Integrating Writing in the Teaching of Italian

This site presents materials that teachers can adopt to improve students' writing skills in Italian. Our assessment of students of Italian who have completed the language instruction cycle revealed that they are often able to reach a high level of oral proficiency but lack the analytical and writing skills necessary to engage and excel in upper-level courses. This discrepancy creates a divide between the language instruction and literature and culture courses. We believe that a systematic integration of writing throughout the Italian curriculum from the very beginning will reduce that gap, develop students' analytical skills, and ultimately foster deeper knowledge and understanding of Italian culture.

The site provides teachers of Italian at the high school and college levels with materials that offer strategies and methodology for the development of writing skills. For each level you will find examples, templates, activities based on interactive technology, web resources, and texts that teachers can use in their courses. The material provided on this site shows a vertical progression aimed at developing writing skills from the composition of simple autobiographical paragraphs to description, narration, and text analysis.