Italian as a Foreign Language in Conservatories of Music - Opera as a cultural and linguistic learning resource

Abstract

This dissertation stems from the wish to observe and study the way Italian as a foreign language is taught and learned in the specific environment of Conservatories of Music. Starting from the literature centered around the issues of students’ motivation, it first considers the role of the cultural factor within the studies on motivation and whether or not it is a relevant factor contributing to the upkeep of students’ motivation. Subsequently, its focus shifts more specifically towards language teaching and it touches upon the subject of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), analyzing the different teaching strategies adopted in this particular kind of classroom and the different roles taken by both the teachers and the students compared to a more traditional approach to learning, once again taking into consideration how the cultural factor plays a substantial role in ensuring that the students stay motivated in their learning. Moreover, within the spectrum of more innovative approaches to teaching a foreign language, it brings forth the multimodal approach and what benefits it provides the students with in terms of their engagement in the learning process and a more direct access to the culture associated with the language they are being taught. In the context of a multimodal approach to teaching a foreign language, it then focuses more specifically on how music can be used as a useful medium through which students can be kept engaged and interested in learning a foreign language and the issues and advantages this approach brings to the classroom; in particular, it focuses more specifically on how the operatic genre can be utilized in this sense, once again considering the cultural impact this addition to the curriculum will bring to the students’ experience of learning the foreign language. With Italian being such a prominent language in the genre, the paper touches, then, upon the way the teaching of Italian as a foreign language has evolved over the years and its current status in the world. Finally, with a questionnaire aimed at international and exchange students currently studying in Italy for their degrees in various musical disciplines, it intends to inquire about the situation of the teaching of Italian as a foreign language within the Conservatories of Music and about the perception foreign students have of their knowledge and skills in Italian, as well as attempt to explore the possibility of utilizing alternative learning materials such as operatic performances and librettos to incentivize the learning of the language. Moreover, it takes interest in exploring what learning tools and resources international and exchange students are offered by the institution in order to facilitate their learning of Italian, both in the Italian Conservatories and, in the case of exchange students, their home institutions, and what is the students’ opinion on their helpfulness in their studies. Furthermore, it inquires whether or not students consider their knowledge of the Italian language to be a skill that will be useful to them in their musical careers.