A telecollaborative language exchange program was implemented between Italian learners of English (from Roma Tre University) and Californian learners of Italian (from California State University, Long Beach). The main purpose was to give students more opportunities for meaningful and goal-oriented communication than they would usually have in their educational contexts. The program involved more than forty people of the two languages/cultures from October 2018 to May 2019. Learners’ needs were first identified in order to elaborate the tasks for the program, which was highly appreciated by the participants. Interesting suggestions for improvement were provided by the students, allowing us to revise the plan for a future implementation. In this case study, participants, structure and characteristics of the program are described, with a focus on needs analysis and task development. Examples of the teaching materials used in the program are provided.
Nuzzo, E., CORTES VELASQUEZ, D.E. (2021). Task-Based Telecollaborative Exchanges between US and Italian Students. In M.H.L. Mohammad J. Ahmadian (a cura di), The Cambridge Handbook of Task-Based Language Teaching (pp. 250-261) [10.1017/9781108868327].
Task-Based Telecollaborative Exchanges between US and Italian Students
Elena Nuzzo;Diego Cortés Velásquez
2021-01-01
Abstract
A telecollaborative language exchange program was implemented between Italian learners of English (from Roma Tre University) and Californian learners of Italian (from California State University, Long Beach). The main purpose was to give students more opportunities for meaningful and goal-oriented communication than they would usually have in their educational contexts. The program involved more than forty people of the two languages/cultures from October 2018 to May 2019. Learners’ needs were first identified in order to elaborate the tasks for the program, which was highly appreciated by the participants. Interesting suggestions for improvement were provided by the students, allowing us to revise the plan for a future implementation. In this case study, participants, structure and characteristics of the program are described, with a focus on needs analysis and task development. Examples of the teaching materials used in the program are provided.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
