Search

There is widespread agreement that, in his later philosophy, Wittgenstein sees the meaning of a word as a matter of the rules for its use; to grasp its meaning is to grasp the rules for its use; and using the word with that meaning is a matter of following those rules. Kathrin Glüer and Åsa Wikforss have challenged that widely-shared interpretation. They argue that the later Wittgenstein does not think that the meanings of words are determined by rules or that using language involves following rules. And they think that the idea that using a word involves following rules is not just wrong as an interpretation of Wittgenstein; it is philosophically unacceptable in its own right. The paper defends the standard interpretation of Wittgenstein on rules and meaning against Glüer and Wikforss’s arguments. Textual evidence in favour of the standard interpretation is presented. Glüer and Wikforss’s textual case for their interpretation is discussed and found unconvincing. The paper then defends the view that using language involves following rules against Glüer and Wikforss’s philosophical critique. It is argued that Wittgenstein shows us a way to understand language-use as a form of rule-following behaviour that is consistent with his other commitments and maintains the distinction between following a rule and merely acting in accord with a rule. His account is an anti-reductionist one; there is no prospect of giving a non-circular account of what it is to follow a rule. But there is nothing philosophically unsatisfactory about that.

This paper presents a case study on the teaching of a 30-hour module of English Linguistics for two courses in the first-cycle degree programme in Modern Cultures and Languages. Data gathered through students’ evaluation forms have been contradictory: the module scored high as far as students’ satisfaction was concerned but it scored low regarding interest. This paper shows how students’ feedback has helped us introduce changes. These are illustrated in the main part of this paper. They engage with pedagogical knowledge, methodologies and practices, as well as linguistic approaches specifically chosen to unpack the potential of the content of the module, improving students’ language awareness and language skills.

This paper examines from a codicological and bibliographical point of view the manuscript M-139 of the Menéndez Pelayo Library (Santander, Spain). The aim is to provide new information on the materiality of the codex while linking the study of the material and content of the manuscript, in order to draw conclusions about its configuration. After the identification of the manuscript, the contents are explained in detail. The material aspects are then dealt with, from the composition and markings of the paper, through the systems of arrangement to a brief paleographic analysis.

Starting from the innovative approach operated by Hans Hunfeld and the more recent evidence by Mirco Magnani, this paper deals with the use of literary texts in language education, among which poetic texts are no exception. The present paper aims specifically to argue that even popular songs can place their lyrics as a model for language learning, most notably after considering the recipients of education within a broad objective of inclusivity. The use of songs in linguistic education for Italian as a Second or Foreign Language is already known, but it deals mostly with the classical melodramma or Italian art song. However, here it will be argued that even contemporary music spread among teenagers and youths can belong to the education program for languages. This paper presents the drill music lyrics of Louboutin (2020) by Vale Pain and Rondo da Sosa as a less orthodox but not less valid instrument to teach and learn Italian for foreigners.

In the nineteenth century, Euro-American maps of Africa in the cultural contact of Europeans and Africans were also rhetorical devices, which articulated the politics of territorial conceptions of the geographical space. I contend that cartographic styles visually prompt alternative territorial perspectives with insights into past geographies. The paper examines three nineteenth-century maps of Yorùbáland in West-Central Africa highlighting cartographic styles, symbolic representations and territorial politics. Through a historical-stylistic analysis, I explore the cultural motivation of map production, their composition and the semiotic evaluation of their representations to stress alternative map appearances. These maps worked in territorial power relations, which highlight map styles as a persuasive element in the social construction of territorial identities and interests. Overall, the paper stresses maps are vital devices in the nineteenth century territorialisation of Yorùbáland, which exemplify the cultural interdependence of Europeans, Americans and Africans.

