This article examines the description of the Italian double consonants and to propose a solution within the structuralist analytical framework by taking into account all available synchronic and diachronic data. The pedagogical implications of the theoretical solution are examined. (CFM)

The teaching of standard Italian to speakers of Italian dialects both in Italy and in North America is discussed, specifically through a specialized pedagogical program within the framework of a sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspective, and based on a structural analysis of linguistic systems in contact. Italian programs in Toronto are…

The lack of adequate pedagogical material for the teaching of Italian in North America is criticized. Presently available grammars and textbooks are listed with brief descriptions. Criteria, guidelines and requirements for satisfactory elementary and intermediate Italian textbooks are presented. (MS)

Looks at devices that stimulate intralinguistic thinking patterns, that is, patterns that can only be induced by the structures and forms of the target language without any dependency upon native-language patterns. Focuses on problem-solving activities that help the learner develop modes of thought that can be solved "Italian." (SED)

Addresses the question of whether teachers of Italian would be more effective if they understood current Italian adolescent talk. Reports a study that was carried out by University of Toronto researchers to determine this talk's characteristics. Forcefully argues that such talk become the Italian second-language teacher's primary focus. (CFM)

Reviews research about the brain's hemispheric functions, emphasizing the practical implications and applications of bimodal language learning. Four pedagogical principles (contextualization, visualization, diversification, and personalization) that characterize any integrated approach to language teaching are also discussed. (CB)

The Department of Italian Studies at the University of Toronto focuses on language training by relating other components of foreign language study (literature, linguistics, etc.) directly to the language training process. The department features a streaming system (beginner, native-speaker, and matriculant) which places students of linguistically…

Reviews recent literature concerning what to do to help foreign learners of Italian develop communicative competence, i.e., a functional knowledge of the uses of the language. This literature shows that to be conceptually fluent in a language is to know how that language encodes concepts on the basis of metaphorical reasoning. (33 references) (CK)

Issues related to school instruction in students' heritage or ancestral language are discussed, particularly in regard to dialect-speaking children or children with some degree of competence in the language. The first chapter considers similarities and differences between second language instruction and heritage language education. The findings on…