The paper reports the results of a field study which was carried out at the Language Centre of the University of Naples and originated in the observation that learning the Italian language was not perceived by ab init...The paper reports the results of a field study which was carried out at the Language Centre of the University of Naples and originated in the observation that learning the Italian language was not perceived by ab initio students as connected to their personal and academic experiences. The claim of this research is that a procedural syllabus based on texts and tasks facilitates both the acquisition of Italian as a foreign language and the integration of language and content. Each text proposed to the learners was accompanied and enhanced by pre-, while-, and production-tasks. A particular emphasis was assigned to noticing and attention management tasks in the pre and while phase Production tasks in a later phase favoured interlanguage development by combining representational structures with controlled attention. The method of the study was a combination of qualitative and quantitative approach at any stage. Measures for written production during the course and to assess final exams were： Holistic Rating （fluency and creativity）, Accuracy Ratios （intelligibility index and error index）, and Complexity Ratios （dependent and coordinate clauses per t-units ratio and re-elaboration of a model or text type）. At the final exams, Texts and tasks learners outperformed non-texts and tasks learners. In conclusion, an input related to personal and/or academic interests, to be processed through tasks, allowed learners a rapid interlanguage change and development展开更多
文摘The paper reports the results of a field study which was carried out at the Language Centre of the University of Naples and originated in the observation that learning the Italian language was not perceived by ab initio students as connected to their personal and academic experiences. The claim of this research is that a procedural syllabus based on texts and tasks facilitates both the acquisition of Italian as a foreign language and the integration of language and content. Each text proposed to the learners was accompanied and enhanced by pre-, while-, and production-tasks. A particular emphasis was assigned to noticing and attention management tasks in the pre and while phase Production tasks in a later phase favoured interlanguage development by combining representational structures with controlled attention. The method of the study was a combination of qualitative and quantitative approach at any stage. Measures for written production during the course and to assess final exams were： Holistic Rating （fluency and creativity）, Accuracy Ratios （intelligibility index and error index）, and Complexity Ratios （dependent and coordinate clauses per t-units ratio and re-elaboration of a model or text type）. At the final exams, Texts and tasks learners outperformed non-texts and tasks learners. In conclusion, an input related to personal and/or academic interests, to be processed through tasks, allowed learners a rapid interlanguage change and development