This study explores the ontological assumptions of mapping as active processes, rather than passive representations and discusses the need for pragmatic guidelines in map-making, as maps only acquire meaning through their users’ minds and bodies. The paper presents historical examples of Italian colonial topographic mapping of the southern Libyan Desert during the 1930s. It emphasizes the interconnected histories of geographical exploration, social and cultural contexts, and technical practices. The paper argues that the ‘empty spaces’ on maps reflect intentional choices made by cartographers, not insufficient data. The performative nature and diverse sociocultural conditions of maps need to be considered to understand their meaning and use.

The paper aims at exploring the linguistic aspects of the superdiversity characterizing Italian schools. Data was collected through a questionnaire submitted to 316 middle and high school students from Arezzo and Florence, in Tuscany. Both qualitative and quantitative results are presented, showing the roles of languages and dialects in the lives of the students, as well as the impact of several factors in shaping their attitudes towards accented speech. Overall, this paper promotes the adoption of a granular conceptualization of mobility (the Regionality Index) as a variable representing migratory backgrounds.

Within the long-standing educational linguistic research tradition on the so-called ‘operational models’, little attention has been devoted to inclusive practices, particularly when learners with specific language needs are present in mainstream classes. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting a new teaching procedure (Language Teaching Cycle) which brings together some key-principles derived from traditional models with new insights into the psycholinguistic processes that characterize language learning and should be supported in order to promote inclusion. The first part of the paper proposes a critical literature review of two major teaching procedures (the PPP sequence and the Teaching/Learning Unit), while the second part presents the theoretical bases of the Language Teaching Cycle, as well as its potential future developments and applications.

In this paper we focus on an aspect of the change in the syntax of the Gallo-Italic variety of Nicosia (Enna), which is presumably fostered by prolonged contact with Sicilian: the use of the Aviri a + Infinitive Construction (AICo). This periphrasis can cover different functions (deontic, epistemic, futural, and optative) and, in Nicosiano, can surface in different configurations (usually featuring a [d] element). We considered a written corpus containing works (poetry, short stories, novels, theatre plays) by the two major authors in Nicosiano: La Giglia (1862-1922) and Castrogiovanni (1933-2007). We compared the occurrences of the AICo in the corpus with those of modal dövë̀ ‘must’ and synthetic future forms. The functions of the latter two, which are not productive in Sicilian anymore, generally overlap with those of the AICo. The data collected confirm the effects of Sicilian on Nicosiano: the AICo has almost completely taken over dövë̀ and synthetic forms for all the functions considered, the latter constructions generally occurring in crystallised expressions in the corpus.

Interpreters have tended to focus on the relation between Frege and the early Wittgenstein, but Frege also posed problems for the later Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein's concept of a language-game was inspired byHilbert's alleged formalism, as criticised by Frege, and it points to an important dialogue that Wittgenstein engages in with Frege. Wittgenstein expresses formalist views and invokes Frege's critique of formalism at the beginning of the Big Typescript and The Blue Book. He engages more deeply with the problems posed by Frege and formalism in the remarks collected in Philosophical Grammar,where the issues raised set the agenda for the first §§242 of the Philosophical Investigations. The radical transformation in our understanding of meaning and understanding that takes place enables Wittgenstein to escape the problems which P.T. Geach believes were posed for him by Frege's paper "Thought", concerning first-person thoughts about sensations.

Could we take Wittgenstein’s philosophy as antagonistic or compatible with AI? Interpretations go in opposite directions. In this paper, I stand with compatibilists and claim that Wittgenstein’s discussion on contexts has deep connections with the early stages of AI at different levels. Furthermore, his remarks on context aids in the comprehension of the recent advancement in machine learning based AI, although they embed a warning against the oversimplyfied association of artificial and human intelligence.

