Mario Pace | University of Malta (original) (raw)
Books by Mario Pace
Bollettino Itals, 2022
e consulente linguistico del Ministro dell'Educazione e del Lavoro maltese per l'insegnamento e l... more e consulente linguistico del Ministro dell'Educazione e del Lavoro maltese per l'insegnamento e l'apprendimento delle lingue straniere. Oltre alla metodologia di insegnamento delle lingue straniere, le sue principali aree di interesse includono l'acquisizione della seconda lingua, l'insegnamento e l'apprendimento delle lingue straniere, nonché la valutazione linguistica. Nel maggio 2018, ha ricevuto il premio di "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia" dal Presidente della Repubblica Italiana Sergio Mattarella in riconoscimento del suo significativo contributo alla promozione della cultura italiana a Malta e al rafforzamento delle relazioni tra Italia e Malta, e in particolare per il suo ruolo nella valorizzazione dell'insegnamento e dell'apprendimento dell'italiano nelle scuole maltesi e presso le altre istituzioni educative. È responsabile dell'organizzazione e dell'erogazione di corsi di sviluppo professionale per insegnanti di italiano come lingua straniera, tenuti sia a livello locale che in varie città italiane. Collabora direttamente con varie Università e Istituzioni internazionali, in particolare con l'
The Future of Italian Teaching., 2015
Il Parlato e Lo Scritto. Aspetti Teorici e Didattici, 2019
etico della collana è consultabile all'indirizzo http:// eccellenza.unistrasi.it/617/3570/Collana... more etico della collana è consultabile all'indirizzo http:// eccellenza.unistrasi.it/617/3570/Collana_Studi_di_Linguistica_Educativa.htm Ogni testo proposto per la pubblicazione è sottoposto a almeno due revisori scelti tra studiosi ed esperti esterni alla direzione e al comitato scientifico secondo una procedura di revisione anonima in doppio cieco (double-blind peer review). Tale processo mira a ampliare la valutazione delle proposte e comunque a aiutare l'autore a migliorare il suo testo. La pubblicazione di questo volume è stata approvata dal Comitato Scientifico della Collana dopo che il testo è stato sottoposto al giudizio di due referee anonimi e ne ha ricevuto il parere positivo.
The Journal of Baroque Studies, 2021
Nel Seicento barocco, che fu un secolo di progresso in tutto il bacino del mediterraneo, il carne... more Nel Seicento barocco, che fu un secolo di progresso in tutto il bacino del mediterraneo, il carnevale, l’arrivo in città di capitani vittoriosi e altri avvenimenti simili, davano occasione per celebrazioni ufficiali che consistevano, non solo di banchetti e balli, ma anche di rappresentazioni teatrali. Questo gusto per gli spettacoli teatrali si diffuse e condizionò in misura sempre maggiore l’organizzazione del tempo libero nelle corti. E tre scrittori mediterranei che in questo periodo così importante per la storia del teatro hanno arricchito con le loro opere il panorama della drammaturgia in lingua italiana sono il maltese Carlo Magri, il siciliano Tommaso Aversa e il napoletano Niccolò Amenta, nelle cui opere due temi comuni sono la comicità e l’amore.
Politiche e pratiche per l'educazione linguistica, il multilinguismo e la comunicazione interculturale, 2021
Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è quello di valorizzare la diversità pre... more Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è quello di
valorizzare la diversità presente nei contesti di acquisizione e di apprendimento.
Questo non solamente perché ci si trova spesso dinanzi
ad apprendenti di nazionalità diverse, ma anche per via delle varie
ragioni per cui si apprendono le lingue oggi, sovente determinate
da esigenze di integrazione sociale e di opportunità lavorative. Gli
ultimi anni, specialmente in Europa, sono stati segnati dalla pubblicazione
di molti documenti di politica linguistica, in cui si sottolinea
l’importanza di avere competenze in più lingue, idealmente da una
giovane età. Nelle situazioni dove il multilinguismo è presente si dovrebbe
trarre vantaggio dalle risorse a disposizione, sia per valorizzare
le competenze linguistiche di tutti gli apprendenti sia per creare
opportunità di comunicazione interculturale. Nel contempo le
politiche linguistiche vanno valutate e rinnovate in continuazione,
di modo che possano essere di rilievo per l’apprendimento, evitando
che possano risultare alquanto distanti e, a volte, addirittura distolte
dalle pratiche quotidiane.
