I cartoni animati come risorsa didattica per l'insegnamento dell'italiano LS

Abstract

Motivation plays a key role in the teaching of a second foreign language. Stimulating motivation in a class, according to Pace (2018), is the biggest challenge for a teacher of a foreign language. He argues that a successful didactic delivery hinges on the teacher’s capability to understand and get to know each one of the students in class in order to develop a didactic path around such characteris%cs. This implies that the teacher must be constantly innovative in his/her lesson delivery so as to keep the students constantly motivated. Cartoons is one of the most entertaining aspects of childhood, as they are conceived to attract attention and to keep the child engaged. Furthermore, many animated shows manage also to gain large fan followings of teens and young adults. For this reason, Cartoons can be a very useful tool in the foreign language class to help motivate adolescent learners, especially in the context of developing linguistic competences and communication. An interesting element of cartoons is that the viewer is unconsciously being exposed to the language used. For this reason, Cartoons can be a very useful didactic tool as it helps "The learner learns the language without knowing that he is learning the language". This positive element reduces the pressure of being aware that learning is taking place. (Lodhi. 2018, p.251). The utilization of cartoons as a didactic tool can increase students’ motivation, as it is a medium which can easily dismantle any barriers which some students unconsciously build in a classroom environment. The classroom environment sometimes renders a lesson into a stressful activity. The inclusion of cartoons in the didactic process, not only infuses an enjoyable element to the didactic activity but also contributes towards the development and enhancement of a positive relationship between teacher and learners, and also a positive attitude towards the language. The main aim of this project-based dissertation is to provide a set of lesson plans based on the use of cartoons with the scope of helping in the acquisition of Italian as a foreign language in local schools.