Cross-linguistic variation in future-tense sentences has been extensively documented in the literature. Despite this diversity, there is a prevailing sense that a common core meaning exists and that the various interpretations in each language are connected. To account for both the similarities and the differences, Escandell-Vidal proposes that the meaning encoded by verbal tenses can be analysed into two components: i) core meaning; and ii) semantic micro-parameters (additional fine-grained constraints on specific categories of the core meaning that account for subtle differences between related languages or dialects). The purpose of this paper is twofold. On the descriptive side, it aims to refine the approach in terms of microparametric distinctions by suggesting some modifications. On the theoretical side, it seeks to offer a simpler and more powerful tool to account for interlinguistic variation by restricting its range to a limited set of predictable combinations.

In this paper I explore what it means to take ordinary language as the raw material of philosophy. To do so, I contrast what I call ‘grammar’ or the grammatical approach, which is characteristic of L. Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations and ‘ordinary language philosophy’ (OLP) as J.L. Austin understood it. I show that, while ‘standard’ OLP tends to focus on ‘historical situations’ understood as virtually plausible stagings of our actual uses of concepts, and thus contrasts ‘normal’ and ‘parasitic’ uses of language; the grammarian focuses on the logical possibilities of language through the invention of fictitious language-games. The latter thus extends the ‘ordinary’ up to the abnormal and the extraordinary and rather contrasts it with mere apparent uses that are no uses of language at all.

This paper investigates whether Wittgenstein can be considered an ‘ordinary language philosopher’. A central role in his thinking is that of what may be called our ‘home language’ - the language we bring along in coming to do philosophy. The intelligibility of philosophers’ language depends on its relation to the home language. This is the central point of Philosophical Investigations § 116. Traditional philosophical ‘uses’ of a word like ‘knowledge’ have a problematic relation to our customary uses of the word. In consequence, traditional philosophers have sometimes lost the grip on how such words are actually used in human interaction.

In contemporary philosophy of mind, understanding others is often presented as an activity of attributing mental states to agents or mindreading – the central question being then how to access their minds. The paper argues that this pervasive approach should be rejected, in favour of the view along which identifying an action comes from exercising conceptual skills acquired through being inserted into shared practices characterizing a social world. Examining the conditions of their acquisition then sheds new light on the semantics of psychological concepts as well as on the roots of misunderstanding.

In this paper, I shall deal with quasi-(proper) names, that is expressions like ‘Mum’, ‘Dad’, ‘Grandpa’, ‘Grandma’ in English or ‘Papà’, ‘Mamma’, ‘Nonna’, ‘Nonno’ in Italian. My aim is to describe their uses and to throw further light on the theory of proper names. My view is that quasi-names are even more directly referential than proper names, as they stress continuity in the reference to a certain person. While proper names are always contextual, in so far as the context can select the referent in question (e.g. through salience), a quasi-name guarantees semantic continuity in that the referent is normally anchored to the speaker.

Different studies in generative grammar have tried to explain the optionality with respect to the complementizer omission across languages and across structures. Specifically, the complementizer omission in declarative embedded contexts introduced by the so-called bridge verbs. In this paper, we test two models postulating different derivations and marking different predictions to the nature of the complementizer omission: one model stipulates the deletion of the complementizer (complementizer deletion), whereas the second model focuses on the verbal elements of the embedded clause (complementizer rise, when present). To reach our goal, we explore large-scale datasets (syntactically annotated treebanks of German, Italian and Old Florentine) and adopt simple computational models to compare and test the models under investigation. Our results suggest that the predictions of the complementizer deletion hypotheses are confirmed by German data, while those of the complementizer rise model are partially corroborated by Italian data. We consider this study as a blueprint for finer-grained research.

In reply to Alessandro Capone’s paper entitled “On quasi-proper names”, I provide relevant data in Japanese and discuss the properties and status of quasi-names from a cross-linguistic perspective. A close look at the properties of Japanese quasi-names indicates that they are a special case of yobina (lit. ‘call name’), a subcategory of nicknames in Japanese which are used both to refer to and to call someone. Specifically, they are like stage names systematically given to older family members. The yobina status of quasi-names appear to hold cross-linguistically, while the peculiarity within the yobina category has general and language-specific elements.

