Catherine Ramsey-Portolano

The Future of Italian Teaching Catherine Ramsey-Portolano

This volume of essays, the product of a 2-day conference held at The American University of Rome in October 2012, brings together innovative and creative approaches to teaching Italian language, literature, culture and the arts. Featuring the perspectives of Italian professors teaching within a range of geographical contexts, from Europe (with a focus on Italy) to the UK and the USA, the essays also address a range of academic and social contexts, from university, study abroad and ERASMUS settings to the teaching of immigrants and refugees. The diversity of perspectives presented in these essays lends significant depth to the volume, making it of interest to Italian teachers in various geographical and teaching environments. The essays in the volume not only emphasize the importance of foreign language acquisition, but also propose an understanding of language as a tool for plurilingual citizens of today's global society to achieve social mobility and cohesion. The present volume offers an updated contribution to the field of teaching Italian as a foreign language, with suggestions on how to incorporate the latest trends in the field, such as social networks and media, into one's teaching. Furthermore, by addressing the use of technology not only in language teaching, but also in the arts and culture, this volume represents an invaluable contribution to the field within the new digital humanities age.