Study-unit TEACHING OF MODERN LANGUAGES
Course name | Foreign languages and cultures |
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Study-unit Code | GP004922 |
Curriculum | Comune a tutti i curricula |
Lecturer | Diana Peppoloni |
Lecturers |
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Hours |
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CFU | 9 |
Course Regulation | Coorte 2021 |
Supplied | 2022/23 |
Supplied other course regulation | |
Learning activities | Affine/integrativa |
Area | Attività formative affini o integrative |
Sector | L-LIN/02 |
Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
Type of learning activities | Attività formativa monodisciplinare |
Language of instruction | Italian |
Contents | The course addresses key issues related to language acquisition and the modern language teaching, by combining theoretical models and practical approaches to the discipline and illustrating the diachronic development of these teaching models applied both to a more traditional public (e.g. frontal language lesson) and to a possible new one (eg. online language lesson). In short, the points covered will be: - what it means to know a language: the concept of communicative competence; - theoretical teaching models and practical approaches to language teaching in the classroom; - teaching / learning of the various linguistic components (from vocabulary to grammar); - European language policy; - the use of technology for learning/teaching languages. |
Reference texts | Reference texts for the first module: BALBONI P., Le sfide di Babele, Utet, Torino, 2015 (chapters 1-6). Reference texts for the second module: BALBONI P., Le sfide di Babele, Utet, Torino, 2015 (chapters 7-12). Reading of the whole text of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages . English version freely available on line at the following link: COUNCIL OF EUROPE, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001 (disponibile all’indirizzo: https://www.coe.int/en/web/language-policy/home) French version freely available on line at the following link: CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE, Cadre Européen Commun de référence pour les langues: Apprendre, enseigner, évaluer, Paris, Didier, 2006 (disponibile all’indirizzo: https://www.coe.int/fr/web/language-policy/home) Italian version (available in bookstores): COUNCIL OF EUROPE, Quadro comune europeo di riferimento per le lingue: apprendimento insegnamento valutazione, Milano, R.C.S. Scuola, La Nuova Italia-Oxford, 2002 (ristampa 2012). Reference texts for the third module: PEPPOLONI, D., Per una didattica digitale delle lingue, Mondadori, 2021 |
Educational objectives | The goal of the course is to train students on the use of the most updated and accredited techniques for an effective and motivating teaching practice of a second or foreign language. Starting with the necessary psycholinguistic and pedagogical premises, through the analysis of personal motivations and of the language proficiency levels and pedagogical skills owned, it is necessary that the student reaches an extensive and in-depth knowledge of the main contemporary educational theories and of the related implementing strategies, becoming completely autonomous in planning and acting in its possible future role of language teacher. At the end of the course the student will know the theoretical foundations and applicative tools of the teaching of modern languages, the historical coordinates of this field of studies and its current configuration, closely related to the evolution of research on the acquisition of second languages and factors such as pedagogical technologies, multilingualism, the intercultural dimension of daily communication and the ongoing European language policies. Operationally, the student will be able to properly apply the components of the educational process (the analysis of the communicative needs of learners, the definition of the curriculum and of the syllabus, the elaboration of a didactic unit etc. ) to specific illustrative didactic situations. |
Prerequisites | No specific prerequisites are required to attend the course. It is highly recommended, however, the knowledge of some related topics introduced in the course of General Linguistics. |
Teaching methods | Frontal lessons. |
Other information | For any question or doubt, please contact the teacher at the following email address: diana.peppoloni@unipg.it |
Learning verification modality | The final exam consists of an oral discussion. The test aims at verifying the student's knowledge of the theoretical and methodological contents indicated in the program and illustrated during the course. It is also possible to take oral tests in progress, relatively to the contents of the first two modules of the course. |
Extended program | The course intends to deal with the key concepts of the teaching of modern languages, on a theoretical level and on that of pedagogical practice. These are concepts in constant development: every educational reflection, in fact, is placed in a defined temporal and spatial context, and also that concerning the specific field of language teaching is currently confronted with far-reaching phenomena such as geographical mobility, multilingualism, the evolution of multimedia technologies, supranational education policies and so on. First module Starting from some historical guidelines of the discipline, we will examine, therefore, its central notions (interlanguage, linguistic input, communicative competence, linguistic abilities, pragmatic component etc.), taking into account some recent acquisitions both in language sciences and in the psychology of learning (cognitive and sociocultural theories), and the evolution of different teaching methodologies. We will focus on the intercultural dimension, understood as a process that goes beyond the idea of knowing the culture of the language being studied (static approach), characterizing instead primarily as a moment of confrontation with the discursive practices of a different community (the language-culture nexus) and as an educational process that has tangible effects both on the level of personal experience, and on that of the relationship with the variety and cultural diversity (dynamic approach). Second module Regarding the knowledge and operational skills of the L2 teacher, we will analyze the fundamental coordinates for the organization of a language course: from the analysis of the linguistic needs of the learners to the definition of the objectives and the planning of a didactic unit, from the choice of resources and tools for the training activities, to the management of the interaction in the classroom and the evaluation of the language learning path. During the course, the reference supra-national document called "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR) will be also analysed. Addressed to all those involved in the teaching of foreign languages, the CEFR serves as both a theoretical reference and an operational tool: it presents and critically analyzes what has been produced so far in the field of language teaching and learning theories of a second or foreign language and, at the same time, it is a useful consultation tool to be used in educational contexts in which it is necessary to design courses of teaching and learning of foreign languages. The objective of this module is twofold: on the one hand to orientate students with respect to the different types of learners with whom the language teacher must confront, differentiated not only by age groups, but also by cognitive and learning styles. On the other hand, to guide students in understanding the purposes of the CEFR, its structure and its organization, the levels and the corresponding descriptors of competence. All these elements are crucial to develop educational linguistic paths, as well as for assessing the achievement of the planned objectives. Third module Regardless of the current pandemic situation we are experiencing, it must be recognized that it has already been a few decades that technology has infiltrated almost every single aspect of our daily life, and certainly the field of learning and teaching foreign languages is no exception. Thus, language teachers have started dealing with the use of technological devices in the classroom and this practice has become an object of interest for several researches conducted on the effectiveness of the use of technology in language education. No teacher, student or researcher can deny the importance of using information technology to improve the learning environment and the effectiveness of the acquisition process, but often the rapid evolution of technological tools has made it difficult to choose and exploit them in the. foreign language syllabus. The purpose of this module is precisely to illustrate the evolution and some possible applied uses of technology in the language teaching and learning process, trying to keep a constant focus on the pedagogical aspects related to this practice. Starting from a review of the available technological tools and paths, as well as of the lines of research that have animated the didactic scene in recent decades, this module aims to shed light on the possible applications of technology in the language class, providing insights and operational proposals, that can guide current students and future language teachers in this uncharted territory. |