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A Qualitative Study of the Role of Culture Emerging from Undergraduate Italian Language Programs in the Midwest of the United States

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Exploring Cultural Competence: A Qualitative Study of the Role of Culture Emerging from Undergraduate Italian Language Programs in the Midwest of the United States Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Alessia Colarossi, M.A. College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University 2009 Dissertation Committee: Alan Hirvela, Advisor Frances James-Brown Janice M. Aski Karen Newman Copyright by Alessia Colarossi 2009 Abstract Despite the recognized importance of foreign language teaching and learning in current times, research is still lacking with respect to the understanding and transmission of foreign culture in undergraduate language programs at the college level. Furthermore, most of the research which has been conducted has been of a quantitative nature, and it has focused on linguistic aspects of learners of second or foreign languages in order to measure and better understand the mechanics of their learning and acquisition. This qualitative study was thus undertaken to draw attention to how foreign language programs, in this case Italian language programs, at the college level in the United States contribute to the understanding and diffusion of foreign cultures and how they comply with the national Foreign Language Standards (1999) with respect to the culturally oriented standards. Specifically, this study explored how three large Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level defined and operationalized the notion of cultural competence; what aspects of cultural competence the Italian undergraduate programs at the elementary level emphasized; in what ways these programs attempted to teach culture and/or cultural competence, and to what extent, if any, the curricula of Italian programs were aligned with the Standards (1999) regarding culture and cultural competence. The study consisted of a singular-entity case analysis approach as well as cross-case analysis of three Italian undergraduate programs, and it included the following data collecting methods: ii questionnaire, interview, observations, departmental document analysis, such as syllabi, textbooks, and evaluation tools (i.e. quizzes, exams, and projects). One of the study‘s major findings suggests that the national standards do not receive significant attention with respect to culture and cultural competence, and, if an attempt is made to align the curriculum with these standards, the implementation in the elementary classroom, especially of ‗perspectives‘ and ‗practices‘ (two important components of the standards), is limited. In addition, the overall analysis of the data suggests that there is a lack of clarity and understanding when it comes to the key notion of cultural competence. This qualitative study was the first investigation that attempted to measure the treatment of cultural competence across Italian undergraduate language programs (though the number of programs involved was limited). Instead of looking at just one program, this study sought to compare and contrast across programs in order to construct a more comprehensive picture of what takes place in the cultural domain. It is hoped that the exploration of the culturally-related situation found in the individual programs and across the three Italian programs investigated may provide useful data for future program assessment purposes and for documenting the status of culture and cultural competence since the publication of the standards in 1999. To summarize, this study was designed and intended to benefit a number of stakeholders: a) educational law makers; b) institutions providing foreign language courses; c) educators and governmental iii institutions involved with and studying the impact of the national standards for foreign language learning; d) pre-and in-service teacher education programs; e) learners of Italian. To one degree or another, its findings offer valuable input for each of those groups. In addition, due to its transferability, it may provide useful information for programs teaching other foreign languages. iv Dedication Dedicated to my mother and father, and to my very much missed grandparents who have been watching me from heaven. Dedicated to all those people who believe that education can change people’s lives and convey that there are no boundaries of any sort when it comes to knowledge and people. Dedicated to all the students who could not complete their educational journeys due to circumstances beyond their control. v Acknowledgments I'd like to sincerely thank my friends, classmates, professors, colleagues, and supportive voices as well as chance acquaintances who believed in me and encouraged me to persevere and to achieve what at times seemed unachievable. Sharing what they call the bittersweet moments with all of them kept me strong and focused. I am indebted to my participants who shared their experiences and perspectives with me to bring this qualitative work to fruition. Without them, of course, I would have had no study. My appreciation goes as well to the chairs of the participating institutions for their willingness to grant me permission to conduct my research. I'd also like to thank those who offered their kindness and hospitality during my on-campus visits. These memories and experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life! Additionally, I feel very fortunate to have received support for my traveling expenses from the National Italian American Foundation (www.niaf.org). My heartfelt thanks go to my dissertation committee. I am very grateful to have walked along the doctoral path with Dr. Hirvela, my advisor. I will never forget his savoir-faire, patience, guidance, dedication to professionalism, and his sense of responsibility. All these qualities were undoubtedly integral to the successful completion of this project. As a thoughtful and avid reader and writer I have learned a lot from you, and you helped me a great deal to make countless decisions throughout this study. vi I was blessed to have Dr. James-Brown for the methodological support. Her availability and willingness to help and provide direction were constant throughout the writing process. Your compassion and sensitivity combined with your empowering and charismatic personality have helped me through difficult times, and I will never forget what you have done for me. My sincere thanks go as much to Dr. Aski and Dr. Newman for their invaluable feedback, insightful comments, astute observations and suggestions for improvement. Without all the qualities and academic experiences of all my committee members, the outcome of this project would no doubt have suffered. In the end, the success of my rewarding academic career would not have been possible without the presence in my life of Professor Albert N. Mancini and William Jason Gilmore, a very special person in my heart. They have inspired, supported and pushed me to achieve at the maximum level of my potential. To all of you and with much appreciation I would like to say Grazie! from the bottom of my heart. vii Vita 1999……………………………………………….B.A. in Modern Languages and Literatures, Università di Roma Tre, Rome, Italy. 2002……………………………………………….M.A. in Italian, The Ohio State University. 2001-2006…………………………………………Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of French and Italian, The Ohio State University. 2006-present……………………………………....Lecturer, Department of French and Italian Department of Spanish and Portuguese, The Ohio State University. 2007……………………………………………….Recipient of the NIAF (National Italian American Foundation- www.niaf.org) Culture and Heritage grant. Dissertation research. Publications Janice Aski and Alessia Colarossi. Doing it All in the First Year: Curricular Decisions for Italian Elementary Language Instruction. Italica, 84, 1, 2007. viii Fields of Study Major field: Education: Teaching and Learning Specialization: Foreign Language Education Minor fields: Italian Pedagogy and Applied Linguistics; Latin American Literature and Culture ix List of tables Table 1: Requirement(s) for teaching at the elementary level……………….131 Table 2: Program/Department level assessment of instructor‘s cultural Competence…………………………………………………………………..134 Table 3: Demographics regarding the Italian undergraduate teaching personnel (at the elementary level)…………………………………………..151 Table 4: Participants‘ rating of cultural competence………………………...152 x Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. vi Vita ................................................................................................................................... viii List of tables ........................................................................................................................ x CHAPTER 1 ....................................................................................................................... 1 Background of the study ................................................................................................. 1 From cultural knowledge to developing cultural competence ........................................ 5 National Standards for Foreign Language Learning
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