Published Works

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https://hdl.handle.net/2328/659
This collection contains works that focus on Second Language Learning and Teaching.

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Browsing Published Works by Subject "Australian Standard Research Classification > Language Studies > 420108 Italian"

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    Flexibility and Interaction at a Distance: A Mixed-Model Environment For Language Learning
    (2003-09) Strambi, Antonella; Bouvet, Eric James
    This article reports on the process of design and development of two language courses for university students at beginning levels of competence. Following a preliminary experience in a low-tech environment for distance language learning and teaching, and a thorough review of the available literature, we identified two major challenges that would need to be addressed in our design: (1) a necessity to build sufficient flexibility into the materials to cater to a variety of learners' styles, interests and skill levels, therefore sustaining learners' motivation; and (2) a need to design materials that would present the necessary requisites of authenticity and interactivity identified in the examined literature, in spite of the reduced opportunities for face-to-face communication. In response to these considerations, we designed and developed learning materials and tasks to be distributed on CD-ROM, complemented by a WebCT component for added interactivity and task authenticity. Although only part of the original design was implemented, and further research is needed to assess the impact of our environment on learning outcomes, the results of preliminary evaluations are encouraging.
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    How angry can you be in French and Italian? Integrating research and teaching for the development of pragmatic competencies in L2 classrooms
    (Department of Languages, Flinders University, 2005-08) Mrowa-Hopkins, Colette Marie; Strambi, Antonella
    In recent years, discourse analysis has contributed to raising language practitioners’ awareness of the pragmatic aspects of culture in language and communication. However, the application of research data to teaching has often been limited to ESL contexts. On the other hand, the need to use research data in teaching cross-cultural pragmatic competence has been strongly advocated in the literature on SLA (Kasper, 1997), in view of the well-documented absence of the socio-pragmatic aspects of language/culture from foreign language textbooks (Liddicoat, 1997). In this paper we illustrate the rationale, as well as the main theoretical and practical aspects, of a research project designed to allow closer interaction between our research and teaching activities. In 2003, we initiated a cross-cultural investigation of emotion display and self-disclosure by Anglo-Australian, French and Italian speakers, based on the observation and analysis of non-verbal behaviour displayed in contemporary feature films. Following a discussion of issues that pertain to our research, we suggest ways in which our results can be brought into the classroom, with a view to provide opportunities for the development of socio-pragmatic competence in learners of French and Italian.
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    Learners' Perceptions of a Web-enhanced Learning Environment: Insights from a Longitudinal Study
    (2003-09) Strambi, Antonella
    This article presents the results of a longitudinal study on the perceptions of a web-enhanced learning environment by a group of beginning-level students of Italian. A website was specially designed and implemented as a complement to the existing syllabus, in order to enhance interactivity, variety, and authenticity of materials and tasks, as well as flexibility and learner control. The aim of the study is to ascertain whether the introduction of computing technology can promote learners' positive attitudes, as suggested in much of the current literature on Computer-Assisted Language Learning. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from a variety of sources confirm that the introduction of computing technology can contribute to learners' positive perceptions of the opportunities offered by their learning environment. However, a few drawbacks are also identified which suggest that the introduction of web-enhanced learning in itself cannot be expected to promote and sustain learners' positive attitudes and motivation in the long term, and the more research is needed to explore effective ways of using web-based materials, particularly at introductory levels of competence in the target language.