The subversive semantic power of the revenant or reanimated corpse in Victorian literature serves as a crucial indicator of the era’s preoccupation with the body as a cultural domain. Deeply entwined with the uneasy relationship between the advancement of anatomical science and criminality, the body is marked as the site of fraught boundaries imbued with social order and its attendant anxieties. This paper explores the narrative strategies of Stevenson’s short story “The Body Snatcher” (1884) where resurrectionist motifs resist the enforcement of the condition of anonymity that was entailed by anatomical dissection and signal the impossibility of closure through the trope of return of the repressed sub specie of the dissected cadaver. This dual ‘resistance’ culminates in the symbolism of the revenant corpse’s movement, abandoned in its progress towards the future. Stevenson’s story reveals a hermeneutic complexity that intertwines the themes of contamination, ethical collusion, commodification of the dead body through the entanglement of medical practice and narrative opacity. This offers further insights into the Victorian resurrectionist imagination, in the light of that ‘aura’ of the corpse which the regulation of the 1834 New Poor Amendment Act failed to dispel.

This paper provides an overview of the current status of L2 pronunciation teaching and shows that there is a greater appreciation for L2 pronunciation teaching today than there was in the past. The paper starts by reviewing the main theoretical approaches in pronunciation teaching of the past 70 years and introduces today’s approach focusing on ‘speech intelligibility’ rather than on the achievement of native-like pronun-ciation. It then addresses the following issues: what we mean by foreign accent and speech intelligibility; how foreign accent can affect communication and speakers’ integration in society; what challenges present-day L2 pronunciation teachers; how technology can help.

The so-called “art map age”, a phenomenon marked by the convergence of visual arts and cartography, emerged between the 60-70s and early 2000s. The close relationship between cartographic and artistic language is a “commonplace” of the present world: if the artistic experiments with the maps have been supported by a vast bibliography, in this paper I follow a strictly geographical approach to describe some trends of contemporary art. I take inspiration from a terminological distinction introduced by Arthur Robinson and Barbara Petchenik: and that is between ‘mapper’, ‘mapmaker’ and ‘cartographer’. Furthermore, combining the “types” of the mapper, the mapmaker, and the cartographer with the different attitudes regarding maps (as medium, image, abstraction, etc.), I will suggest a small classification scheme.

In this paper we will address the following points: (1) we will question the geneal belief that Kant’s philosophical approach has a geographical character, by showing how critical philosophy and physical geography establish, in their respective systems, two inverse relationships between the rational and the aesthetic form of spatiality; (2) we will argue that cartography still plays a role in the realization of a scientific system of cognition, and that this role consists in guiding this very realization; (3) lastly, we will develop the hypothesis that the map of the cognitive faculties, exemplified by the transcendental topic, is part of a device aimed at keeping the subject from the adventures of thought typical of dogmatism.

The present paper draws attention to the intercultural nature of English used as a lingua franca in flexible, dynamic and evolving communicative settings and consequently, to the need for language teachers to become aware of the multifaceted English world, where goals and purposes for using English are constantly challenged and re-created. Drawing on the connection between Intercultural communication research and ELF findings, the paper aims to provide empirically-grounded suggestions for language teachers in the hope to stimulate reflections on the role of intercultural aspects in classroom approaches and therefore, encourage to incorporate ELF-oriented pedagogies in well-established teaching practices. In light of a theoretical background, an exploration of language teachers’ attitudes towards ELF and intercultural issues will be conducted and the initial results of a preliminary study presented. Finally, implications for language teaching will be offered.

