This article discusses the implications of "multicompetence" (Cook, 1991), defined as an individual's knowledge of more than one language, for language assessment. The growing psycholinguistic evidence highlighting variability in native speaker performance as a result of multicompetence is reviewed, evidence that further questions the validity of…

Outlines a project for setting up bilingual schools for Italian children in Switzerland and Germany and discusses the advantages of doing so. (CFM)

Argues for the introduction of the syllable in the teaching and learning of Italian and to show that using a structural representation of the syllable can enlighten facts about the distribution of the definite masculine markers "il" and "lo," as well as other Italian morphemes. (Author/VWL)

Addresses the current status of teaching Italian, outlines problems that teachers of Italian must confront, and offers recommendations for improving the Italian pedagogical scenario. (CFM)

Discusses an interdisciplinary approach to foreign language learning that is integrated with an academic/professional curriculum as opposed to a traditional beginner's course. The use of an electronic concordance is described; the language of a pedagogic corpus is examined; and an example is given of an Italian course for Renaissance theater…

Introduces and describes the functions of the Opera del Vocabolario Italiano (OVI) database, a powerful Web-based, full-text, searchable electronic archive that contains early Italian vernacular texts whose composition may be dated prior to 1375. Examples are drawn from scholars in various disciplines who have employed the OVI in support of their…

Argues for the inclusion of courses in phonetics and phonology in college Italian programs, claiming that the myth of Italian as a phonetic language blurs the clear need for such training and that students actually require advanced coursework in phonetics and phonology to improve their articulation and pronunciation. (43 references) (Author/CB)

Considers implications for distance learning of negotiations by a group of intermediate learners of Italian interacting in dyads on a Web-based Italian native speaker (NS) chat program. Explores whether NS chat rooms are likely to offer an optimal environment for second language acquisition. (Author/VWL)

Incompleteness of competence--lack of command of certain second-language (L2) aspects--and divergence--interlanguage representations of L2 properties different from native representations--are distinct states of grammatical competence, as seen in French and English speakers of Italian (L2). Discussion argues that competence differences reflect…

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)

Examines recent studies of linguistic corpora in Italian, and presents the results of an analysis of "piace" and "piacciono" conducted on a corpus of 3.5 million words of written Italian, accessible at the University of Birmingham in England. Focuses on pedagogical applications of the data and on the inductive methodologies…

Describes a theatrical workshop developed to teach Italian to third-year students. The aim of the course was to increase students' understanding of Italian language and culture and to enhance their communicative skills and appreciation of literary texts. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the decline in the use of literature in foreign language instruction at the secondary level, despite the role literature plays in college level instruction. Describes a project in an Italian studies program that introduced units based on a number of canonical texts. (Author/VWL)

Using examples in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the article suggests various activities to promote the learning of descriptive adjectives and to expand students' active vocabulary. These activities include describing oneself or a friend, finding a person who possesses certain characteristics, choosing an ideal companion, and…

Introduces this special issue of the journal and presents results from comparative research into the principles constraining learner varieties (interlanguages) in use. Articles analyze the oral production of complex verbal tasks in second language Dutch, English, French, German, and Italian. (Author/VWL)