Materials and resources for teaching Italian pragmatics

Abstract

This study aims to describe the materials and the resources employed for the instruction of Italian pragmatics, in both foreign and second language contexts. 139 teachers of Italian answered an online questionnaire which elicited information about the materials and resources they used in the classroom as well as information regarding their teaching techniques. Their answers were clustered into five main categories. The results revealed that the most commonly used materials were printed, audiovisual, self-produced, students’ oral production and digital materials. Within these categories, textbooks (printed materials) and videos (audiovisual material) were considered as the most preferred materials by the teachers. Regarding teaching techniques, the most frequently used by teachers were role plays, watching videos and listening exercises. The findings of the present study suggest that textbooks, the main resource for teaching pragmatics, should be implemented with specific activities on this topic. By receiving guidelines teachers could appropriately teach pragmatics in their classes, without the need to create their own materials.