Five steps to better cultural projects Sandra Palaich, Arizona State University

Been there, done that… Disconnected topics Disparity in levels of difficulty Atrocious language Deathly boredom in the classroom

What makes for a good cultural project? Relevant, interesting and well-integrated topic Consistent level of difficulty Linguistically sound and level-appropriate Class is engaged and active Easy to grade

Taking control step 1 Topics selected by the instructor

You want to spend a month studying Italian in Italy this summer You want to spend a month studying Italian in Italy this summer. With a partner, research two Italian cities in which Italian language schools for foreigners are located. You want to convince your classmates to go with you. You and your partner will compare the two cities you selected and the schools located in them in terms of their location, size, population, climate, possible activities to do there, food, costs and anything else you consider relevant. Remember, you goal is to convince your classmates to come to your city and school. Length: 5 minutes. Absolutely no notes allowed! Alghero Arezzo Bologna Cagliari Catania Ferrara Firenze Genova Lecce Livorno Milano Orvieto Padova Palermo Perugia Pisa Recanati Reggio Emilia San Severino Siena Siracusa Sorrento Spoleto Taormina Torino Trieste Udine Venezia Verona Viareggio

step 2 Ensuring quality of research and language control Submission in three phases: idea and outline (10 pts) sources (10 pts) slides and vocabulary (30 pts)

step 3 In-class presentation (50 pts) Style: eye contact, no reading Content: engaging, dynamic, visually appealing Style: eye contact, no reading Length: short, well-rehearsed Language: level-appropriate and accessible

step 4 Engage the class Vote for favorite school Prize for the winner Must ask questions Vote for favorite school Prize for the winner

step 5 Streamlined grading Grading rubric for presentation Grading rubrics for each phase of the project Grading rubric for presentation

Your turn What other cohesive topic sets could we use in intermediate Italian? Could any of the steps be omitted to further streamline the process? How could the rubrics be improved upon? What are some of your best practices?

Workshop participants’ ideas for topic sets: Regional cuisines of Italy A battle of recipes Outfits, dress code, clothing for various situations Political systems: imaginary, utopian ideals; creating a perfect political system Advertising: comparing adds Professions: cultural comparisons Nightlife in different cities in Italy Comparison of political figures in ITA and US Comparison of different accommodations (B&B, hotel, etc.) Comparison of airliners Comparison of trains in Italy Italian firms (related to their field) Employment opportunity Personal interactions, body language

Thank you! Sandra.Palaich@asu.edu