Blending Italian “down-under” - Toward a Theoretical Framework and Pragmatic Guide for Blending Tertiary Italian Language and Culture Courses through Skype-Enhanced, Pre-Service Teacher-Centred Telecollaboration

Sep 20, 2026

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This contribution develops a theoretical and pragmatic starting point for a sustainable, cross-institutional blended model of delivering foreign language and culture tuition in Italian Studies (in Australia) via online intercultural exchanges. It builds on a prior joint telecollaborative project between Monash University and the University of Urbino, aiming to support a Pre-Service Teacher-centred approach. The article situates a Skype-mediated format for course delivery and responds to identified theoretical gaps and implementation needs beyond the earlier pilot trials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages42

Reading Time1 h 46 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and telecollaboration rise

Skype-mediated blended format and pilot trials

LEA-Lingue e letterature d’Oriente e d’Occidente, n. 7 (2018), pp. 405-445 DOI: [http://dx.doi.org/10.13128/LEA-1824-484x-24408](http://dx.doi.org/10.13128/LEA-1824-484x-24408) Blending Italian “down-under”: Toward a theoretical framework and pragmatic guide for blending tertiary Italian language and culture courses through Skype-enhanced, pre-service teacher-centred telecollaboration Giovanna Carloni, Brian Zuccala Università degli Studi di Urbino (<[giovanna.carloni@uniurb.it](giovanna.carloni@uniurb.it)>) University of the Witwatersrand (<[brian.zuccala@wits.ac.za](brian.zuccala@wits.ac.za)>) Abstract This contribution draws on the article by Carloni and Zuccala (2017), that offered a preliminary discussion of a joint telecollaborative project between Italian Studies at Monash University and the University of Urbino. The present work aims at providing a theoretical, as well as pragmatic, starting point for developing a Pre-Service Teacher-centred model for a “sustainable”, cross-institutional, blended mode of delivering foreign language and culture tuition in the field of Italian studies (in Australia) through online intercultural exchanges. Keywords: blended learning, Pre-Service Teacher training, task design, telecollaboration, transnational pedagogy, 1. Introduction1 Beginning in 2016, and drawing on the global rise in both the research on and use of telecollaboration in general and videoconferencing in particular 1 This article is the result of the joint efforts of its two co-authors. However, should a distinction be made for institutional reasons: Giovanna Carloni wrote sections 2 and 4; Brian Zuccala wrote the abstract as well as sections 1, 3, 5, and 6. A significant portion of data collection was conducted at Monash University (where Brian Zuccala completed postgraduate studies). A special note of thanks goes to the Unit Coordinator and then-Coordinator of the Italian Studies Major, Dr Annamaria Pagliaro, who made implementing the project possible and enabled data collection throughout its duration. ISSN 1824-484X (online) [http://www.fupress.com/bsfm-lea](http://www.fupress.com/bsfm-lea)[ ](http://www.fupress.com/bsfm-lea)2017 Firenze University Press 406 giovanna carloni, brian zuccala (see O’Dowd 2016)2, for foreign language and culture Teaching and Learning (TaL hereafter), the Italian Studies program at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) and the University of Urbino (masters’ course in Teaching Italian to Foreigners) have jointly developed a blended, Skype-mediated format3. The format is suitable for some of the Italian Studies Units offered at Monash as part of the Italian program and/or Italian Major. The outcome of the first (academic year 2017) and second (academic year 2018) pilot trials hitherto conducted have not only resulted in a publication (Carloni, Zuccala 2017)4, but they have also been presented and discussed nationally and internationally on multiple occasions (ACIS Prato, 20175; LCNAU Adelaide, 20176; Diaspore Italiane Melbourne, 20187; Unicollaboration Cracow, 20188; AAIS Sorrento, 20189) . The project has, in fact, attracted scholarly interest beyond the Italian TaL field (receiving expressions of interest from teachers and curriculum developers from other institutions and other languages, including technical colleges and non-European languages 10) . Upon such occasions, a scholarly space, as well as a pedagogical need for expanding both the theoretical scope and the concrete implementation of this project beyond their current reach, have emerged. A two-fold need has come to the fore: that of both filling in the theoretical gaps left unaddressed by the previous essay (Carloni, Zuccala 2017) especially in relation to the 2 On the effectiveness of Skype specifically, and not only at tertiary level, there is plenty of scholarly evidence, amongst which it will suffice to refer to – in chronological order – Elia (2006); Eaton (2010); Cuestas Verjano (2013); Yen, Ho

FAQs

What is the main objective of the contribution by Carloni and Zuccala?

To provide both a theoretical and pragmatic starting point for developing a sustainable, cross-institutional blended model for teaching foreign language and culture in Italian Studies through online intercultural exchanges.

Which institutions collaborated on the telecollaborative project discussed in the text?

Italian Studies at Monash University and the University of Urbino jointly developed the Skype-mediated blended format.

What role does the Pre-Service Teacher-centred model play in the work?

The contribution focuses on developing a model centred on Pre-Service Teachers (PST), including their employment and training, within the blended telecollaborative delivery approach.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Logic