Page 69 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 4(1) (2016)
P. 69
ia universitatis The last aim of the research was to analyze guage, contributing to the formation and the in-
the effectiveness of linguistic and cultural edu- tellectual growth of the student and his identity
lear ners of italian as l2 and the awar eness of the cultur al connotation of wor ds 69 cation of Italian as the language of social envi- (Council of Europe, 2001).24 Waiting for the di-
ronment (L2) in Istria, for the development of rectives for an intercultural linguistic education
intercultural communicative competence. The elaborated for the countries members of the EU,
didactic strategy presented promotes intercul- this first investigation shows the state of progress
tural linguistic teaching that departs from the of intercultural abilities of students and their de-
centers of interest (clear and defined key con- gree to mediate between the cultures. The latter
cepts) and it articulates them in their consti- represents a hint for the elaboration of strategies
tutent parts with the suggestions coming from that lead to a sensibilization and development of
semantics and pragmatics. The methodology the interaction with the C2.
used started from the certainty that the pure se-
mantic competence, intended as the recipient of Summary
words from which the speaker should draw in
order to proceed with the distribution, is not de- Second language vocabulary acquisition depends on
cisive for a better communicative competence. the teaching of not only a word’s denotative, but also
If language conveys culture, then the semantic connotative meaning. The latter is often arbitrary and
study is not separable from the pragmatic one, culture-specific and its recognition is a precondition for
in particular way regarding its functional side. achieving an intercultural competence. The second lan-
The linguistic-functional disadvantages of the guage learner has to deal with meaning, gradually de-
inquired youth of the research denote a habit of veloping the awareness of denotative and connotative
teachers to go beyond the classic presentation of properties of words and idiomatic expressions. It is as-
vocabulary in purely denotative terms. That phe- sumed that such a stimulus is provided to Italian as a sec-
nomenon is more and more connotated as a lin- ond language in multilingual and multicultural Istria,
guistic and expressive risk of the Italian language given that the learners are immersed into an environ-
and therefore stresses the necessity of a deeper ment rich with Italian language and cultural events. In
reflection. order to test the hypothesis, the study included middle
and secondary school students from Istria. The research
The continuous comparison that the stu- had four main aims: to investigate the centers of interest
dent is obliged to trace, between his own mean- in which the middle and secondary school students find
ings and the ones of the linguistic environment elements regarding Italian culture with higher frequen-
where he lives, produces gradually two decisive cy; to determine which words and expressions students
changes in his lexis: first of all, from the point of associate with certain areas of interest related to Italian
view of the semantic content, he undertakes lit- culture; to analyse the effectiveness of linguistic and
tle by little meanings that are common to oth- cultural education of italian L2 in Istria for the develop-
er speakers, which is the knowledge shared and ment of an intercultural communicative competence;
used by all of them who live in a foreign environ- to inquire the degree of lexical competence of the par-
ment. Secondly, from the point of view of the se- ticipants, that is their ability to identify the connotative
mantic structure, it transforms the aggregate of meanings of words. The results showed that secondary
specific and separated notions in an organic sys- school students nominated a significantly greater num-
tem of general concepts, putting them into rela- ber of words and expressions associated with the giv-
tion one with the other, according not only to en areas of interest, while both groups were faced with
individual criteria. The intercultural approach substantial difficulties in determining their connotative
considers the learning of the L2 as the encoun- meanings.
ter beetween two cultures and the possibility to
modify the attitudes of the learner. The study 24 Council of Europe, Common European Framework of Reference for
of culture becomes one with the study of lan- Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment.
the effectiveness of linguistic and cultural edu- tellectual growth of the student and his identity
lear ners of italian as l2 and the awar eness of the cultur al connotation of wor ds 69 cation of Italian as the language of social envi- (Council of Europe, 2001).24 Waiting for the di-
ronment (L2) in Istria, for the development of rectives for an intercultural linguistic education
intercultural communicative competence. The elaborated for the countries members of the EU,
didactic strategy presented promotes intercul- this first investigation shows the state of progress
tural linguistic teaching that departs from the of intercultural abilities of students and their de-
centers of interest (clear and defined key con- gree to mediate between the cultures. The latter
cepts) and it articulates them in their consti- represents a hint for the elaboration of strategies
tutent parts with the suggestions coming from that lead to a sensibilization and development of
semantics and pragmatics. The methodology the interaction with the C2.
used started from the certainty that the pure se-
mantic competence, intended as the recipient of Summary
words from which the speaker should draw in
order to proceed with the distribution, is not de- Second language vocabulary acquisition depends on
cisive for a better communicative competence. the teaching of not only a word’s denotative, but also
If language conveys culture, then the semantic connotative meaning. The latter is often arbitrary and
study is not separable from the pragmatic one, culture-specific and its recognition is a precondition for
in particular way regarding its functional side. achieving an intercultural competence. The second lan-
The linguistic-functional disadvantages of the guage learner has to deal with meaning, gradually de-
inquired youth of the research denote a habit of veloping the awareness of denotative and connotative
teachers to go beyond the classic presentation of properties of words and idiomatic expressions. It is as-
vocabulary in purely denotative terms. That phe- sumed that such a stimulus is provided to Italian as a sec-
nomenon is more and more connotated as a lin- ond language in multilingual and multicultural Istria,
guistic and expressive risk of the Italian language given that the learners are immersed into an environ-
and therefore stresses the necessity of a deeper ment rich with Italian language and cultural events. In
reflection. order to test the hypothesis, the study included middle
and secondary school students from Istria. The research
The continuous comparison that the stu- had four main aims: to investigate the centers of interest
dent is obliged to trace, between his own mean- in which the middle and secondary school students find
ings and the ones of the linguistic environment elements regarding Italian culture with higher frequen-
where he lives, produces gradually two decisive cy; to determine which words and expressions students
changes in his lexis: first of all, from the point of associate with certain areas of interest related to Italian
view of the semantic content, he undertakes lit- culture; to analyse the effectiveness of linguistic and
tle by little meanings that are common to oth- cultural education of italian L2 in Istria for the develop-
er speakers, which is the knowledge shared and ment of an intercultural communicative competence;
used by all of them who live in a foreign environ- to inquire the degree of lexical competence of the par-
ment. Secondly, from the point of view of the se- ticipants, that is their ability to identify the connotative
mantic structure, it transforms the aggregate of meanings of words. The results showed that secondary
specific and separated notions in an organic sys- school students nominated a significantly greater num-
tem of general concepts, putting them into rela- ber of words and expressions associated with the giv-
tion one with the other, according not only to en areas of interest, while both groups were faced with
individual criteria. The intercultural approach substantial difficulties in determining their connotative
considers the learning of the L2 as the encoun- meanings.
ter beetween two cultures and the possibility to
modify the attitudes of the learner. The study 24 Council of Europe, Common European Framework of Reference for
of culture becomes one with the study of lan- Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment.
