Introduction

Leggi–AMO is an Italian textbook directed to students with no knowledge of Italian and it is designed for classes taught in American Community Colleges.

Leggiamo is an Italian textbook directed to students with no knowledge of Italian and it is designed for classes taught in American Community Colleges. It was born in the context of the OER as free resource. The title Leggiamo (LEGGI+AMO) incorporates the shape and content of this book. LEGGIAMO in Italian means we read; LEGGI is “you read”, and AMO is “I love”. Therefore, “We read, you read and I love it”. This normally happens with storytelling. Why? Because language exists because there is a context. There is an indispensable link between form and content, and very often language shapes the context, and the way to see the world. Therefore, language and the story, that is written and told, embody a given culture. This is why it is very important to learn different languages. By knowing and experiencing a language, we can broaden our perspective of seeing things that before we could not notice. On the other hand, students decide to study a particular language because they have a story on their mind about that language. This is why storytelling is very important and definitely sparks students’ interests, and makes the material meaningful.

I decided to name this book Leggi–AMO to reconnect it to the etymology of the verb LEGGERE in Italian. It derives from the Latin legere, which finds affinity in the Greek λέγω (lego), with the meaning of collecting or saying. Reading basically means collecting, but the term suggests a meaning that goes beyond the simple mechanical repetition of sounds; in fact, the leg- root is the basis of the term lògos, which contains several meanings (word, speech, cause, reason…) so reading can be considered as an action that involves the totality of the person who “collects” and especially his ability to grasp the deep meaning of each text. Indeed, this is this book’s purpose. And furthermore this book is thought as a collage, a collection of OER resources that are already available.

The book develops around an open story, and students themselves are required to elaborate the plot. The story takes place in Florence through four chapters/modules where grammatical structures are contextualized. The basic structure has been reshaped on the basis of the book French OER 1 by Carrasco, Zahedi, and Parrish and some pages of Spunti (Leisawitz and Viale), but the product is a true collage of linguistic and cultural elements. It is a real open book that immerses the student in the language and culture.

Volume 2 (Leggiamo 2) started from French OER 2 by Carrasco, Zahedi, and Parrish, some pages of Spunti (Leisawitz and Viale), and some pages from Italian 2 of Caterina Peri and the result is a true collage of linguistic and cultural elements. It is a real open book that immerses the student in the language and culture.

How we use this text

This text results to be a hybrid. It connects the Teaching Proficiency Thru Reading And Storytelling methodology to the traditional language text, where vocabulary, grammar structures are explained and drills exercises are offered.

The key technique of TPRS is asking questions, “story-asking” or “ask-a- story”, and then co-creating stories with students.

First things to do is working with vocabulary, because the first text must be comprehensible.

1. Students need to work with a target vocabulary, and vocabulary is offered through language games through QUIZLET, or drill exercises that are in each module.
2. Students read the story.
3. Students listen to the story.
4. Students will answer yes and no questions.
5. Students will answer two options questions. Students will answer with the correct options.
6. Students are asked to formulate two questions related to the story. Two classmates need to answer.
7. Students are asked to create their own story, similar to the one they just read using the vocabulary provided in the QUIZLET or used in the story.
8. Students will read or perform their own story.

This text is designed to teach students to read Italian with ease and enjoyment. To be able to read, students need to progressively develop Italian vocabulary and structure, and reading and listening to simple stories will stimulate them through their curiosity and imagination.