•  
  •  
 

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

Italian, language learning, classroom community

College

Humanities

Department

German and Russian

Abstract

As a student instructor of an Italian 102 class, I adopted an action-research methodology in hopes to understand more fully how to develop sense of community in a language-learning classroom environment. Thus, my research goal was twofold: 1. I wanted to work with my students to create the ideal classroom community. I hoped that my students would get to know each other, enjoy their time in class, in each other’s company, and mutually help each other to learn and use Italian. This aspect of my goal is associated chiefly with the positive affect that would derive from the kind of classroom community I hoped to establish with my students. 2. I also wanted to help my students identify themselves as members of the broader Italian speaking community, beginning with the BYU Italian department. This goal targeted the more elusive psychosocial aspect of learning communities: If my students identified themselves as Italian speakers, would that self-identification be a self-fulfilling prophecy (as I think it may have been in my own experience)? Although most of the data derived from this research is qualitative and experiential, I believe the project to have been successful, both in developing a sense of community among my students and in understanding various aspects of that process.

Download

Share

COinS