Politiche e pratiche per l'educazione linguistica, il multilinguismo e la comunicazione interculturale, 2021
Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è valorizzare la diversità, non solament... more Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è valorizzare la diversità, non solamente perché ci si trova spesso dinanzi ad apprendenti di nazionalità diverse, ma anche perché vari sono i motivi per cui si apprendono le lingue oggi, sovente determinati da esigenze di integrazione sociale e di opportunità lavorative. Tramite il multilinguismo si valorizzano competenze linguistiche e si creano opportunità di comunicazione interculturale. Nel contempo le politiche linguistiche vanno valutate e rinnovate in continuazione. Questi temi vengono affrontati in questo volume grazie a contributi che si diversificano sia sul piano delle lingue oggetto di studio sia quello teorico-concettuale, pur avendo in comune l’interesse per la linguistica applicata e per l’educazione linguistica.
Integrating Technology and Culture, 2016
Mastery in foreign languages is considered, in today’s world, not just an excellent tool to bridg... more Mastery in foreign languages is considered, in today’s world, not just an excellent tool to bridge gaps between people coming from different countries and to create strong sentimental and professional relationships, but above all an instrument that enables workers to considerably improve their career prospects. Multilingualism is today considered to be one of the key elements for a modern Europe, given that learning foreign languages permits citizens to enrich their lives, to grasp new ideas and to benefit from the European cultural diversity. In today’s world, knowing how to use a language in specific circumstances and purposes gives people a very strong bargaining power, especially in the labour world. Whereas up to twenty or thirty years ago, speaking a foreign language was a very important prerequisite for just a few, like managers or diplomats, today it has become of fundamental importance in all professional circles. In fact, in today’s European society, languages and interculture play a fundamental role in getting to know different people and in obtaining professional and economic development. This means that there can be two main objectives for teaching/learning foreign languages: personal growth and professional growth. As declared by the European Commission in one of its documents on multilinguilism, entitled, “Languages mean Business!”, one of the main reasons why thousands of European companies lose out on concluding deals and contracts is their lack of linguistic and intercultural competencies [1]. And this is exactly why today we offer courses in foreign languages for specific purposes, be it for tourism, for call centres, for business, for commerce and so on, focusing on acquiring the necessary terminological, interdisciplinary and intercultural skills needed for specific jobs.
Papers by Mario Pace
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2016
INTED2015 Proceedings, 2015
Cambridge Scholars Publishing eBooks, 2015
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2024
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2023
We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many ... more We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many changes taking place at the global level. Population shifting continues to happen all over the world, bringing in contact intercultural dialogue between groups who speak different languages and carry different cultures. This change does not affect only sectors of society, industry, health, politics or business, but also education. In different parts of Europe just like anywhere else in the world, school curriculum designers include intercultural objectives in school curricula and teachers find themselves facing the challenge of promoting and supporting the acquisition of intercultural competence through teaching. This is true for subject teachers but mostly for those of foreign languages. Foreign Language Teaching is intercultural in essence. Teaching a foreign language in a classroom means connecting students with a world that is different from their own. Thus, nowadays it is expected that all foreign language teachers encourage and empower intercultural competence among their students. Through my presentation I will discuss what is meant with the term intercultural communication and why it has become vital in a variety of fields like scientific domain, academic research, business, management, education, health, culture, politics, diplomacy, development etc. With the help of travel, international media and internet, communication among people becomes easy. In order not to isolate the rest of the world and to survive in such a kind of environment everybody needs to interact with each other. Therefore, intercultural communication has become a must for most people. Another very important notion that will be discussed is that of translation. The world has become increasingly interlinked and translation fulfils a role by breaking down language barriers. From the professional point of view, translators play a role as intercultural communication experts, mediators, and the bridge between people, cultures, and opinions. And in order to understand the role of translating or interpreting as a profession, I will start by trying to find an exact definition of the profession and subsequently discuss issues, challenges and problems faced by such important professionals.
