Welcome to the home page for the Padova-Dickinson Exchange The Exchange aims activities and calendar topics to be explored Confronti: dalla marcia alla vespa - Dickinson College EFL 2.0 and Intercultural Competence - Padova Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Questions from Padova to Dickinson Week 5 Questions from Padova to Dickinson Week 6 Questions from Padova to Dickinson Week 7   Questions about immigration from Padova Final Project Topics Final Activities Groups Resources Word Associations Sentence Completions Italy seen from the USA: the USA seen from the USA: Partner Classes Padova-Dickinson students 2008 Skype Names Groups for 04/03/08 Groups for 05/03/08 Students to Skype in their spare time Padova Dickinson Groups for 18/03/08 Groups for 19/03/08 Groups for 01/04/08 Groups for 02/04/08 Groups for 08/04/08 Groups for 09/04/08 Groups for 15/04/08 Groups for 16/04/08 Groups for 22/04/08 Groups for 23/04/08 Groups for 29/04/08 Groups for 23/04/08 School Calendars

 

The Exchange

aims

The aim of this exchange is three-fold:

1 - to improve students' intercultural competence (awareness of their own culture and familiarity with the 'other' culture);

2 - to improve their writing and speaking abilities in the language they are studying by communicating via Skype and forums with students in the other country;

3 - to improve their intercultural communication skills by communicating with peers from another country.

 

activities and calendar

 

week starting...	activities
February 25 /29	Students write a personal introduction. Feel free to upload your pictures, and pictures of your hometown, your college or university, etc. Students complete two questionnaires. Create your account here (N.B. It only runs in Explorer, NOT in Firefox!), then access your questionnaire page (Italian for Padova students, English for Dickinson students). You will find two questionnaires: "word association" and "sentence completion." In the "word association" questionnaire, write all the words and/or expressions that you associate in your mind with 15 given words. In the "sentence completion" questionnaire, add your personal conclusion to 11 incomplete sentences. All your answers will be anonymous. Please remember to: answer both the questionnaires in one sitting (this should take approximately 15-20 minutes) be as spontaneous as possible write the first things that come to your minds write in your "native language" or more precisely, in the language of the country in which you are studying
March 3	In class students analyze the responses to the questionnaires. Students prepare questions based on the class discussion and write them on the wiki to use in the Skype exchanges. First Skype exchanges (March 4 and 5th): University life
March 10	March 8-17: Spring Break for Dickinson. Padova students discuss Skype exchanges in class. Padova students respond to the questions in the online forum.
March 17	In class students analyze the responses to the "politician" and "good citizen". They discuss terrorism in the respective countries. Students prepare questions based on the class discussion and write them on the wiki (below) to use in the Skype exchanges. Second Skype exchanges (March 18 and 19): Terrorism Forum discussion continues.
March 24	March 21-26: Easter Break for Padova. Forum discussions in English: American Elections Forum in italiano: Il sistema penale in Italia
March 31	Students prepare questions based on the class discussion and write them on the wiki to use in the Skype exchanges. Forum in italiano: La politica contemporanea Third Skype exchanges (April 1 and 2): Contemporary Politics
April 7	Students prepare questions based on the class discussion and write them on the wiki to use in the Skype exchanges. Forum discussions in English; Contemporary Politics Fourth Skype exchanges (April 8 and 9): Elections in Italy and in the US
April 14	Students prepare questions based on the class discussion and write them on the wiki to use in the Skype exchanges. Forum discussions in Italian: L'immigrazione   Fifth Skype exchanges (April 15 and 16): Immigration
April 21	Students work on final projects. Sixth Skype exchanges (April 22 and 23): Final projects
April 28	Final 'official' Skype exchange: Last matters for Final Projects
May 5	Finish up final projects - Due by May 9th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

topics to be explored

This list will change as the exchange progresses, but for now the aim of it is to give everybody an idea of the various issues and topics that are being discussed in the repective courses.

