Friday, October 12, 2007

group E: urbanimarty

Picture of the National Library of Wales- Aberyswyth
by Martina Urbani


Hello! I’m Martina Urbani and my dream job is to work as an Italian teacher for foreigners. I spent last winter semester in the University of Wales at Aberystwyth, a tiny but fabulous town situated on the Welsh coast. For me, Aber represents simply wonderland! There, I felt completely at ease, I found many friends and I enjoyed campus life very much!!! =) For me it was a wonderful experience! I am still in touch with some English, German, French, Polish, Spanish and Chinese friends. Due to the distance which separates us, we cannot meet anymore and so the only way to communicate is internet. I belong to two online communities of students or people who are friends or just met randomly. The first community I joined is studiVZ and it is composed mainly by German people. A few months ago, I joined also Facebook, a community where you can meet people from all over the world.
Last year, after having applied for assistantship, a Spanish friend of mine started working in UWA as a language assistant. Unfortunately, the Italian department at Aber is closing because of the low number of students studying Italian. Even though Italian is not a very popular language in the world, it is still taught and learned in many universities. That is why I would like to become an Italian teacher for foreigners. Since I still need much experience and training, I would like to undertake a traineeship or a Leonardo program. In the university of Padua I could also enrol in the master “Didattica dell’italiano come L2”. I think that course could enable me to become an Italian teacher for foreigners, but I need more information about it. In addition, I usually have a look to the British council’s site and the Italian site of pubblico ministero. In these sites, I find information about the partnership between Italian and English universities. As a matter of fact, the selection is very tough and hard.
During my stay in Aber I got to know Welsh traditions, which date back to the Celtic civilization. Welsh people are very proud of their origins and their language; therefore they try to preserve and to defend their cultural heritage from disappearing. I think that a language does not represent only a way to communicate but is also reflects our culture and tradition. Therefore if it disappears, it will bring our memories away.
At the beginning of this semester I set my goal for the new academic year: to improve my English. We know that no language has ever been taught so widely in the world (neither French in the Middle Ages, nor Latin before it). For this reason, I think everybody is compelled to study and learn English also because it helps to overcome international barriers. I think that English can help me to develop a cosmopolitan, outward-looking attitude to life and I think that every language is a precious resource in our life!

These are some useful sites:

http://www.aber.ac.uk/student
http://www.britishcouncil.org/
http://www.lettere.unipd.it/master/master.html
http://www.pubblica.istruzione.it/

http://studivz.net/
http://facebook.com/


Hwyl! (Welsh for “see you”)

6 comments:

elenavi said...

Hi Martina,

I really enjoy your post; it clearly shows your enthusiasm for what you are studying and your great resolution in what job you will do in your future. Really a positive and unusual thing nowadays, isn’t it? It is really a pity that the Italian department at Aber is closing because of the low number of students studying Italian; however, you must keep up your aim! Just a question: are you interested in teaching Italian as L2 abroad or here in Italy for example to Erasmus students or immigrants? Certainly a master in ‘Didattica dell’Italiano come L2’ might be a good step to become a good Italian teacher for foreigners also because I assume that – when you are an Italian native speaker – you need a specific training that makes you know what difficulties foreigners can encounter in studying Italian…Another way could be to apply for a job as lector in a foreign university…let’s have a look at this page of Mae website: http://www.esteri.it/MAE/IT/NON_ATTIVO_Cultura/PromozioneLinguaItaliana/LettoratiUniStraniere.htm
I hope it helps!

While reading your post I also became rather curious about your experience with online communities; I am not so tech savvy but I think it could be an effective tool to know foreign people and improve my English…could you please explain me how does a community work? Is it like chatting or e-mailing?

See you on Monday!

Elena

Alesssia L. said...

Hi Martina!

I found your post really interesting! I like to meet people who are excited about their future! I think you're a very confident girl and, as Elena wrote in her comment, it's not easy to find such determination nowadays!
As far as I could see, I think that we share a common passion for the English language. I would like to teach Italian too even though I know that this job requires hard training. You're required not only to master the language at high levels but also to develop skills as a teacher. I've always considered teaching as a fascinating job and I always get angry when people don't give it the importance it deserves. I think that nowadays teachers' salaries are not proportionate to their efforts and commitment...anyway, I hope things will improve in the near future...

I'm also particularly interested in the possibility of being an Italian lecturer in a foreign University or College. Lots of these teachers plan to stay abroad just for a short period of time but then they end up living there for the rest of their life, they even marry or have children...isn't it fascinating? Starting a completely new life in a foreign country...AWESOME!
Well, that's all for the moment, I hope to hear from you soon!

Bye-bye

Alessia

veronica bozzato said...

Hi Martina!
I’ve just read your post and I find it very interesting! I always enjoy hearing the experiences that Italian students did abroad! I have been abroad many times, and I did two study tours in England. The first time I stayed two weeks in a college in Leicester, during summer holidays; then I spent three weeks in a family in London for a study tour organized by my school. In both cases I attended English courses and I improved my English. I agree with you in saying that nowadays it is very important to know English to overcome international barriers and, moreover, to get in touch with other cultures. We have a lot in common, since I would like to be a teacher too! Moreover, Wales has always fascinated me and I really would like to visit it.
I have never taken part in an online community, but I think it could be a good way to improve my English. Could you please explain me how does it works? Thanks!

See you tomorrow!

Bye bye!

Veronica

Camilla said...

Hi Martina!
There are many posts where people put photos about their Erasmus experience, so I started asking myself: "Am I the only one who was not interested in going abroad for so many months?".
Actually...I believe so!
Well...I must tell you the truth: I started making all that was necessary to go to Wales last year, but...at the very moment of taking the request to the office...I went back home!!
The truth is that I don't want to leave my family, my boyfriend, my friends...but I admire who's been brave enough to do it!
So I'm happy that you had such a great experience in Wales, and I really liked reading your post and thinking "It could be me!!!"
I love travelling, but I wouldn't like to live abroad.
I share with you the passion for English, so my aim is to improve it as much as possible, but let me tell you that I'm happy because nowadays there are so many possibilities to learn it...not only going abroad, but also Internet, cable TV and so on!!!

Hwyl

Camilla

Silvia Lovato said...

Dear Martina,
I think you are a very motivated person. You have a specific goal and you want to reach it. I may only give you a suggestion. Each year in the web site of the Ministry of Education (www.istruzione.it) you can find a public competition; if you send your curriculum you can get a job as a language assistant not only in England but in any European country. As you wrote, Italian is still taught and learned in many universities in different countries. I know that the selection is tough but you may choose to work in France (there are more possibility to get the job) since you are studying French too.
see you later,
silvia

Martina Urbani said...

Hello girls!!! =)

Thank you so much for your lovely comments...you make me feel very happy with my post! I will send you soon a post with some useful information about communities and especially studiVZ and facebook.

If you want to join them, just let me know it and I will send you a special invitation.

To belong to an internet community is so much fun because you can meet and chat with many friends.

See you and keep in touch!
Huge kiss
Martina