L'arcipelago di Malta, che si trova in una posizione strategica al centro del Mediterrane... more L'arcipelago di Malta, che si trova in una posizione strategica al centro del Mediterraneo tra Europa, Nordafrica e Medio Oriente. Le isole maltesi hanno una lunga storia di colonizzazione, essendo state conquistate da varie potenze tra le quali i Fenici, i Cartaginesi, gli Arabi e i Normanni. Tra il 1530 e il 1798 le isole furono governate dall'Ordine Ospedaliero e Militare dei Cavalieri Gerosolimitani dell'Ordine di San Giovanni, mentre dal 1800 fino al 1964 (l'anno dell'Indipendenza) Malta fu una colonia britannica. Ciò ha fatto sì che Malta sia sempre stata un luogo d'incontro tra culture diverse che, di conseguenza, crearono un contesto di contatto linguistico. Il maltese è una delle due lingue ufficiali dell'arcipelago, assieme all'inglese. Inoltre, anche l'italiano è molto diffuso per via dell'atavico legame tra i due paesi sviluppatosi soprattutto grazie alla vicinanza geografica che facilita scambi culturali, commerciali e turistici. I dati del Eurobarometro (2012) indicano che il 56% dei maltesi afferma di avere una competenza dell'ita-liano da permettergli di conversare in questa lingua: in questa categoria specifica, riguardante la competenza di una terza lingua in 19 paesi dell'UE, Malta è al secondo posto, preceduta solo dal Lussemburgo (Eurobarometer, 2012, 21).
Bollettino Itals, 2022
e consulente linguistico del Ministro dell'Educazione e del Lavoro maltese per l'insegnamento e l... more e consulente linguistico del Ministro dell'Educazione e del Lavoro maltese per l'insegnamento e l'apprendimento delle lingue straniere. Oltre alla metodologia di insegnamento delle lingue straniere, le sue principali aree di interesse includono l'acquisizione della seconda lingua, l'insegnamento e l'apprendimento delle lingue straniere, nonché la valutazione linguistica. Nel maggio 2018, ha ricevuto il premio di "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia" dal Presidente della Repubblica Italiana Sergio Mattarella in riconoscimento del suo significativo contributo alla promozione della cultura italiana a Malta e al rafforzamento delle relazioni tra Italia e Malta, e in particolare per il suo ruolo nella valorizzazione dell'insegnamento e dell'apprendimento dell'italiano nelle scuole maltesi e presso le altre istituzioni educative. È responsabile dell'organizzazione e dell'erogazione di corsi di sviluppo professionale per insegnanti di italiano come lingua straniera, tenuti sia a livello locale che in varie città italiane. Collabora direttamente con varie Università e Istituzioni internazionali, in particolare con l'
The Future of Italian Teaching., 2015
Il Parlato e Lo Scritto. Aspetti Teorici e Didattici, 2019
etico della collana è consultabile all'indirizzo http:// eccellenza.unistrasi.it/617/3570/Collana... more etico della collana è consultabile all'indirizzo http:// eccellenza.unistrasi.it/617/3570/Collana_Studi_di_Linguistica_Educativa.htm Ogni testo proposto per la pubblicazione è sottoposto a almeno due revisori scelti tra studiosi ed esperti esterni alla direzione e al comitato scientifico secondo una procedura di revisione anonima in doppio cieco (double-blind peer review). Tale processo mira a ampliare la valutazione delle proposte e comunque a aiutare l'autore a migliorare il suo testo. La pubblicazione di questo volume è stata approvata dal Comitato Scientifico della Collana dopo che il testo è stato sottoposto al giudizio di due referee anonimi e ne ha ricevuto il parere positivo.
The Journal of Baroque Studies, 2021
Nel Seicento barocco, che fu un secolo di progresso in tutto il bacino del mediterraneo, il carne... more Nel Seicento barocco, che fu un secolo di progresso in tutto il bacino del mediterraneo, il carnevale, l’arrivo in città di capitani vittoriosi e altri avvenimenti simili, davano occasione per celebrazioni ufficiali che consistevano, non solo di banchetti e balli, ma anche di rappresentazioni teatrali. Questo gusto per gli spettacoli teatrali si diffuse e condizionò in misura sempre maggiore l’organizzazione del tempo libero nelle corti. E tre scrittori mediterranei che in questo periodo così importante per la storia del teatro hanno arricchito con le loro opere il panorama della drammaturgia in lingua italiana sono il maltese Carlo Magri, il siciliano Tommaso Aversa e il napoletano Niccolò Amenta, nelle cui opere due temi comuni sono la comicità e l’amore.
Politiche e pratiche per l'educazione linguistica, il multilinguismo e la comunicazione interculturale, 2021
Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è quello di valorizzare la diversità pre... more Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è quello di
valorizzare la diversità presente nei contesti di acquisizione e di apprendimento.