• University / student life in the two countries
• Elections - parliamentary elections in Italy, primaries in the USA
• Immigration in Italy and the USA
• Organized crime (Mafia) and terrorism (Italy anni di piombo, the USA current issues)
• From the boom economico following WWII to globalization today - how it has affected and affects the two countries

 

Confronti: dalla marcia alla vespa - Dickinson College

Italiano avanzato (scrittura intensiva) - The course website is located at http://itech.dickinson.edu/confronti/?page_id=3

Descrizione del corso

Nel recente passato, l’Italia ha attraversato dei violenti cambiamenti politici, economici e culturali. Ha subito la dittatura fascista, la seconda guerra mondiale, l’olocausto, la guerra civile e il terrorismo. È passata dalla monarchia alla repubblica. Da civiltà contadina si è trasformata in società industriale ed è infine diventata una delle 8 economie più avanzate del mondo. Ha dato vita a una rivoluzione nel mondo del cinema, nella moda e nei mezzi di trasporto. Ha prodotto il marchio del Made in Italy. Come e perché è successo tutto ciò? Chi sono i protagonisti di questi eventi e cambiamenti? Quali effetti hanno prodotto sulla vita della gente comune? Che cosa vuol dire essere italiani, oggi?

Il corso intende rispondere a queste domande esplorando la storia e la cultura dell’Italia dal fascismo all’età contemporanea. Questa esplorazione sarà condotta in modo inusuale: gli studenti avranno la possibilità di “rivivere” gli eventi decisivi del XX secolo, assumendo l’identità di uomini e donne realmente esistiti. Famiglie, amici e nemici, compagni di scuola e innamorati prenderanno vita con le loro piccole e grandi storie all’interno della classe.

Oltre alle informazioni sul contesto storico e culturale, gli studenti leggeranno articoli di giornale, discorsi pubblici e lettere, brani di romanzi e racconti di autori quali Eco, Mazzetti, Calvino, Levi, Moravia, Mafai, Ginzburg ed altri. Inoltre, vedranno film di registi come Benigni, Scola, Taviani, De Sica, Bellocchio, Giordana ed altri. Le attività di classe saranno integrate da note, immagini, video e audio clip.

Infine, alcuni studenti di Padova parteciperanno a forum e blog online con la loro autentica prospettiva italiana. Questi studenti faranno domande sugli USA e risponderanno alle vostre domande sull’Italia, stimolando un utile confronto, che vi preparerà per il vostro anno a Bologna.

 

EFL 2.0 and Intercultural Competence - Padova

The EFL 2.0 and Intercultural Competence class at the University of Padova is an advanced English language course for students in their last year of a Master's Level degree in Lingue Straniere per la Communicazione (Foreign Languages for International Communication) and Letteratura Moderne Euro-Americane (Euro-American Modern Literature). This class is the language component of a 3 module course. The other two models focus on English linguistics and phonetics. The class aims to improve students' English language skills (all 4) through the use of Web 2.0 tools and social software, as well as in-class discussion. 'Social software' is a term used to speak about a new generation of web-based tools that facilitate human expression, communication and collaboration. This course uses several different social software tools to help students develop their technological and collaboration skills while at the same time improving their English. The tools we will be using are weblogs, wikis, social bookmarking, feed aggregators, and other tools for video, image, slide and audio sharing.

 

A secondary aim of the course is to develop students' intercultural competence. Culture, both one's own and 'the other', is the overriding theme of the entire course and the focus of the in-class discussions. Students are given the opportunity to develop this skill through reading, reflection, writing, speaking, listening, watching, and, most importantly, exchanges like the Padova-Albany exchange where students' will have direct interaction with peers from another culture.

 

The class of 60 students meets once a week in the classroom and once a week in a computer lab. Students are divided into two groups for the in-class meetings for scheduling reasons. Those attending the earlier Monday class (the larger group of 30-35) will be those involved in the Padova-Albany exchange. Students use a course blogs to receive and, sometimes, complete weekly tasks called e-tivities. Students also have personal blogs to complete other weekly e-tivities and to reflect on their learning experiences. Students are divided into 8 groups to interact in the completion of the weekly e-tivities and for classroom discussions.

 

Click here to download a Course_description_07_08.pdf

!

