Caleidoscopio

Caleidoscopio offers a highly innovative and interactive review of Italian grammar at the intermediate level combined with a “kaleidoscope” of content, spanning diverse genres and aspects of Italian culture. The programwas conceived and developed based on three major principles: (1) successful programs in Italian and Italian Studies place a strong emphasis on culture and exposing students to contemporary and non contemporary history, art, literature, cinema, popular culture, to name a few; (2) students are most engaged in coursework that integrates the study of culture with the study of language in a rich variety of ways; (3) student-centered learning and proficiency-based practice across a variety of content areas results in achieving extraordinary communicative outcomes.

Rich in its array of reading selections, each chapter contains three carefully selected authentic readings. Authors represent different time periods (some are very young and recently published, others are well-known writers from the 20^th-century “canon”) and offer a unique point of view on different socio-cultural aspects of that region’s life. Readings vary greatly in difficulty and length as well as in style and tone; they include unabridged and abridged short stories, excerpts from novels or plays, interviews, and newspaper articles. Male and female writers are equally represented. The program also offers a variety of feature films in every chapter.

Daniela Bartalesi-Graf is Lecturer in the Department of Italian Studies at Wellesley College. She holds an MA in Classical Studies from Tufts University. Daniela has taught courses in the Italian language and culture at all levels for over 20 years. Her research interests are in Italian language pedagogy and 20th century Italian cultural studies. She has published articles on visual literacy in second language acquisition and on Italian writers Carlo Levi and Margaret Mazzantini. She is also the sole author of two intermediate level language programs.