Learning and Teaching Italian Through Film

Watching movies is a captivating and effective way to learn a new language. It is also key for language learners to improve their cultural and intercultural competences. However, while films have become one of the main items in every language teacher’s tool box, preparing ad-hoc activities within an already packed program can be very challenging and time consuming. The newly published textbook of Italian, Interpretazioni, Italian Language and Culture through Film, aims to facilitate the teacher’s job in providing entertaining and effective instruction through films. It offers a wide range of exercises and ideas for the class, including apps for smart-phones and interactive websites for a collaborative learning.

Nov. 2
10:00 a.m.

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Speakers:

Carmen Merolla is an Italian native from Gragnano, Italy. She graduated in Comparative Studies with a focus on English and Japanese literature, from the Istituto Universitario L’Orientale of Napoli, and she subsequently moved to the United States, where she pursued a Master of Arts in Italian Literature and Culture from Boston College. Since 2015, Carmen has been working as a Full-Time Lecturer at Tufts University, where she enjoys to experiment with the application of smart technology in the class and the use of Italian cinema for every level of the language. Carmen has previously authored the testing program of Caleidoscopio, an intermediate-level textbook of Italian, and has presented at various conferences on the importance of hands-on culture exchange experience in the language class.

Cristina Pausini is Sr. Lecturer and Coordinator of Italian at Tufts University and has co-authored four textbooks for the teaching of Italian: Italian Through Film (YUP, 2003), Italian Through Film: The Classics (YUP, 2006), Trame, A Contemporary Italian Reader (YUP, 2009), and Interpretazioni, Italian Language and Culture Through Film (GUP, 2019).