Week 1

February 25 - March 2

 

Online

1. Students write a personal introduction in L2. We have created a page (PadovaDickinson08Students) where you can write your introduction and add pictures of Padova, of the University or your hometown. You can add links to your personal blogs or other useful links.
2. Students complete questionnaires (click here to do so!)

In class

Students discuss the results of the quetionnaires and read each other's introductions.

 

 

 

Week 2

First Skype meeting. Based on class discussions, please write some questions that you could use during your Skype conversations.

 

 

 

Week 3

Students start contributing to forums.

 

 

Week 4

Second Skype meeting. Based on class discussions, please write some questions that you could use during your Skype conversations.

Questions from Padova to Dickinson

 

 

 

Week 5

Skype meeting. Based on class discussions, please write some questions that you could use during your Skype conversations.

Contemporary Politics

Questions from Padova to Dickinson

 Questions from GROUP1:

1. Do you remember where you were when you got to know about 9/11, and what you were doing?

2. After the attacks has your attitude towards Muslims changed someway?

3. Had you known any kind of terrorism in America before 9/11?

4. Do you know any other European country which has been affected by terrorism?

 

Questions on terrorism and politics from group 6:

1.Do you think the Americans fear terrorism?

2.What's the first thing you think about when you hear the word terrorism?

3.Do you think the Government is facing the problem in the right way?

4.What do you expect from the new president?

5.Who do you think has more chances to become the new president and why?

 

QUESTIONS FROM GROUP 4:

1)What's the importance on the terrorism issue in the presidential campaign? How do Republicans and Democrats maintain they want to fight it?

2)How has terrorism changed your lives?

3)Many people criticize G.W.Bush's policy. If you are among them, what would you have done instead of attacking Iraq as a response to 9/11?

4) During our group discussion we found that the word 'terrorism' is generally related to the bloody attacks by the extreme left wing. What about terrorism in the U.S.A.?

 

Questions on terrorism and politics from group 7 (Elisa Snaidero) (and Cristina Robba)

1.Do you think the government lies or hides something about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack?

2.Do you see any relationship between the war in Afghanistan and Iraq?

3.The winner of the US presidency can repair American's damaged international reputation?

4.If you could go back time, would you still vote for G.W. Bush?

5. We saw the collapse of the twin towers on television, and it was like a movie, it took some time to relize that everything was terribly true, how didi you felt on 9/11?

6.How is your daily life changed after the 9/11 attack?

7. United States of America is the most powerful State in the world. Is this statemesnt still true after 9/11?

 

Questions on terrorism and politics (Group 5):

What does terrorism mean for you?  

How do you feel hearing that in Italy there was terrorism in the 70s?  

Had you ever felt threatened by terrorism before Sept. 11th?  

How do you feel about mass shooting in schools like in Columbine School or Virginia Tech?  

Do you feel safe knowing that everybody can easily buy a weapon?  

Would/Do you carry/own a gun?

 

Questions on elections and politics (Group 5):

1. What are the most important features a political leader must have?

2. Are you influenced by the political campaign or do you have a specific political idea?

3. Do you think you are really represented by your candidate?

4. Is the electoral system really effective?

5. What do you think about the means candidates use in order to promote themselves?

 

QUESTIONS ON ELECTIONS AND POLITICS (GROUP 4)

* If you were elected to be President what would you do first? or what would you change?

* Don't you think that your political ideals often depend on your cultural background? Do you think that political campaigns can really change electors' choices?

* What do you think about videos people made during this campaign (i.e.: Obama's girl)?

* Do you think that the "Winner takes all" system is fair?

 

QUESTIONS ON ELECTIONS AND POLITICS (GROUP 2)

* What is your reaction to all those jingles and videos on youTube that support one candidate or another?

* Italian politicians are trying to copy American way of doing political campaigns. Do you think they are right?

* Do you think that the 'fight' between B. Obam and H. Clinton could have a negative result in terms of votes for the democratic party?

 

Week 6

Skype meeting. Based on the platforms your peers have posted to the elections08 page they have created, which issues in the American platforms interest you most? Please write 2-3 questions each that you plan to ask your Skype partners, e.g. about healthcare, the war in Iraq, etc. The conversations will be about politics again, but we'd like you to focus on the issues this time. Also be prepared to tell your American peers about the issues here!