Questo non solamente perché ci si trova spesso dinanzi
ad apprendenti di nazionalità diverse, ma anche per via delle varie
ragioni per cui si apprendono le lingue oggi, sovente determinate
da esigenze di integrazione sociale e di opportunità lavorative. Gli
ultimi anni, specialmente in Europa, sono stati segnati dalla pubblicazione
di molti documenti di politica linguistica, in cui si sottolinea
l’importanza di avere competenze in più lingue, idealmente da una
giovane età. Nelle situazioni dove il multilinguismo è presente si dovrebbe
trarre vantaggio dalle risorse a disposizione, sia per valorizzare
le competenze linguistiche di tutti gli apprendenti sia per creare
opportunità di comunicazione interculturale. Nel contempo le
politiche linguistiche vanno valutate e rinnovate in continuazione,
di modo che possano essere di rilievo per l’apprendimento, evitando
che possano risultare alquanto distanti e, a volte, addirittura distolte
dalle pratiche quotidiane.
Politiche e pratiche per l'educazione linguistica, il multilinguismo e la comunicazione interculturale, 2021
Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è valorizzare la diversità, non solament... more Uno dei compiti fondamentali dell’educazione linguistica è valorizzare la diversità, non solamente perché ci si trova spesso dinanzi ad apprendenti di nazionalità diverse, ma anche perché vari sono i motivi per cui si apprendono le lingue oggi, sovente determinati da esigenze di integrazione sociale e di opportunità lavorative. Tramite il multilinguismo si valorizzano competenze linguistiche e si creano opportunità di comunicazione interculturale. Nel contempo le politiche linguistiche vanno valutate e rinnovate in continuazione. Questi temi vengono affrontati in questo volume grazie a contributi che si diversificano sia sul piano delle lingue oggetto di studio sia quello teorico-concettuale, pur avendo in comune l’interesse per la linguistica applicata e per l’educazione linguistica.
Integrating Technology and Culture, 2016
Mastery in foreign languages is considered, in today’s world, not just an excellent tool to bridg... more Mastery in foreign languages is considered, in today’s world, not just an excellent tool to bridge gaps between people coming from different countries and to create strong sentimental and professional relationships, but above all an instrument that enables workers to considerably improve their career prospects. Multilingualism is today considered to be one of the key elements for a modern Europe, given that learning foreign languages permits citizens to enrich their lives, to grasp new ideas and to benefit from the European cultural diversity. In today’s world, knowing how to use a language in specific circumstances and purposes gives people a very strong bargaining power, especially in the labour world. Whereas up to twenty or thirty years ago, speaking a foreign language was a very important prerequisite for just a few, like managers or diplomats, today it has become of fundamental importance in all professional circles. In fact, in today’s European society, languages and interculture play a fundamental role in getting to know different people and in obtaining professional and economic development. This means that there can be two main objectives for teaching/learning foreign languages: personal growth and professional growth. As declared by the European Commission in one of its documents on multilinguilism, entitled, “Languages mean Business!”, one of the main reasons why thousands of European companies lose out on concluding deals and contracts is their lack of linguistic and intercultural competencies [1]. And this is exactly why today we offer courses in foreign languages for specific purposes, be it for tourism, for call centres, for business, for commerce and so on, focusing on acquiring the necessary terminological, interdisciplinary and intercultural skills needed for specific jobs.
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2016
INTED2015 Proceedings, 2015
Cambridge Scholars Publishing eBooks, 2015
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2024
INTED proceedings, Mar 1, 2023
We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many ... more We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many changes taking place at the global level. Population shifting continues to happen all over the world, bringing in contact intercultural dialogue between groups who speak different languages and carry different cultures. This change does not affect only sectors of society, industry, health, politics or business, but also education. In different parts of Europe just like anywhere else in the world, school curriculum designers include intercultural objectives in school curricula and teachers find themselves facing the challenge of promoting and supporting the acquisition of intercultural competence through teaching. This is true for subject teachers but mostly for those of foreign languages. Foreign Language Teaching is intercultural in essence. Teaching a foreign language in a classroom means connecting students with a world that is different from their own. Thus, nowadays it is expected that all foreign language teachers encourage and empower intercultural competence among their students. Through my presentation I will discuss what is meant with the term intercultural communication and why it has become vital in a variety of fields like scientific domain, academic research, business, management, education, health, culture, politics, diplomacy, development etc. With the help of travel, international media and internet, communication among people becomes easy. In order not to isolate the rest of the world and to survive in such a kind of environment everybody needs to interact with each other. Therefore, intercultural communication has become a must for most people. Another very important notion that will be discussed is that of translation. The world has become increasingly interlinked and translation fulfils a role by breaking down language barriers. From the professional point of view, translators play a role as intercultural communication experts, mediators, and the bridge between people, cultures, and opinions. And in order to understand the role of translating or interpreting as a profession, I will start by trying to find an exact definition of the profession and subsequently discuss issues, challenges and problems faced by such important professionals.
