What makes the nation of the language you teach famous, unique and special? Fostering an interest and a passion for the country to help motivate students’

What makes the nation of the language you teach famous,

unique and special?

Fostering an interest and a passion for the country to help motivate students’

learning.

Italy as an example.

This can be modified for any other country.

K: What do I know about Italy?

Think Pair Share• Pizza, Leonardo da Vinci, Gucci, football ….

W: What do I want to know about Italy?

Ask students to do a short presentation on any aspect of the country.

This short investigation assignment is fun, educational and motivational. It is also a key

assignment requirement for LCA modern language.

H: How do I find out more about Italy?

Finding out more = research

How to research the topic

• Interviews: Talk to an Italian person or someone who has been there. Ask questions, record answers.

• Links with the local community: local library for research/ books/ DVDs.

• Surveys: find out what others know about/ think about Italy.

• Internet/ books: name them.• Personal experience: what have you learned?

Interest in Italy? Why?

Decide. Research. Record. Tell.

Let’s look at some ideas to help you decide………

Italy has many cities and regions. Can you name any cities or regions?

Italy is famous for its beautiful cities. Florence is a good example.

or Venice….

or Turin?

How about skiing in Italy?

Italy is famous for its artists. Do you know who painted this?

Italy has many famous buildings and chapels.This comes from the Sistine Chapel

Do you know what this building is? Can you see it in the next film clip? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvTT29cavKo&feature=related

Any aspect of Italy’s rich and diverse history would make a great investigation.

Anticipation exercise

“Italy has won more World Cups than any other nation in the world.”

Agree or disagree?

Disagree: Italy has won 4 times 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006

however Brazil has won 5 times. http://www.aneki.com/cup.html

“Il calcio” is how you say football in Italian. An investigation into Italian football is great. A team/

national team/ corruption problems in Italian football are all interesting investigations.

Italy is famous for how well they play soccer. A well known song Nessun Dorma is often used as a theme song.– World

Cup champions.Listen to this famous music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdTBml4oOZ8

Italy is famous for its music. You have just heard Pavarotti. An investigation into his career would be

interesting.

Italy has won more “Oscars for best foreign film” than any other country in the world.

Agree or disagree?

Agree: France has the highest number of nominations (39) and (12) wins however Italy has

won more Oscars (14) in the foreign film category. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_Academy_Awards_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film

The Oscar-winning actress Sofia Loren who was very famous during the 1960s hails from Naples. Italy has many famous films and film makers also. The films/ film makers/ actors would make a good investigation.

Italy has a proud tradition in cinema. Many soundtracks are much loved and familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMgTCtSxOHE

The Spaghetti Western….

• The term was used by American critics because most of these westerns were directed and produced by Italians.

• Sergio Leone is a famous example.

Can you think of films that were set in Italy or that used Italian music and /or images in

them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSzatzy8WvM• One of the characters in Shawshank says that he didn’t

have any idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about, and that it did not matter. Some things are best left unsaid. Music can make a man “feel free”.

• Italian music is used in lots of films like the one above.

• Do you think the Italian music for the prisoners was inspirational, and helped people feel free?

An investigation into Roberto Saviano, a famous Italian journalist who wrote about the Neapolitan mafia would

make an interesting topic.

Roberto Saviano is an Italian writer and journalist from Naples.

Since 2006, following the publication of his bestselling book Gomorrah where he describes the illegal activities of the Camorra, Saviano has been threatened by several Neapolitan “godfathers”.

The Italian Minister of the Interior has granted him a permanent police escort due to the threat to his life.

Because of his courageous stance, Umberto Eco considers him a "national hero“.

Two other heroic Italians stood up for what is right and just. Falcone and Borsellino also fought against organised crime and paid the ultimate price in Sicily. An investigation into their work

and life stories would make an interesting topic.

Italy has world famous products/ services/ industry. Can you name the worlds most famous brand name?

Italy is famous for it culinary tradition.

You could do an investigation into the history and tradition of the beloved pizza!

www.slowfood.com

• Have a look at what the founder of the “slow food” movement Carlo Petrini says about the importance of food!

• The slow food movement which began in Italy would make an excellent aspect of an investigation into Italian food heritage. You could also stage an event that would raise awareness of the movement along with healthy Italian food.

After the students present their topic to the class, ask ...

L: What have you learned about this topic?

Food for thought..

So now it’s over to you…What aspect of Italy interests you?What type of investigation would you like to

do?What are you good at? Would you like to find

out more about... an Italian person/ place?Food? Environment?

Differentiation in the classroom

Time to research: research on their own? Or Groups? Extra time? Less time?Presentation time: outline. 5 mins/ 5 slides to

10….moreSimple Poster or detailed written work with

headings? Ask students to list 20 new key words of

vocabulary linked to their theme? Present this also to the class?