Elections

Questions from Padova to Dickinson

Eleonora:

1. I read Hillary's and Obama's platforms and I noticed they are very similar. I'd like to know more about the differences between the 2 candidates (in terms of political programs). Is there any issue which is crucial for Obama and is not mentioned in Hillary's program (and vice versa)?

- The platforms are actually very similar, as both Obama and Hillary belong to the same party. There isn't any significant difference between the two programs: both focuse on universal health care and on the war in Iraq. Both Hillary and Obama want to pull out from it, but that seems to be especially Obama's priority. The main difference between them is that Obama is a black man and Hillary is a woman, which is something new for the US. That makes the choice between them extremely difficult.

2. I read that John McCain is determined to carry on the war in Iraq if he becomes the new President. In your opinion, what concequences could this choice have for US economy and foreign policy?

- The concequences would be quite negative. McCain was a soldier so he thinks that if the US give up now they would just admit they had been defeated. America just needs to change its strategy. However, as is well known, most Americans don't share the same opinion. They are aware that the war has only been a waste of money and time so far. It's not worth carrying on; people would keep on dying and the economic situation (which is already difficult at the time) wouldn't improve.

3. "Health care" seems to be a fundamental issue in all candidates' platforms. I'd like to know more about how the present situation is. Do you have both private and pubic hospitals? Do you need an insurance even if you go to a public hospital? Are there many people in the US who cannot afford a health insurance?

- The present situation is a real disaster and pretty complicated, too. Although the US have excellent hospitals and doctors, quite few people can afford good health care because the majority of hospitals are private. If you don't have an insurance, you get medical assistance but then you'll have to pay a huge amount of money for it. If you are lucky and can afford an insurance, you're still not safe since insurance companies won't pay for every kind of medicaments or treatments. That's why many poor American families don't have access to health care. In some places there are associations where students of medicine provide free health care to children who cannot afford it; in this way students have the chance to practice and poor families can get basic medical aid.

 

Marina:

1- Do you think it is possible for a future president to strive for national healthcare and decrease the power of the insurance companies?

2- If Mac Cain wins the elections, he will be the oldest U.S. President. What do you think about it? Could he be the right person to represent also the youngest generations or not?

Please read this:

Newsweek 

And, if you'd like to know some opinions from the web (or also leave your comment), read this.

 

3- One point of Obama's program deals with energy independence. What are his strategies and his plans for this issue? As you can read in the website of Obama, the USA spend $41 million on foreign oil every day, and there is the problem of the global warming. For these two important reasons, Obama wants to: 1) reduce carbon emissions 80 % by 2050; 2) invest in a clean energy future (including solar, wind and geothermal energy); 3) support Next Generation Fuels; 4) Set America on Path to Oil Independence; 5) Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030; and 6) Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change.

If you like to know more about how Obama wants America to change its energy politics and be more environmental-friendly, visit:

Obama Energy Plan

Obama Environment Plan

 

Martina Urbani:

1. In your opinion, to what extent the decision of the army withdrawal from Iraq is a central theme in the political campaign?

Allyson: ‘I think it’s very important because Clinton and Obama propose to lave Iraq gradually while McCain is determined to carry on it. I think the was in Iraq was a mistake’. Why do you think that the war in Iraq was a mistake?

Allyson: ‘Bush stated that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but that was an excuse, it was not true.’

2. According to you, what are the most important reasons that persuade American people to vote?

Allyson: ‘Some people are more involved other don’t support anyone. In the families, they vote in a different manner. People feel that they don’t have so much control. A lot of people are registered to vote, but they actually don’t vote. I think people should definitely do it, it’s very important.’

2.If Mac Cain wins the elections, he will be the oldest U.S. President. What do you think about it? Could he be the right person to represent also the youngest generations or not?

Allyson: ‘I’ve never thought about it. I don’t support him. I don’t think he will be the good choice as president from my personal point of view.’

