TI17: AI and Italian

Teaching Italian XVII, AI and Italian: An Algorithm for Success, will be held during the Settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo at the Conference Center on Friday, October 18, 2024.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning present a paradigm shift in language education, offering opportunities and challenges for educators and students. Since “Teaching Italian III (2010) Technology: Getting with the Program,” we have witnessed the rapidly evolving relationship between technology and language teaching and learning. Computers and digital tools have revolutionized Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) programs, offering learners new opportunities. “AI and Italian: An Algorithm for Success,” welcomes you to register and join us in preparing for the transformative landscape of language learning in the era of AI.

Workshops

In this session, we will explore techniques to use platforms such as ChatGTP or Google Gemini to increase students’ confidence in presentational and interpersonal writing and speaking, inside and outside the classroom. Additionally, we will explore ways to use Voice assistant AI, such as Siri and Alexa, to negotiate in the target language and lower students’ affective filter. Finally, we will explore intelligent tutor AI platforms, like LangAI, that offer students the opportunity to perfect their language skills as they dialogue.
Participants will receive a brief introduction to the guiding principles behind the workshop. They will then be provided with sample activities to use with their students. As a group, we will test these ideas together. Additionally, time will be allotted for participant feedback and collaboration.
(Presenter: Steven LaPeruta)

Educators can cultivate personalized, inclusive learning environments that prioritize student well-being by leveraging AI-driven tools and resources. From adaptive learning systems to emotional intelligence recognition and chatbots for support, AI holds the promise of enhancing both teaching efficacy and student engagement.
Participants will learn about different AI applications to use in the classroom and to facilitate a pedagogy of kindness and will apply the knowledge of different AI applications in their own classrooms and become more knowledgeable about how AI can benefit (not hinder) the classroom experience. We will access various AI technologies on our devices (phones, laptops, iPads etc.) and we will work through them together.
(Presenter: Marco Lettieri)

AI in class: how to harness the power of this technology and improve teaching
The workshop delves into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in language education, with a specific focus on its application within the language classroom. It examines how AI technologies, including language learning platforms, chatbots, and virtual language assistants, can revolutionize teaching practices and optimize language acquisition. By harnessing AI, language educators can personalize instruction, provide real-time feedback, and create immersive learning experiences tailored to individual student needs. The presentation also addresses the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating AI into language education, offering practical insights and strategies for effective implementation. Through the strategic use of AI tools, language teachers can unlock new avenues for fostering linguistic proficiency and cultural fluency, ultimately empowering students to thrive in a globalized world.
(Presenter: Carmela Scala)

Biographies

Steven LaPeruta is a teacher of Italian at Nutley High School in New Jersey and a part-time Lecturer of Italian at Rutgers University. In addition, he is a member of the College Board AP Italian Development Committee and an AP reader.
Steven holds a Master of Arts in Italian Linguistics from Middlebury College, a Master’s in ITALS from the Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, and a Doctorate in Modern Languages from Middlebury College. His research interests include the use of technology in second and foreign language acquisition and 21st-century game-based learning. His doctoral research concentrates on Italian teachers’ perspectives on technology use in the language classroom in the post-pandemic period. In 2022, Steven authored a linguistic analysis of the works of the famed Italian author Italo Calvino, titled “La poetica di Italo Calvino,” published in the anthology Sulle ali della leggerezza: Calvino oltre la pandemia.

Marco Lettieri, Ph.D. University of Toronto, is currently Assistant Professor of Italian in the Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras at the University of Puerto Rico. His research interests are in Italian language pedagogy and Medieval and Renaissance studies. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Arizona, University of Toronto and Indiana University. He is the recipient of several teaching excellence awards. He has presented his research at various academic conferences, including AATI/ACTFL, and has published his research in Cultura e comunicazione (Guerra Edizioni) and Mosaic: The Journal for Language Teachers. He is the author of the monograph Word and Image in Alfonso d’Aragona’s Manuscript Edition of the Divina Commedia (SEF: Società Editrice Fiorentina, 2021).

Carmela Bernadetta Scala received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the City University of New York. Her main field of research currently is Second Language Acquisition and Promoting DEI, and she is also interested in Baroque literature, fairytales, folklore, and dialect literature. She is the Director of the Italian Language Program and Study Abroad Program Director at Rutgers University.
Dr. Scala is the founder and chief editor of the Language Teaching and Technology (LTT). Recent publications include From Design to Teaching: Granting Our Students An Engaging Learning Experience Online (Cambridge Scholar Publishing, 2021); How to Foster Equality in The Language Classroom, in “Rhetoric and Sociolinguistics in Times of Global Crisis,” (IGI Global, 2021); and Replacing the ‘melting pot’ with a ‘colorful mixed salad’ in the language classroom, in “Global and Transformative Approaches Toward Linguistic Diversity” (IGI, 2022). She also edited the volume How To Actively Engage Our Students In The Language Classes, (Vernon Press, 2022). In 2023, she received Italian Embassy in New York grants which were instrumental in creating Professional Development courses for teachers in the United States and Italy, focusing on Social Justice and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Italian classroom.