L'arcipelago di Malta, che si trova in una posizione strategica al centro del Mediterrane... more L'arcipelago di Malta, che si trova in una posizione strategica al centro del Mediterraneo tra Europa, Nordafrica e Medio Oriente. Le isole maltesi hanno una lunga storia di colonizzazione, essendo state conquistate da varie potenze tra le quali i Fenici, i Cartaginesi, gli Arabi e i Normanni. Tra il 1530 e il 1798 le isole furono governate dall'Ordine Ospedaliero e Militare dei Cavalieri Gerosolimitani dell'Ordine di San Giovanni, mentre dal 1800 fino al 1964 (l'anno dell'Indipendenza) Malta fu una colonia britannica. Ciò ha fatto sì che Malta sia sempre stata un luogo d'incontro tra culture diverse che, di conseguenza, crearono un contesto di contatto linguistico. Il maltese è una delle due lingue ufficiali dell'arcipelago, assieme all'inglese. Inoltre, anche l'italiano è molto diffuso per via dell'atavico legame tra i due paesi sviluppatosi soprattutto grazie alla vicinanza geografica che facilita scambi culturali, commerciali e turistici. I dati del Eurobarometro (2012) indicano che il 56% dei maltesi afferma di avere una competenza dell'ita-liano da permettergli di conversare in questa lingua: in questa categoria specifica, riguardante la competenza di una terza lingua in 19 paesi dell'UE, Malta è al secondo posto, preceduta solo dal Lussemburgo (Eurobarometer, 2012, 21).
INTED2023 Proceedings, 2023
We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many ... more We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many changes taking place at the global level. Population shifting continues to happen all over the world, bringing in contact intercultural dialogue between groups who speak different languages and carry different cultures. This change does not affect only sectors of society, industry, health, politics or business, but also education. In different parts of Europe just like anywhere else in the world, school curriculum designers include intercultural objectives in school curricula and teachers find themselves facing the challenge of promoting and supporting the acquisition of intercultural competence through teaching. This is true for subject teachers but mostly for those of foreign languages. Foreign Language Teaching is intercultural in essence. Teaching a foreign language in a classroom means connecting students with a world that is different from their own. Thus, nowadays it is expected that all foreign
language teachers encourage and empower intercultural competence among their students.
Through my presentation I will discuss what is meant with the term intercultural communication and why it has become vital in a variety of fields like scientific domain, academic research, business, management, education, health, culture, politics, diplomacy, development etc. With the help of travel, international media and internet, communication among people becomes easy. In order not to isolate the rest of the world and to survive in such a kind of environment everybody needs to interact with each other. Therefore, intercultural communication has become a must for most people. Another very important notion that will be discussed is that of translation. The world has become increasingly interlinked and translation fulfils a role by breaking down language barriers. From the professional point of view, translators play a role as intercultural communication experts, mediators, and the bridge between people, cultures, and opinions. And in order to understand the role of translating or
interpreting as a profession, I will start by trying to find an exact definition of the profession and subsequently discuss issues, challenges and problems faced by such important professionals.
ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR POLYCULTURALISM IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION Th... more ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR POLYCULTURALISM IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION The article studies the environment in general and environmental approach as part of the methodological framework, in particular, in the educational setting. Thus, the concept of educational environment arises as crucial for the research. It is agreed that the poly/ multicultural environment includes as refers to a variety of cultures and subcultures that surround the individual and the carrier of which s/he is. That is why today almost every other teacher of higher educational establishment and institution is facing a number of questions when they enter the multinational classroom. The literature study displays the importance of space and time organization of the objective world, which would ensure comprehensive personal development of a future foreign language teacher / instructor in a multinational classroom through a new form of dialogue, and according to Halyna Shevchenko, it is the d...
