The effects of song and elaboration were assessed on the acquisition and retention of lexical items by beginner learners of Italian. Lexical acquisition investigated through an incidental learning experiment based on the premise that growth in L2 vocabulary can be facilitated by subvocal rehearsal and elaborate processing of lexical items.…

One studies Italian for the same reason one studies any language--to become educated. Even more than for art and music, Italian is necessary for literature. Dante must be read, and in the original. Further, we study Italian to know our cultural roots and heritage. (AMH)

Summarizes the contents of four books on language teaching written by Harold Palmer between 1917 and 1924. Palmer's writings bridged some of the gap between theory and practice in language teaching. (CFM)

Discusses the characteristics of three types of Italian students (called "newly arrived,""nostalgic," and "uprooted") and their motivation. (RM)

Discusses the use of humor in the language classroom, and provides some sample activities in Italian. (AM)

A discussion of university-level FL instruction in Canada. (RM)

Reports on a pilot project which used an imaginary tour of an Italian city as the basis for conversation exercises. (AM)

A large number of exercises based on film advertisements, which are reproduced in the article, and suggestions for using them. The exercises include reading comprehension, vocabulary, translation and reinforcement activities. Examples are given in English, French and Italian. Suggestions for introducing students to cultural differences are also…

It is proposed that, although lexical derivation has received some attention among linguists, little interest is shown in its pedagogical implications. Hypotheses about the mechanisms of derivation are outlined, current pedagogical applications are described, and further practical suggestions are made, using examples from English, French, and…

Derivations of the term "gerund" are examined as they pertain to native English speakers learning French, Italian, and/or Spanish. The form's etymology is chronicled from Latin, and its current usage in student textbooks in the three languages is examined. A solution to the terminological confusion surrounding the term is proposed. (41…

This article stresses the idea that teaching communicative competence and the ability to deal with a variety of language situations should be the goal of foreign language teaching, with grammar instruction in a secondary position. Teaching by means of "dialogues with options" is discussed and sample dialogues for Italian instruction are given.…

It is recommended that listening comprehension have a larger role in second-language instruction, particularly at intermediate/advanced levels. Sample materials focusing on the speech act of disagreement are proposed for university students of Italian. The materials expose students to a variety of registers and strategies and integrate language…

This study investigated sensitivity to morphological, semantic, and syntactic cues to grammatical gender among 64 students of college-level Italian. Results showed sensitivity to cues in word-final phonemes, but low awareness of gender associations of derivational suffixes. Students had more difficulty dealing with multiple cues, particularly when…