3. Do you think that Hillary's and Obama's campaigns are more concerned with gender and race than mere political issues?

Allyson: ‘I don’t agree to vote for Hillary just because it is a woman. Some old women I know say that they will do vote for Hillary just because she is a woman. As regards Obama, he represents a minority because he is black but I don’t think many people will vote for or against him just because he is black.’

According to you, is there still racism in the US?

Allyson: ‘It is not as bad as it was some years ago. People at my college think that they will vote for him because he is a good candidate and not just because he is black.’

4. In the US are there more private or public hospital? Allyson: ‘Most are private. We don’t have that many public services.’

Do you think that private works better?

Allyson: ‘Most people think that if you are paid better you do your work better.’

5. In your opinion, to what extent the decision of the army withdrawal from Iraq is a central theme in the political campaign?

6. According to you, what are the most important reasons that persuade American people to vote for one candidate rather than for another?

Hi Martina! What I'm going to tell you won't surprise you at all: the mechanisms of choice in America are not so different from those that operate in Italy. I spoke with Marigny and Leah about this and they both confirmed what I already thought: in America, as well as in Italy, many electors don't even know the programmes of their candidates because they are too difficult to understand; they choose on the basis of either the political preference of their family, or the carisma of this or that politician, or the possibility to identify themselves with his/her life, personality and aims. For example, it seems that Obama is more charismatic than Hillary and his successful career let black people hope that they too can defeat racism and discrimination and get the position they deserve in the society; in the same way, in our country people who have started an activity on their own feel to be better represented by Berlusconi, who followed a path which was similar to theirs.

Leah also explained me that while at the beginning of the American electoral campaign Hillary and Obama’s supporters respected each other recognizing that they were all on the same side, now each faction overtly hates the other and it is entirely possible that in November the supporters of the loser will prefer to vote for Mc Cain rather than giving their vote to the winner.

As you can see, neither in America nor in Italy the vote is based on a complete awareness of what the candidates promise us to do.

 

Elena Costa

7. Do you think that Americans are more interested in the welfare or in the foreign policy?

 

Zara:

1 - I read, in a brief summary of Clinton's program, that, if elected, she'd fight against female discimination in US. Do you think that American women actually face discrimination? If yes, how and in which fields of life does discrimination affect American women?

2 - Do you know if there are any US cities or areas where discrimination is higher? Towards which social groups?

3 - I read in Obama's program that he wants to ensure 'every citizen to vote'. Actually, to whom this achievement would benefit?

4 - What kinds of discrimination affect Americans? How would you improve the situation?

5 - Does Mc Cain cope with the discrimination issue? If yes, how?

 

Group 2:

1. Compared to the two Italian political programs, don't you think that the American ones completely differ from each other?

Brian told us that our assumption was not groundless at all and that the party system in the Unites States is a bit too extreme. Nowadays, it has really become hard to choose between the two main parties and there are no intermediate positions available. Hilary's and Obama's political programs are of course much more similar to one another but if we go and read Mc Cain's, we will find out that his objectives are completely different (especially with reference to the issue of the war in Iraq). So, it is very difficult to feel truly represented by any of the two main parties because they're so extreme and the opinions that people in America have formed on certain issues may be completely different from the ones of the main candidates. He thinks that here in Italy maybe we can have much more choices given the amount of little parties and intermediate positions.

2. Do you think that the question of the troops on Iraq could affect your vote more than other issues such as 'health care' and environmental concerns?

Actually, the issue of the war in Iraq DOES play a fundamental role in the next political elections and of course the fact that Americans have to decide if they are against or in favor of the war is deemed to have an effect on their vote for one of the two parties; in other words, if you are against you are more likely to vote for Hilary or Obama, if you're in favor you would rather prefer Mc Cain (I've put it in a rather simple way but of course things may also be a bit more complicated). Anyway, Brian is keen to point out that environmental problems actually represent a very pressing issue too! Maybe, (to us) it was not clear enough, but many countries in America are nowadays really trying to take the right steps in order to solve the problem of global warming, to reduce gas emissions and to find alternative energy resources, which should be cleaner but also cheaper.