The paper, titled “Carlo Magri e il suo contributo al teatro barocco”, presents an in depth study... more The paper, titled “Carlo Magri e il suo contributo al teatro barocco”, presents an in depth study and analysis of the Maltese playwright's theatrical works in the seventeenth century and his contribution to Baroque theatre in the Mediterranean region. The study focuses on his 2 three-act plays written under the pseudonym of ‘Marco Largi, maltese’. The first one entitled La regia è un Sogno ovvero la Costanza, written in 1672, was the first play written by a Maltese ever to be published. The second one, written in 1674, was entitled Chi la dura la vince, ovvero Teodolinda. The author compares and contrasts themes, settings and other aspects of Magri's play with those of Sicilian and Neapolitan dramatists like Tommaso Aversa and Niccolo` Amenta, amongst others. Even though Maltese theatrical works of the period have been influenced by Italian baroque theatre, particularly by the Neapolitan commedia dell'arte style of writing and rep-resentation, the study reveals how Carlo...
Over the years, the concept and philosophy of teaching has changed drastically. In today’s world,... more Over the years, the concept and philosophy of teaching has changed drastically. In today’s world, the role (or rather various roles) and duties of any teacher, not least the language teacher, have become, not simply complex but, above all, very demanding. To be able to respond to these evolving needs, teachers of foreign languages need to combine theoretical knowledge with practical application. Foreign language teachers need to achieve very high standards in their teaching and learning. This can only be achieved by means of creative thought and determination.peer-reviewe
More than a year has passed since the introduction, in Malta, of the Language Proficiency Assessm... more More than a year has passed since the introduction, in Malta, of the Language Proficiency Assessment (LPA) national programme, which has as its main scope to increase the number of students studying foreign languages during compulsory schooling while at the same time encouraging others already studying these languages to further improve their proficiency. This home-grown alternative assessment programme, based on subject proficiency at levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF), seeks to provide a clear description of what individuals ‘can do’ with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context. The programme presents 3 levels of proficiency and describes what an individual can and cannot do with language at each level, regardless of where, when, or how the language is acquired. This programme, which is in its second stage of piloting and which, as from September 2016, will eventua...
Students wishing to become teachers of languages in Malta are required to follow the Master in Te... more Students wishing to become teachers of languages in Malta are required to follow the Master in Teaching and Learning (MTL) course offered by the Faculty of Education of the University of Malta. The two-year full-time post graduate course, which enables graduates to teach at Secondary level, according to the language of specialisation chosen, combines theory and practice by means of a Field Placement in schools throughout the 2 years of the course. This comprises a period of observation sessions in schools held once weekly, during which, with the help of a Teacher Mentor, student teachers are expected to discuss the different practices observed, followed by a five-week block practicum period in each of the two years of the course, giving particular attention to preparation and planning, reflective practice, professional skills and professional development. The Field Placement goes hand in hand with the Themes in Education interdisciplinary programme with the aim of fostering reflecti...
La drammaturgia dei padri Gesuiti ebbe un'importanza fondamentale nella costruzione del dramm... more La drammaturgia dei padri Gesuiti ebbe un'importanza fondamentale nella costruzione del dramma barocco recitato e cantato e dell'opera italiana. Le regole pedagogiche e performative stabilite e messe in pratica dai loro collegi, hanno segnato almeno tre secoli di storia non solo europea. In un periodo come quello del Seicento dove gli attori erano considerati alla stregua di buffoni, i Gesuiti fondarono gran parte pedagogia prorprio su quel teatro, dileggiato da quegli elementi umanisti che, qualche anno piu` tardi saranno costretti a riconoscere in tutta la sua efficacia, il metodo gesuitico.peer-reviewe
Innovation in Language Learning Conference Proceedings, 2021
Up to some decades ago, the concepts of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Language Lear... more Up to some decades ago, the concepts of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Language Learning were considered irreconcilable and incompatible. Until the 19th Century, VET was regarded to be in opposition to a classical curriculum. Notwithstanding the growth of industrialization in the 19th Century and although several European countries introduced vocational education in elementary and secondary schools, it still remained an on-the-job phenomenon and thought of in a very narrow way. It was considered simply an alternative track for high-schoolers who weren’t going on to college. Today, such a vision has changed drastically and VET can be defined as “education and training which aim to equip people with knowledge, know-how, skills and/or competences required in particular occupations or more broadly on the labour market” . In today’s labour world, mastery in foreign languages is considered not just an excellent tool to bridge gaps but above all an instrument that enables workers to considerably improve their career prospects with several studies showing a very close connection between proficiency in languages and employability. Yet, despite this growing recognition that proficiency in at least one other language (besides the mother tongue) is advantageous in today’s world, a lot still needs to be done in terms of implementation and methods of language teaching and learning which are more learner-focused, more practically oriented and, above all, more applied to professional contexts. One possible solution is the introduction of language courses for VET students which are a combination between Language Proficiency & Languages for Specific Purposes courses. Such courses would provide a method of learning, teaching and assessing basic skills or abilities in the language, according to the particular needs of the students and the specific requirements of the vocational domain. This obviously presents a number of challenges which need to be discussed and analysed from both the educators’ and the students’ point of view.
