Video-based units for learning Italian

 

The video-based units for learning Italian language consist of nine short videos and the related listening comprehension exercises, grammar grids and exercises, picture dictionaries and glossaries, forming a pack of teaching and self-study materials to be used by teachers, social workers and students involved in teaching or learning Italian as L2 at A1 and A2 levels.

CPIA 1 Brescia lower secondary school students created the videos, acted in the videos and shot them. Some of the students are Italians who decided to continue their studies after previous interruptions or unsuccessful experiences, the others are immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

The videos cover the following five themes: introducing oneself and getting to know each other; food and diet; health and Italy’s healthcare system; getting around Italy on public transport; identification documents and interaction in public offices.

The students chose the above mentioned topics after interviewing some of their classmates, in order to understand the problems faced by asylum seekers and immigrants during their integration process. They also took into account the information collected from the NGOs taking care of migrants’ reception and integration in Brescia.

In one of the classrooms they set up a studio equipped for shooting green screen videos, on which post-production effects could be added.

Thanks to these activities the students could improve their knowledge of Italian language and society, they learnt how to use ICT tools, and they also practised their communicative skills in English spoken interaction when they presented their work to our project partners, during the second training event, which took place in Brescia in May 2017.

The teachers coordinated the students’ work and created the teaching materials attached to the videos.