners and the potential impact of these variables on the process of acquiring a second language. The authors argue that individual variables cannot provide the complete picture, and that they must instead be understood as part of an interconnected and dynamic system of different factors in order to be useful in a language learning context. Written in an accessible style and suitable for final-year undergraduate and Masters-level students, the book includes clear definitions of key terms, discussion questions for classroom use, practical exercises and activities, and examples of real empirical studies that students and teachers can replicate in their own contexts. This textbook will be of interest to students taking TESOL and SLA courses and modules, as well as those on broader Applied Linguistics programmes.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the XVI Multidisciplinary International Congress on Science and Technology (CIT 2021), held in Quito, Ecuador, on June 14–18, 2021, proudly organized by Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE in collaboration with GDEON. CIT is an international event with a multidisciplinary approach that promotes the dissemination of advances in science and technology research through the presentation of keynote conferences. In CIT, theoretical, technical, or application works that are research products are presented to discuss and debate ideas, experiences, and challenges. Presenting high-quality, peer-reviewed papers, the book discusses the following topics: Artificial Intelligence Computational Modeling Data Communications Defense Engineering Innovation, Technology, and Society Managing Technology & Sustained Innovation, and Business Development Security and Cryptography Software Engineering

New Approaches to Teaching Italian Language and Culture fills a major gap in existing scholarship and textbooks devoted to the teaching of Italian language and culture. A much-needed project in Italianistica, this collection of essays offers case studies that provide a coherent and organized overview of contemporary Italian pedagogy, incorporating the expertise of scholars in the field of language methodology and language acquisition from Italy and four major countries where the study of Italian has a long tradition: Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States. The twenty four essays, divided into six main parts, offer a tremendous variety of up-to-date approaches to the teaching of Italian as a foreign language and L2, ranging from theoretical to more practical, hands-on strategies with essays on curricular innovations, technology, study abroad programs, culture, film and song use as effective pedagogical tools. Each case study introduces a systematic approach with an overview of theory, activities and assessment suggestions, collection of research data and syllabi. The book addresses the needs of instructors and teacher trainers, putting in perspective different examples that can be used for more effective teaching techniques according to the ACTFL guidelines and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The present publication arose from the two-day conference “Learning through Sharing: Open Resources, Open Practices, Open Communication” organised jointly by the EUROCALL Teacher Education and Computer Mediated Communication Special Interest Groups at the University of Bologna (Italy) on 29-30 March 2012. The main objective was to showcase the many ways in which practitioners in different settings are engaging with the concepts of open resources and practices, and to provide ideas for language teachers who might want to dip their toes into the Open Educational Resources/Open Educational Practices world, or experiment further.