Innovation in Language Learning Conference Proceedings, 2022
One of the most worrying effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the amount of challenges and uncerta... more One of the most worrying effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the amount of challenges and uncertainties that have marked the lives of adolescents. These include, amongst others, disruptions to social connections, health concerns (both mental and physical), socio-economic worries, qualms
about catching COVID-19 or with infringing restrictions, uncertainties about the future, and motivation challenges. To further compound matters, during the 2 years of the pandemic, when all teaching and learning was transferred online, students were deprived of personal interaction with teachers and peers, considered as one of the most fundamental aspects in language learning, with the result that they became far less likely to be motivated to learn. In fact, languages are considered, by many students, as not being practical in nature and relevant to their lives. Students are often reluctant to study languages as they do not find them appealing to their interests, they do not consider them as being relevant to their future careers, and they often find it difficult to transfer the language skills they
have acquired from the classroom to their everyday life. Indeed, one of the greatest challenges faced by language teachers is finding ways to motivate their students to complete language courses. Very often the root of the problem is that the existing language courses offered in schools focus too narrowly on the most urgent need of meeting language requirements and give little importance, if any, to the students’ needs. Today, more than ever before, to make language learning effective in this
post-pandemic era is for teachers to focus on 3 key aspects of motivation, namely autonomy, competence and social relatedness.
INTED2023 Proceedings 17th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, 2023
We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many ... more We are living in times of great change. As we prepare teachers or students, we are aware of many changes taking place at the global level. Population shifting continues to happen all over the world, bringing in contact intercultural dialogue between groups who speak different languages and carry different cultures. This change does not affect only sectors of society, industry, health, politics or business, but also education. In different parts of Europe just like anywhere else in the world, school curriculum designers include intercultural objectives in school curricula and teachers find themselves facing the challenge of promoting and supporting the acquisition of intercultural competence through teaching. This is true for subject teachers but mostly for those of foreign languages. Foreign Language Teaching is intercultural in essence. Teaching a foreign language in a classroom means connecting students with a world that is different from their own. Thus, nowadays it is expected that all foreign language teachers encourage and empower intercultural competence among their students. Through my presentation I will discuss what is meant with the term intercultural communication and why it has become vital in a variety of fields like scientific domain, academic research, business, management, education, health, culture, politics, diplomacy, development etc. With the help of travel, international media and internet, communication among people becomes easy. In order not to isolate the rest of the world and to survive in such a kind of environment everybody needs to interact with each other. Therefore, intercultural communication has become a must for most people. Another very important notion that will be discussed is that of translation. The world has become increasingly interlinked and translation fulfils a role by breaking down language barriers. From the professional point of view, translators play a role as intercultural communication experts, mediators, and the bridge between people, cultures, and opinions. And in order to understand the role of translating or interpreting as a profession, I will start by trying to find an exact definition of the profession and subsequently discuss issues, challenges and problems faced by such important professionals.
Innovation in Language Learning, 2019
Over the past 15-20 years the world has changed immensely and if we look back we realise that tod... more Over the past 15-20 years the world has changed immensely and if we look back we realise that today the world is a completely different place than it was then. Changes have occurred in all aspects of our lives, from the society we live in to the family, from the way we communicate with each other on an individual basis to mass communication, from the characteristics of youth then and now, from mobility to employability. Needless to say all these changes have left a huge impact not simply on the composition of our classrooms but, above all, on the teaching and learning processes and the everyday demands and realities language teachers have to face in class. There has been a change in what "learning a language" implies, moving from simply learning the grammatical / linguistic notions to learning how to use the language in everyday life, to learning a language as a life skill for integration purposes. All this has enormous implications on the changing role, or rather roles, that the teacher of languages plays within a scenario where technology has literally taken over. At the same time students long for personal contact. As a consequence, more than ever before, the teacher has become essential in class, not to impart knowledge but to create a stimulating environment in which the students feel empowered and motivated to learn a relevant and practical language that addresses their needs.
