Critical engagement with complex global issues that provides an effective approach to promoting linguistic proficiency and social responsibility

Mastering Italian through Global Debate is a one-semester textbook designed for students with Advanced-level Italian language skills, moving toward Superior and above. Over the course of each chapter, students gain linguistic and rhetorical skills as they prepare to debate on broad, timely topics, including environmental consciousness, immigration, wealth distribution, surveillance and privacy, cultural diversity, and education. Discussion of compelling issues promotes not only linguistic proficiency but social responsibility through critical engagement with complex global challenges.

Each chapter includes topic-specific reading texts and position papers, giving students insight into issues being widely discussed—and debated—in Italy today. In addition to pre- and post-reading activities, students benefit from lexical development exercises, rhetorical methods sections, and listening exercises with audio available on the Press website. Online resources for instructors include pedagogical recommendations and an answer key.

Marie Bertola is Senior Lecturer of Italian at Santa Clara University where she teaches Italian language and culture. She is a certified proficiency tester for Italian. She holds degrees from the Università degli Studi di Torino, Université Paris VII and Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle. She regularly presents at state and national level conferences and advocates for language education and Italian language programs in K-12.

Sandra Carletti is Professor of Italian at Middlebury College where she teaches courses in Italian language, modern and contemporary literature and culture, and in food studies. She holds degrees from the University of Bologna and The Johns Hopkins University. She has published on Calvino, contemporary Italian theater and satire, Alba de Cèspedes and Natalia Ginzburg.

"The pedagogy is well thought out, effective, and will satisfy different teaching and learning strategies. The articles also present each issue as a dilemma, which will facilitate discussions both in and outside the classroom."

Indice e organizzazione dei contenuti

RingraziamentiIntroduzione

Nota sulle risorse didattiche digitaliAbbreviazioni e acronimi

1. Economia o ecologia?: un mare di plastica: economia del consumo o economia dell’ambiente?PreletturaStudiare la tematicaAcquisire padronanza lessicaleElaborare un discorso criticoAscoltoInquadrare l’argomento: produzione scrittaElaborare l’argomentazione: produzione oraleRiflessione

2. Globalismo o localismi: espansione globale o interessi localiPreletturaStudiare la tematicaAcquisire padronanza lessicaleElaborare un discorso criticoAscoltoInquadrare l’argomento: produzione scrittaElaborare l’argomentazione: produzione oraleRiflessione

3. Bene Pubblico o ricchezza privata: compensare i dislivelli?PreletturaStudiare la tematicaAcquisire padronanza lessicaleElaborare un discorso criticoAscoltoInquadrare l’argomento: produzione scrittaElaborare l’argomentazione: produzione oraleRiflessione

4. Priorità nazionale o diversità culturale: valore aggiunto o perdita di Valori?PreletturaStudiare la tematicaAcquisire padronanza lessicaleElaborare un discorso criticoAscoltoInquadrare l’argomento: produzione scrittaElaborare l’argomentazione: produzione oraleRiflessione

5. Sicurezza pubblica o libertà individuali: sorveglianza o privacyPreletturaStudiare la tematicaAcquisire padronanza lessicaleElaborare un discorso criticoAscoltoInquadrare l’argomento: produzione scrittaElaborare l’argomentazione: produzione oraleRiflessione

6. Cultura umanistica o cultura STEM: rami dello stesso albero?PreletturaStudiare la tematicaAcquisire padronanza lessicaleElaborare un discorso criticoAscoltoInquadrare l’argomento: produzione scrittaElaborare l’argomentazione: produzione oraleRiflessione