Research has shown that there is a fundamental relationship between language and culture, and that the development of the latter is strongly informed by the advancement of the former. Effective language learning must be rooted in cultural content, and more specifically, in developing students’ intercultural sensitivity and competence.
In recent years, and particularly thanks to my professional experience as Academic Director for two study-abroad program in Florence (see page on Study Abroad and International Education) I have found myself particularly interested in the field of research. Such interest resulted in two projects: a Master’s degree with a specific focus on language acquisition and intercultural competence (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Dec 2017), and a new course on Intercultural Competence and Communication, which will be offered for the first time in the spring semester 2018 at Smith College. (click on titles below to be redirected to external website)
The aim of this Master’s degree program was to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of teaching and training methods, as well as help them acquire the organizational and planning skills necessary to create, develop and promote Italian language, culture and literature curricula. Modules taken during this degree program included, for example, Italiano L2 e LS in prospettiva interculturale, Metodologia della ricerca nella progettazione culturale e didattica, Didattica della letteratura italiana, Analisi delle interazioni comunicative e glottodidattica, E-learning e Italiano L2/LS, Il Quadro Comune Europeo e l’italiano L2. The final research thesis, which was written collaboratively with a colleague on the master’s program, focused on the role of intercultural competence in Italian language and culture acquisition process of north-American students on a study abroad program in Florence, IT. The study entailed designing a survey questionnaire, which we administered to 100+ returnee Florence students, and which provided us with the necessary data and information to propose specific actions to improve learning while studying abroad.
The course was created and developed collaboratively with a colleague at Smith College (Christiane Métral, Lectuer, French Studies), and is the first course in intercultural communication offered in the Five College consortium.
It explores the interaction between culture and communication in interpersonal and intercultural situations, and introduces students to the knowledge and skills necessary to attain global competence. Along with the study of the concept of culture and communication, this course provides the necessary tools to analyze communication behaviors in an interpersonal or intercultural context. In addition, this course creates the opportunity to analyze and evaluate how one’s own cultural identity impacts communicative exchanges with others; engages interaction with the host culture; explores the challenges; and prepares the students with knowledge and skills to be effective and ethical intercultural communicators.