iCERi 2015 Conference Proceedings, 2015
Becoming a foreign language teacher today does not simply mean developing one’s knowledge of and ... more Becoming a foreign language teacher today does not simply mean developing one’s knowledge of and obtaining proficiency in the language one would like to teach, or simply learning how to teach a language. The information and knowledge the language teacher needs to pass on to his/her students does no longer constitute a big challenge in class. In this aspect there is no doubt that technology has definitely taken the upper hand. The language teacher’s main priority in class is how to communicate with his students, how to pass on to his students the love and passion for learning the language. This can only be achieved if the teacher succeeds in passing on to his students in class the emotions, the passion of language learning by means of a positive relationship in which the student is not simply a “spectator” in class but becomes the protagonist of that same learning experience. In other words, the biggest challenge in language teaching is the organization and delivery of the teaching and learning materials and how these are applied in class, according to the needs and abilities of the students. In fact language teaching today is influenced by a wide range of individual and sociological factors, namely, second language acquisition theories, the use of technology in the language classroom, curriculum constraints, free movement of individuals from one place to another and from one country to another and the language used in the different media. Furthermore, multi-cultural classrooms have become very common in the 21st century, bringing new challenges and realities for the language teachers. This has, over the years, changed drastically the concept and philosophy of language teaching, making the role (or rather various roles) and duties of any teacher, not least the language teacher, not simply complex but, above all, very demanding. And to be able to respond to these evolving needs, teachers of foreign languages need to, especially during the years of their pre-service training, not just combine theoretical knowledge with practical application through reflective writing but also have the determination and the ability to cope with heterogeneous classrooms in a multicultural society.
INTED, 2015
The number of school leavers in Malta who have no accredited certification in foreign language sk... more The number of school leavers in Malta who have no accredited certification in foreign language skills is on the increase. This notwithstanding the fact that they have studied these languages for a number of years, both at Primary as well as at Secondary level. This is very sad, even more so, in view of the fact that Malta's economy is dependent on human resources and foreign trade, driven by financial services and tourism. Mastery in foreign languages is considered, in today's world, not just an excellent tool to bridge gaps between people coming from different countries and to create strong sentimental and professional relationships, but above all an instrument that enables workers to considerably improve their career prospects. Multilingualism is today considered to be one of the key elements for a modern Europe, given that learning foreign languages permits citizens to enrich their lives, to grasp new ideas and to benefit from the European cultural diversity. A pertinent question worth posing and considering here is: why are so many students quitting languages at school? There may be various answers for this question. Among the most common are: (i) The perception that learning a language can be an important prerequisite for just a few; (ii) Students very often see very little connection between what is taught in class and real life situations; (iii) Students who in their first years of studying a language fail to grasp the basic concepts, find it very difficult, if not impossible, to keep the pace with the other students in their year group. The Language Proficiency Assessment (LPA) programme introduced as from September 2014 keeps all this in mind and has the intent to set up a home-grown alternative assessment based on subject proficiency at levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF). It seeks to provide a clear description of what individuals 'can do' with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context. The programme presents 3 levels of proficiency and describes what an individual can and cannot do with language at each level, regardless of where, when, or how the language is acquired. This programme, which will eventually be offered on a national basis, will initially target students who normally would be at great risk of not obtaining a level-rated certification at the end of compulsory schooling. The intention is to offer these students the possibility of obtaining proficiency qualifications and certificates as an alternative route concurrent with that of Secondary Education Certificate (SEC). Form 3 students are being offered this programme on the basis of their demonstrated performance in the subject. Students will choose between SEC and LPA in consultation with their parents and teachers. Although one track does not necessarily exclude the other, those students who opt for LPA will start a Level 1 programme of studies in the particular language and at the end of the scholastic year they will sit for SPA Level 1 (MQF) exams. The examinations, which will be set at the national level, will consist of four different papers, one for each basic language skill, namely Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Each paper will receive a separate mark and students will have the opportunity to obtain a certificate indicating the marks and the Level obtained for each of the skills for each language being studied annually. The project aims to render the teaching & learning process more personal and relevant to the students' needs with particular attention targeted at the level, motivation and ability of acquisition of students taking LPA. Another important difference is the fact that the programme avoids being prescriptive by defining the moment when particular grammar points and/or vocabulary lists need to be taught and how. That will be left to the discretion of the teachers who will decide when and where will these be included in the teaching programme and the methods they should employ, depending on the academic level and the needs of their particular students in class.