The study centres around the idea that English is a global lingua franca for intercultural communication among multilingual speakers. Drawing on relevant literature in the field, the paper will highlight the intercultural and transcultural nature of English used as a multilingua franca (EMF). In particular, the study will explore learners’ attitudes with the purpose to identify how learners perceive the complex relation between culture and language and the factors which may affect intercultural communication through English. The study will analyse two sample groups. The first group is composed of students belonging to different first language backgrounds, mainly non-native speakers of English studying in an Italian university. The second group is composed of both native and non-native English speakers studying in the US and Canada. An online link to a questionnaire was sent via email to all participants and was used as a research instrument to collect quantitative data. It is highlighted that English used in multilingual settings cannot be analysed as a static and bounded entity with precise boundaries. On the contrary, English has transcended boundaries, in a fluid, dynamic and flexible process where borders are fuzzy and blurred and languages do not reflect well-defined national cultures. Therefore, it is suggested that language teaching practices should incorporate intercultural/transcultural oriented issues to provide learners with a more comprehensive knowledge of the multifaceted global English world and encourage a richer cultural and linguistic experience.

Writing is a social act of construction of meanings, which makes no sense in the absence of a addressee, so it is inherent in a process of negotiation in which the writer is constantly engaged in a dialogue to construct his voice and identity in the production of a text. This paper aims to analyse how Chinese learners of Italian LS construct their voice in the production of a argument essay. Given the specificity of the textual typology, we also focus on how much Chinese textuality can influence the argument structure in LS. The article concludes with some considerations for teaching writing to Chinese students.

The present paper discusses the potential of Cognitive Linguistics in the study of Specific Language Needs, i.e. pupils with specific impairment in the areas of communication and language acquisition. The paper is ideally divided into two parts. Part one provides a brief overview of how Cognitive Linguistics views the relationship between language and cognition and discusses clinical evidence supporting the idea that these are interrelated in developmental disorders. Consequently, Specific Language Needs should be reframed as cognitive limitations that selectively impact the development of language and communication. The second part of the paper shows that adopting a cognitive linguistic view can also be advantageous in the teaching of second/foreign languages to pupils with Specific Language Needs. After discussing the limitations of traditional approaches to the teaching of grammar, the authors present some potential applications which help overcome some typical learning difficulties experienced by pupils with Specific Language Needs.

This paper intends to demonstrate the need for explicit attention to the vocabulary in the accessible teaching of Latin to students with Specific Linguistic Needs. Starting from an examination of the state of the art of teaching Latin with regard to the teaching of vocabulary, it will analyse the role of the latter in the processes of reading and understanding the text; this paper will then proceed to outline some methodological principles that can guide the design of clear and gradual vocabulary paths. This analysis will take into account Specific Linguistic Needs which involve specific reading disorders, but not the comprehension of the text: in particular we will take into consideration students with dyslexia.

This paper presents the first results of a research project realized by the Universities for Foreigners of Perugia and Siena that created materials designed to promote social awareness nei migrants living in Italy. The paper describes the Italian context within the more complex European situation, then moves to the analysis of the construct and content of the KoS materials and identifies some critical issues related to the ethics of a KoS test and the impact on a democratic educational linguistics project.

The paper proposes a first of its kind investigation on individual language teaching context. Given its original and uncommon nature, the main objective is to outline a preliminary characterisation of the topic. The first section provides a terminological premise that helps identify the context. The central part of the paper presents a comparison between individual, collective and individualized language teaching to distinguish the subject matter of the research. The final section discusses and introduces the main principles and properties of individual language teaching.

This paper deals with the teaching of English pronunciation in the primary classroom. It starts from two major premises. First, the Lingua Franca status of English (ELF), which has prompted a shift in pronunciation teaching from the attainment of a native accent to the achievement of mutual intelligibility. Second, the features of today’s primary classroom, which is de facto an ELF context, the school population being characterised by a growing number of multilingual pupils and of non-native teachers of English. Three English coursebooks for the primary school are analysed to investigate: 1) if and which pronunciation-focussed activities are suggested; 2) if and what support is provided to the primary teacher to make the most of the activities; 3) whether any of such activities/support show a trend towards an early inclusion of ELF-aware pronunciation pedagogy.

