Learning and Teaching Foreign Languages
PROF. CRISTINA BOSISIO
COURSE AIMS
The course sets out to reflect on the learning and teaching processes of a language
(native tongue, second tongue, foreign language).
The learning part of the course will present the neuropsychological foundations of
language education. The teaching part will first address the epistemological nature
of language teaching and then reflect on the development of the (language)
teaching approaches and methods adopted since the 19th century to the present day.
The course will end with the presentation of the features and aims of the most
recent European projects that address the training of language teachers. The
common thread of the course is the ongoing dialogue between the theoretical
aspects and the applicative effects.
COURSE CONTENT
1. Learning languages
– The neuropsychological foundations of language education.
– Communicative skill and linguistic abilities.
2. Teaching languages
– The epistemological nature of language teaching.
– Development of language teaching approaches and methods: from “grammartranslation” to multiple approaches.
– Designing and planning teaching courses: from the curriculum to learning units.
3.
–
–
–
Learning and teaching languages today
Current regulatory framework.
CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning).
European language teacher training projects: from profile to portfolio.
READING LIST
Attending students:
Course notes (lecture notes, the material published on Blackboard, any photocopies and/or
work done in class).
M. DALOISO, I fondamenti neuropsicologici dell’educazione linguistica, Cafoscarina, Venice,
2009, (obtainable online at: http://lear.unive.it/bitstream/10278/1188/1/DaloisoR.pdf).
M. CHIN-P. DESIDERI-C. BOSISIO, Apprendere e insegnare le lingue oggi. Fondamenti della
glottodidattica, Carocci, Rome, forthcoming (available starting Semester 2).
C. BOSISIO (ed.), Il docente di lingue in Italia. Linee guida per una formazione europea, Le
Monnier-Mondadori Education, Milan, 2010.
Materials for consultation and use in the group projects:
M. KELLY-M.GRENFELL (eds.), European Profile for Language Teacher Education. A Frame
of Reference, University of Southampton, Southampton, 2004. Get the Italian translation
online
from:
<http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/eu-languagepolicy/docs/doc477_it.pdf>.
D. NEWBY-R. ALLAN-A.B. FENNER-B. JONES-H. KOMOROWSKA-K.SOGHIKYAN (eds.), European
Portfolio for student teachers of languages (EPOSTL). A reflection tool for language
teacher education, European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz, 2007.
Get the online Italian translation from:
<http://epostl2.ecml.at/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=8PpREfAzaYI%3D&tabid=505&language
=de-DE>.
Non-attending students:
M. DALOISO, I fondamenti neuropsicologici dell’educazione linguistica, Cafoscarina,
Venezia,
2009
(available
online
from:
http://lear.unive.it/bitstream/10278/1188/1/DaloisoR.pdf).
M. CHINI-P. DESIDERI-C. BOSISIO, Apprendere e insegnare le lingue oggi. Fondamenti della
glottodidattica, Carocci, Rome, forthcoming (available starting Semester 2).
C. BOSISIO (ed.), Il docente di lingue in Italia. Linee guida per una formazione europea, Le
Monnier-Mondadori Education, Milan, 2010.
P. DIADORI (ed.), Formazione, Qualità, Certificazione per la didattica delle lingue moderne
in Europa/TQAC in FLT. Training, Quality, Certification in Foreign Language
Teaching, Le Monnier - Mondadori Education, Milan, 2010.
For consultation:
M.KELLY-M. GRENFELL (eds.), European Profile for Language Teacher Education. A Frame
of Reference, University of Southampton, Southampton,2004.
Italian
translation
in
Diadori
(2010)
and
online
at:
<http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/eu-language-policy/docs/doc477_it.pdf>.
D. NEWBY-R. ALLAN-A. B. FENNER-B. JONES-H. KOMOROWSKA-K. SOGHIKYAN (eds.), European
Portfolio for student teachers of languages (EPOSTL). A reflection tool for language
teacher education, European Centre for Modern Languages, Graz, 2007.
Italian
translation
in
Diadori
(2010)
and
online
at:
<http://epostl2.ecml.at/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=8PpREfAzaYI%3D&tabid=505&lang
uage=de-DE>.
Any additional information on the reading list will be indicated in class and published on the
lecturer’s webpage (http:\\docenti.unicatt.it\\ita\\cristina_bosisio).
TEACHING METHOD
Lectures, guided practical assignments (metacognition and self-assessment; creation of
exercises and specific didactic activities), group projects (analysis of manuals; observation
and application of language teaching technologies), online forums (via Blackboard).
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Oral exam, practical assignments.
NOTES
The student is invited to check the lecturer’s webpage regularly for updates, study
materials and other information.
Further information can be found on the lecturer's webpage at
http://docenti.unicatt.it/web/searchByName.do?language=ENG, or on the Faculty notice
board.