This study examines the extent to which the motivation of university students of Italian in Melbourne (Australia) is influenced by the visibility of a local Italian community. The research relies on data collected by open-ended questions and two Likert items from a survey study (n?=?74) as well as in-depth interviews (n?=?5). The findings show…

This paper investigates the role of supplementary schools as grassroots educational initiatives whose reach extend beyond individual educational trajectories for minoritized youth. We examine how these schools serve as community forces, emphasizing the importance of resources and relationships. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of funds of…

Suggests that ethnic American literature might help promote FL study through themes also recurrent in the target group literature and through English usages reminiscent of target language features. Sees these shared characteristics as a potential aid to learning, usually obscured by the emphasis placed on contrastive aspects. (MES)

A reader on Italians in Rhode Island, which provides ethnic material for Italian language courses at level three of high school or at third semester of college, is presented. Contents are as follows: a history of the Italians in Rhode Island; a profile of the lives of some of the prominent members of the Italian community; and an anthology of…

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…