This paper focuses on the grammatical category of voice in the context of Japanese language teaching and aims to analyze the categories of the passive and the causative starting from the academic experience at Bologna University. The study provides a broad theoretical framework on the basis of the recent Japanese literature on linguistics (nihongogaku) in order to stimulate a double intralingual and interlingual reflection in Italian students. At a didactic level, the contribution underlines the importance of drawing on Japanese literature in order to acquire a shared metalanguage that can stimulate further research and induce teachers to keep up with the most recent outcomes in the field.

This paper aims to propose an integrated model for the analysis of verbal processes in ancient Greek texts and their facilitation in contemporary readers through coherent evidence-based teaching procedures. Rooted in functional contextualism, a philosophy of science in which events are studied in relation to their historical and current environment pursuing the goals of prediction and influence, it applies the model of language and cognition known as Relational Frame Theory to the analysis of verbal processes involved in the decoding of Orestes’ bones oracles described in Hdt., 1.67‑8 and to the extension to these of an existing teaching procedure for the facilitation of naming and metaphorical language. The intervention efficacy will need empirical evaluation by a behavioural analyst.

The increasing multiculturalism and multilingualism of Italian society has not had no real impact on Italian state language policy and planning: community languages are not taught in Italian state schools, neither to students with a migrant background, nor to native students. Given this absence of provision in the state system, the learning of community languages is primarily achieved through complementary education. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with school organisers and teachers, this paper discusses the reasons for Ukrainian language learning in two Ukrainian complementary schools in Italy.

The article reports on the design and piloting of the MobIta proficiency test. MobIta was designed as an entry test for a course of Italian for Business Purposes to assess reading and writing skills in the occupational and public domains of the Common European Framework. However, since the course was entirely online, we included in our test a part devoted to assessing language proficiency for online learning. After contextualising linguistic competence for online education, the paper illustrates the development of the test, focusing on the piloting stage. We conclude that language proficiency is an important asset for distance education and, since it can hinder the learners’ participation, must therefore be carefully considered.

The present paper aims to stimulate reflection on what learning and teaching English means nowadays in evolving and dynamic social, linguistic and cultural contexts. In the increasingly multilingual contexts which characterize the era of globalization, English becomes a fluid, variable, heterogeneous language, strictly connected to local identities and speakers’ linguistic needs. It is therefore suggested to re-examine traditional pedagogies in light of the changes and innovations which have contributed to expand and diversify English globally. A global language, yet with a myriad of different voices which claim to be heard and recognized. A new pedagogical space for English gradually emerges along with more meaningful roles for inspiring teachers, definitely more aware of new perspectives and implications. The paper attempts to offer new insight with the hope to enlarge traditional teaching horizons and practices.

The paper discusses the main results of a case study on migrant women learning Italian as a second language and the teaching strategies employed thereof. The study focuses in particular on the linguistic and educational needs of female learners who move to Italy as a re- sult of family reunification. After providing a critical overview of the course structure and teach- ing procedures which are generally implemented in this type of language training, the paper proposes an analysis of adult migrants’ L2 learning needs from a gendered perspective. In light of some critical issues emerging from the case study, a task-based and self-narrative methodo- logical framework is proposed, to try and meet migrant women’s heterogeneous needs.

This paper outlines the proposal for a new language teaching research area specifically devoted to the study of (native, foreign and second) language learning within the context of special needs. Particularly, the first part of the paper discusses the epistemological background and the theoretical necessity for such a branch of language teaching theory and methodology, whereas the second part sets the epistemological framework of reference for studies in this research field. For this reason, the paper also outlines the theoretical framework for all the papers collected in this special issue of EL.LE journal.

This paper outlines a possible methodological framework for teaching languages to special needs students. The paper is divided into three parts. The first section provides a definition of ‘language teaching accessibility’ and highlights the theoretical background that has led to this notion. Since it is impossible to achieve any kind of accessibility without knowing the student’s type of need, the second section introduces the notion of Functional Language Learning Profile, which is meant to be as an operational tool for the language teacher to get to know the student’s aptitude, learning style, linguistic background etc. in order to successfully design a personalized teaching plan for the special needs student. Finally, the third section discusses some teaching principles to achieve accessibility in the language classroom.