3. Do you think that Hillary's and Obama's campaigns are more concerned with gender and race than mere political issues?

The possibility to have a Black leader or a woman as president is surely a great achievement for America. According to Brian, both of them can really give something more to politics because they can offer different perspectives on a large number of issues. Unfortunately, there has also been a lot of brainwashing from TV and that has contributed to turn the elections in a sort of gender or race struggle. Hence, many people still ask themselves whether these two candidates may have enough experience to rule the country, overlooking the great changes that their election can eventually cause.

 

 

 

Week 7

 

Questions about immigration from Padova

 

Group 1

1. What are the requirements (job, marriage, house etc.) to achieve the visa in the United States?

2. In what kind of sectors are immigrants usually employed? Do you think that they are a resource or that they 'steal jobs?

3. Do you think that your laws are appropriate to prevent illegal immigration? What kind of procedures do these laws provide for? 

 

Group: Nina H, Marta G, Sara B and Elena B

1. Are immigrants from different countries perceived in the same way or are there prejudices infleuncing people's judgement? For ex, if there were one Mexican and one Italian, would they be perceived in the same way without knowing anything about them?

2. What is the process to get residence permission in the USA? Is it compulsory to have a job in the States in order to settle there? In Italy, according to the Bossi-Fini law of 2002, immigrant people can be given legal residence only if they have a job contract...

 

Group 5

1. Do you feel that immigration is a debatable issue in the US? What are the most important problems connected to the phenomenon of immigration?

2. What do you think an 'immigrant' is?

3. Do you think there is a relevant difference among the immigrants according to their social status?

4. How do the basic differences (country of origin, education, motivations etc.) among immigrants influence their stay in the US?

 

Group: Elena Costa, Federico Fiorentin, Alessandra Squaquara, Martina Torresan

If you are an immigrant in America, do think that your everyday life is influenced by your different origins?

In the United States, are all immigrants treated in the same ways or are they considered differently according to their nationality? Are Italian immigrants accepted in your society?

Are there specific integration programs for foreign children in the American educational system?

 

Group: Anna Bordignon, Eleonora Carta, Marina Fuin

1. If you are children or grandchildren of immigrants, have you ever experienced some kind of discrimination? (for example at school)

2. Do you feel 100 % American or are you also influenced by your parents’  or grandparents’ culture?

3. Are there groups of immigrants that are more integrated in the American society than others?

 

Group: Elisa Rossi, Selena Bortoletti, Elena Sottil

1. What is your attitude towards immigrants?

2. By looking at your names we noticed that some of them are not typical American names. Were your parents or grandparents immigrants from Italy? Based on the fact that you were probably born in America do you totally feel Yankee or are you still linked in some ways to your Italian roots?

3. As you have a long history of immigration how many generations do you think have to come one after the other in order to feel totally integrated in the American society?

 

Group 4

1. Do immigrants have the right to vote in the U.S.?

2. Which are the main aspects of the American policy towards immigration?

3. What's the attitude of the two political parties towards immigration?

 

Elena Carlet & Monica Ferrara

1.How are the different groups of immigrant seen in America? Is there a group which is more discriminated than others?

2. How do immigrants live in the US?Do they live in  particular ghettos, separate themselves from the natives, or do they try to integrate themselves?

3. Do immigrants in the US have a lot of burocratic problems when they enter the country?

 

Group 7

1. Do immigrants have good chances to find a good job?

2. Are there any jobs that are usually done only by immigrates?

3. Do the variuos ethnic communities integrate easily into society?

 

Final Project Topics

Maybe we should focus on immigration and see how the two countries deal with it or have dealt with it in the past. I mean, not only in terms of attitude towards immigrants but also in terms of immigration policies. As we know, immigration is an important component of American history but nowadays it seems as if immigration policies in the US are a bit more strict compared to the Italian ones. Moreover, it seems as if the American citizenship is a really hard goal…maybe this could be a misconception based on our own ideas so we could explore the topic more in depth. (I've quoted it directly from the last post in my blog...so maybe it is not plagiarism...or is it?) ;-) ALESSIA LEONARDI

