This project (2020-1-PT01-KA226-HE-094809) has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Select language  >  EN ES HU IT LT PT RO
Login
Register

Database of Teaching Sources

A database of selected, reviewed, tested, assessed and validated e-learning based language teaching sources addressed to Higher education students for the learning of 18 different European languages.

Back to Teaching Sources

ADGBLOG - Attività ed esercizi con l’italiano specialistico

Date of Publication

Since 2011

Target Group

Lecturers
Students

Domain Area

Accounting
Arts & Music
Business & Communication
Journalism & multimedia
Law
Medicine & Nursing
Sustainability
Tourism

Learning Scenario

Classroom Context

Target Language

Italian

Language of Instruction

Italian

CEFR level

B1
B2
C1
C2

Type of Material

Activity/task
Audio
Picture/Graphics
Video

Linguistic Features

Vocabulary
Grammar

Skills

Listening
Writing
Reading

Description

Accademia del Giglio is a private school whose mission is to teach Italian language and culture, artistic and pictorial techniques. The school publishes an online magazine, adgblog.it , specialized in Teaching and Learning L2/LS Italian, Italian culture, art and history of art. It includes teaching units, activities and exercises developed and validated by the the school teaching staff.
Adblog.it provides a collection of resources to study Italian as a special language, such as:
L’italiano con il calcio
L’italiano e la banca
L’italiano con l’economia
L’italiano e il gergo criminale
L’Italiano con l’arte
L’italiano con l’architettura
L’italiano dal dottore
L’italiano a tavola e in cucina
L’italiano con la politica
L’italiano con l’agricoltura

The sections include a variety of exercises and activities, from vocabulary and grammar exercises to listening and reading activities from Level B1 to Level C2. Italian culture is well represented by the choice of authentic and diversified materials.

Case study

The resource was tested by University of Ferrara.
Number of students involved: 2 Level B2
Number of lecturers involved: 1

The following resource was administered by the lecturer in a blended learning course of L2 Italian for Law students: L’italiano e il gergo criminale.
The general theme of a series of lectures was ‘Italian Mafia’ and the students were asked to watch an interview to Roberto Saviano, the Italian writer who was put under a strict security control after receiving death threats by a Camorra clan: https://www.adgblog.it/2009/11/07/intervista-a-roberto-saviano/
The resource was contextualized before, during and after the completion of the activities with other activities of the same domain. Law vocabulary and structures were focused in specific exercises created by the lecturer.
Students who participated in the case study were asked to complete the activities and to answer a questionnaire, which included 5 questions:
1. Did you like the resources?
2. Were they useful to improve your language skills?
3. Did they increase your motivation to study Italian as LSP?
4. Do they represent an innovative approach to LSP learning?
5. From the technical point of view, are they easy and intuitive to use?

Students evaluated the resources very positively: they found them appealing and useful to improve their knowledge of LSP Italian, especially the vocabulary, through watching the video. They liked so much exploring the theme ‘Mafia’ through this resource that their motivation increased. They also found it easy and intuitive to use.
The lecturer, on the other hand, pointed out how the resource had to be contextualized through activities before, during and after watching the video.

If using the resource, the lecturer’s intervention has be taken into account, as it requires to be inserted in a learning path to be fully exploited.

Guidelines

Vocabulary exercises, listening, reading, and writing activities can be used in LSP teaching units for the classroom context. Lecturers can integrate them with both oral and written practice in a variety of formats: note-taking, summary, discussion about the topics, and activities aimed at the acquisition of LSP pragmatic competence.
For Project Based Learning, lecturers could propose the cultural resources as starting point to develop contextualized case studies on a specific topic. For example, law students could be invited to explore the section ‘L’Italiano e il gergo criminale’ , containing specialized vocabulary exercises and reading and listening cultural activities to carry out a Project on organized crime.

Review

Category
Rate
Comprehensive approach
Capacity to match the needs of lecturers and students

4

Added value
The provided tangible improvements

3

Motivation enhancement
The capacity to motivate students to improve their language skills

5

Innovation
Effectiveness in introducing innovative, creative and previously unknown approaches to LSP learning

3

Transferability
Measurement of the transferable potential and possibility to be a source of further capitalisation/application for other language projects in different countries

4

Skills assessment and validation
Availability of appropriate tools for lecturers to monitor students’ progress and for students to assess own progress and to reflect on learning

5

Adaptability
Flexibility of the contents and possibilities for the LSP lecturers to adapt the contents to their and to students’ need

5

Usability
Assess the technical usability from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

4

Accessibility
Assess the accessibility from the point of view of the lecturer and the student

4

Comments:
The capacity to meet the needs of lecturers and students is good because of the considerable range of the activities offered. On the other hand, the technological solutions are quite traditional and the exercises a little bit repetitive, so they don't introduce particularly innovative, creative and previously unknown approaches to LSP learning.
The resources can be used just for classroom context or blended learning, as no keys are given for the activities and exercises. As for adaptability, they can be fully integrated in LSP teaching units according to students' needs, motivating them to improve their language skills.
Website of the Teaching Source:
Visit