The starting point of this paper is the influence a handicap has in the process of knowing and in language development. For this reason it tries to provide insights on how to face visual impairments in the school environment. At the beginning, the paper focuses on some of the problems of a partially-sighted child, who is situated somewhere in the middle between a normal-sighted and a blind child. In order to help such students develop language skills, the teachers need to pay attention on two different aspects: on the one hand the development of knowledge, skills and abilities needed to provide answers to the student’s needs, on the other hand the student’s limitations. The first two paragraphs focus on low vision difficulties, whereas the third discusses the influence of the visual impairment on learning and provides suggestions for teaching action.

This paper starts from a reflection, and a further adjustment for special needs, on Balboni’s model for didactic action. In this way, it stands out the importance of the identification of the causes and consequences of deficits or difficulties of the student. This will help to identify the most appropriate teaching actions to reduce/surround/prevent barriers to language teaching. This will allow the teacher to identify not only the most suitable techniques for language teaching but also the most appropriate it systems to achieve the objective. In the second part of the paper, we propose a practical example, based on dyslexia, for the teaching/learning of prepositions with verbs of motion in Spanish. This is done by creating and using an interactive and multimedia book (iBook). For the creation of this material, we have only used free (or very low price) software and very easy to use (just need to know how to use a simple word processing and a presentations program).

The active role of the learner in the language learning process has been thoroughly acknowledged in the past fifty years. The discussion on the centrality of the learner in the acquisi- tion of a second (L2) or foreign language (FL) is essentially based on the postulate that the charac- teristics of the learner affect the way in which the second or foreign language is acquired and that successful learners appear to have common personal features. Research on the language learner has demonstrated that every person learning a language has his or her own peculiar features and considerable personal baggage which must be taken into account throughout the learning pro- cess. Individual differences in foreign and second language learning can be identified in character- istics such as age, gender and aptitude, and in factors such as motivation, styles and strategies. This paper will first focus on the development of research on the language learner and on the main issues concerning language learner’s aptitude, motivation, and, in particular, on learner strategies. Age, styles and gender will not be considered as research on these characteristics also involves a deep analysis of sociological and psychological issues which are beyond the aim of this paper. The second part will concentrate on language learner strategies involved in language testing situations and on how the use of these strategies affects the test, its quality and, namely, its validity.

This paper first provides a brief survey of the main aspects to take into account in order to design and carry out an effec- tive collaborative learning experience with a class in another country, integrating the lesson with web Videoconferencing. Secondly, it presents two case studies of telecollaboration projects in which Italian primary school pupils share common tasks with peers in the United Kingdom through Skype sessions. Finally, it analyses the motivational impact on the Italian pupils due to the emotional involvement experienced through such an innovative learning programme. All the information provided in this paper is based on data collected through the researcher’s observa- tion of the Italian pupils and lessons, focus group discussions with the pupils, administration of a semi-structured questionnaire to the two Italian teachers involved and other self-report tools (pupils and teachers).

It is easy to teach a good student who shows no difficulty in learning. A greater commitment is necessary however, with a learner who is unable to follow the set pace and pursue the set educational objectives. This paper is the fruit of a collaborative, didactic experience centered on the use of mental maps which has led to excellent results. This tool is often associated with didactics for learners who have specific learning difficulties. We have used mental maps in the organizational stage of learner’s study, for their presentations, in the review stage and for their written French work, increasing both the performance and concentration of university students.

