Special episode of the Caffè Letterario of italiani.it which officially presented the new one International Academy of Italian Culture. Paula Stranges, publisher of the network which is the largest network of Italians in the world, she had a pleasant conversation with the rector ofAcademy, the writer and essayist Luca Farinotti. Some teachers of the higher education school were also guests of the Caffè Letterario: Mark Valesi (Italian teacher), Estefania Videtto (Italian teacher), Thomas Todesca (Dante Alighieri expert), Jacopo Masini (teacher of creative writing), Emanuela Kalb (narration / storytelling teacher).
The rector and the teachers thanked the Foundation italiani.it and the founder of the network, Gerard Ferlaino, for the opportunity offered. For having conceived and implemented a project aimed at the establishment of a higher education school. An idea that becomes a unique reality in the world as it is characterized as a wide-ranging training experience aimed at the international community.
The International Academy of Italian Culture
The birth of the International Academy of Italian Culture is, in fact, a highly coveted goal achieved by Foundation of italiani.it which takes the name of the network and supports its many initiatives. The main objective of the Academy is the promotion and enhancement of the Italian language and culture. An enormous wealth of knowledge and knowledge to be passed on to Italians abroad and to all those who love Italianness.
History, language, culture, traditions that, everywhere in the world, have a large crowd of admirers and exegetes. “In these days when we were preparing for the launch of the Academy, we realized how big the italiani.it network is and how much the Italian spirit it represents is an element of union and sharing. We understood what it means to be part of italiani.it: a network where you feel at home everywhere ".
These are the considerations of Farinotti who opened the Caffè Letterario with Paola Stranges. “For the establishment of the Academy - explained the rector - I followed the lines of the heart of italiani.it. We looked for trained teachers, competent and suitable people to teach who had already had experience abroad ". Farinotti highlighted a determining factor and that is "the great love" that Italian culture feeds from one part of the globe to the other.
“For the Academy, therefore, we have selected a teaching staff made up of people who know different languages and will thus be able to interact with mixed classes, originally from different countries. Our courses will all be interactive and live. This - Farinotti was keen to reiterate - differentiates us from all other online schools ”.
Classes begin on April 4th
The courses will start next April 4th and, for further information, you can consult the website academy.italiani.it. It starts with i courses A1 and B1, both individual and for groups. It should also be noted that at the end of the courses the learners will receive an internationally valid certification. Another ambitious goal is to become a fully recognized university.
“In May the didactic area reserved for language and writing will be defined - announced Farinotti - but we will have much more to say and do. Another big news, for example, is that the Academy will be the university of traditional Italian professions. Let's talk about those trades that have been lost a bit and need to be recovered. The academy will also carry out this recovery and enhancement operation. It won't be just an online academy - pointed out the rector - we will also have physical locations such as the Parma violin making school. Luthiers are one of the most sought-after professions all over the world, an ancient art for which Italy boasts a long tradition and which the Academy will propose to the world ".
International Academy of Italian Culture: the teachers speak
The guest lecturers of the Literary Café expressed satisfaction and emotion at the start of this decidedly 'planetary' adventure, given that italiani.it now has contacts with the whole world.
Emanuela Kalb, an expert in storytelling, has agreed to collaborate with the new Academy giving life to a project in partnership with the school of writing and storytelling of Viagrande Studios. “We want to collect the many stories of Italians abroad - asserted Kalb - we want to talk about all those trips that have brought many Italian families to the other side of the ocean.
The purpose - the teacher highlighted - it is that of the creation of a tale, of a narration of a family story. It will be a course in which we will 'get our hands dirty' with writing. We believe that theory is important but practice will also be fundamental and, therefore, we will also focus on production. So at the end of the course we will have a complete story. The project at the end of the course will be, in fact, to collect the stories in an e-book and then in a paper volume ".
We are Italy!
Mark Valesi, he is the responsible teacher for Europe of the linguistic area of the Academy. In connection from Lisbon, he said he approached the teaching of the Italian language 25 years ago, starting in Italy and then continuing in many foreign countries. “It is fascinating - he has declared - teaching Italian with different groups in different countries. Italian is the emblem of an endless culture that still has great appeal all over the world.
I am convinced that even online you can recreate the right dynamic for teaching and for successfully achieving a motivated and numerically significant student body. Linguistic richness, the hybridization of languages is the theme on which to invest because the world is moving in this direction. It is essential to know foreign languages such as English and Spanish, but Italian has nothing to envy to any other language. We don't have many things left to offer to the world but what we have is best presented: we are Italy! ".
Also for Thomas Todesca, connected from Los Angeles, “The disarming beauty of Italian culture, both in Italy and abroad in particular, is indescribable. Fifteen years ago - the teacher recalled - I rediscovered Dante, the beauty and cultural richness that exudes from Divine Comedy. I never stop reading it ".
From storytelling to Dante
“I am an Italian abroad who has the ambition to bring Dante to the English-speaking world: in fact, I speak about him in English. The Divine Comedy is a huge book that contains the universe; Dante is a staple of Italian culture". Todesca talked about the many reasons of literary inspiration born from Dante's work, “A further demonstration that starting from the Comedy one can be Italian in the best possible way”.
Estefania Videtto, in connection from Malaga, he briefly illustrated the A1 and B1 courses that he will chair and expressed his great passion for the language and for teaching. Courses open to all and for different ages “Because each one for his life experience gives the group energy and knowledge”.
Also in the teaching team Jacopo Masini, writer and screenwriter as well as owner of the Benbow school of writing and storytelling. “Very happy to have been involved in this project - commented - tell stories in Italian, this will be the leit-movit of the course that I will hold for theAcademy of italiani.it. Our goal is to write and narrate with the idea of broadening the horizons of the genres of writing. Destinations that contribute to a deeper understanding of the Italian language and culture ".