The study deals with written errors in Italian language made by Russian learners and their use in Italian LS/L2 lessons. The cultural-linguistic background of Russian learners of Italian and the differences in the morphosyntax of Italian and Russian are partly accounted for causes of such errors. The paper focuses on the didactic advantages of ranking multiple choice test on the base of the degree of incorrectness of the proposed choice: it supports the importance of using systematic errors as a source to create ad hoc multiple choice, and to trigger students’ conscious second language learning.

The paper centres around the idea that second language learning is an intercultural process. The global role of English as a primary means of intercultural communication has highlighted the need to develop intercultural competences in language learners. Based on these premises, this study will explore the extent to which intercultural aspects are incorporated in course materials and textbooks. A content analysis of 4 textbooks will be conducted. The preliminary results will highlight the limited coverage of intercultural content in most of the textbooks analysed and the need to promote intercultural knowledge and understanding in the language classroom.

The present study, conducted in a secondary school in Perugia (Italy), aimed to verify the benefits of the theatrical teaching methodology on the acquisition of a foreign language, in this case Spanish. The project, funded with the Three-year Plan of the Arts, took place for 20 hours over a school term, involving 23 students in the theatrical teaching group and 30 learners in the control group. The paper describes thoroughly the original experimental protocol in all its different phases, in order to encode it and make it replicable. It also provides the results obtained, measured quantitatively and statistically through the administration of a language pre-test, at the beginning of the project, and a final post-test.

A teaching experience aimed at spreading an inclusive-oriented approach to intercomprehension (or IC) in primary schools is described and discussed in this article. In detail, its goal is to monitor listening comprehension and meaning recognition of Italian-speaking students (68 pupils) in two foreign Romance languages, while testing accessible learning materials, adapted for the needs of dyslexic children. In order to accomplish this goal, the story Tommaso e l’anguria by Mauro Scarpa (2019) is presented in Spanish and French, supported by images in kamishibai format, and children are asked to express their metacognitive knowledge about listening in L2. Data analysis is based on two post-listening monitoring activities and is primarily quantitative. Results show that the young learners understood the global meaning of the story; moreover, they recognised the meaning of more than 50% of the words in Spanish, while in French the percentage was lower. Although the young learner with dyslexia successfully completed all pedagogical tasks, results show that some graphic changes in the paper lexical recognition test are required. The analysis thus confirms the inclusive potential of the intercomprehension-based approach based on the development of L2 oral skills in primary school.

Due to the COVID-19 emergency, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice has reorganized a large part of its courses for on-line delivery through the LMS Moodle. Unfortunately, this platform, besides having a particularly complex interface to use, does not have modules dedicated to the teaching of Japanese. Addressing this issue, this paper proposes the design of a module for kanji teaching integrated with the Moodle workflow, to produce complete and printable kanji sheets with all the necessary information, thus reducing teacher workload. The methodology used derives from an Instructional System Design development model (SAM, Successive, Approximation Model) that allows continuous feedback from the teacher, so as to adapt the developed prototype to his/her teaching needs.

The present contribution is part of a wider research project whose overall goal is to define the construct of language-teaching methodology interface in lecturing through English. This paper aims at exploring the interplay between the use of pragmatic strategies and non-standardness at the morphosyntax level in lectures conducted through English as the academic lingua franca in an Italian public university. In pursuing this aim, the main differences between findings from previous research carried out in Sweden and those obtained in the setting under investigation will be documented. Results indicate that pragmatic strategies are adopted quite often during lectures and lecturers show higher degrees of non-standard morphosyntax in their spoken production, compared to what happens in the Swedish context.

The present paper aims to explore how students of Italian secondary schools approach linguistic tasks and what sort of knowledge about language emerges from their analyses. These questions arise from the observation of the results of the Invalsi tests. In order to examine how students construct their answers to a sample of language awareness questions, they were asked to explain how to answer them by making a tutorial video. The videos were discussed during a semi-structured interview. The data were transcribed and analysed by means of Qualitative Content Analysis. The results indicate that the principal difference between students relates to the stability of their “engagement with language” and their ability to switch their attention between different levels of linguistic analysis.