I would like, too, to focus on immigration policies in both countries. As Alessia said, America has a very long history of immigration, while Italy is, according to me, at the very beginning of a long-lasting process which is now giving rise to doubts, problems and fears. Thanks to a comparison with the American experience we could not only become aware of the differencies in the policies of both countries and of the strategies to set a limit to problems, but also eventually smooth our fears and suspiciousness and have a more rational approach to the issue. MARTA GUARDA

I would like to focus on music because I think that it can express many cultural issues. In America there are many genres and this variety reflects the country's multi-ethnic population, so we can link this topic to immigration as well and analyse the different social identities. Thanks to a comparison with Italian music and genres we can analyse the different habits, traditions, opinions and history of the people living in the two countries. Elisa Caramori

I believe it would be very interesting focusing on IMMIGRATION, too. I agree with Marta that a comparison with the American experience, which is longer than ours, could really be helpful and thought-provoking. Moreover, a very current issues is whether or not to give the citizenship to immigrants that have been living in Italy for a certain period now, and to children of immigrants that were born in Italy. In fact, one of the first new government’s action will be considering the law proposal presented by Amato, which considers precisely these topics. Anna Giabardo

Yes, immigration seems pretty interesting. I really like Elisa Caramori's suggestion to link this topic to music since music can say a lot about cultural identity (let's think for example about jazz and blues). I'd also like to find out more about women discrimination in the US, as Zara asked in her "Week Six" questions. It seems that in Italy women earn less than men and most of the times they are "forced" to choose between family and carrer. This might be a possible reason for the very low birth rate in our country (and in Europe in general). In Hillary's platform I read she also wants to fight against women discrimination in America. I think it could be interesting to draw a comparison between the two countries on this matter. ELEONORA CARTA

I would like to compare how Italians learn about Americans and viceversa. How do teachers in the schools present the Italian language and culture? And, do Italians study American language and culture? Why, or why not? Is it important in Italy to differenciate, for example, American English and British English? At which level?  Which aspects of Italian/American cultures are studied? Which movies/books/music are chosen, and why? Is this material also studied by Italians in Italy as part of their culture and viceversa? Anna Bordignon

I would like to focus on the differences between North and South in the Usa and in Italy because I didn't know that also the USA have this reality. I would like to focus on the historical connotations and the origin of the stereotypes. Furthermore, I would like to know if there are some states that want to be more independent from the others. In Italy there is always the issue, especially during the elections, that Lega Nord wants to divide Italy in North and South. Maybe in the USA there are some States that want to me more independent for some reason. Marina Fuin

I'd like to discuss about health care, because I think it's a really important problem that concerns both Italy and USA. As a person and a woman, first of all in my life I think about my health and this is a very delicate topic in our society. I heard of persons who are ill and haven't got a bed to sleep on in the hospital, or persons who died because of national health disservice. In my opinion these are unthinkable, unimaginable things!!! Many times happened to me that I had to wait for a long time to make a medical examination even if I had an appointment and this is not possible... When I have to go to the hospital for an usual check-up I'm speechless because of the situations I see and it's for these reasons that I'd like to discuss about this important topic and compare it with the American situation, see differences and similarities and see if also American people have such problems with health care. Letizia Malacarne

I think that immigration would be a very interesting topic, too. I’d like to talk about the problems that immigrants have to face when they have to find a job and about the difficulties they encounter in their first work experience. For example, in Italy it frequently happens that even skilled immigrants who had a long work experience or have a qualified degree are discriminated when they apply for a job. I think it would be very interesting to compare the situation both in Italy and in the US as regards this aspect of immigration. Silvia Nicolini

I’d like to deal with the situation of women in everyday life and in politics as well… Is it true that American women only think of their career and independence? What are the opportunities women have in the society they live in? What are their needs? Observing that in Italian society, especially in some jobs, women are still discriminated, I’d like to find out if American women suffer the same condition. Laura Zoccarato

As regards the final project, I would like to focus on education. I'd like to find out differences and similarities between Italian and American educational systems, especially in the elementary school. I choose this topic because I think it's really important to have a good education in the first years of school as they are the basis for personal development. How is this kind of school organized? What do teacher do to improve children's personal skills? Valeria Fagan

I would like to deal with differences and similarities as far as public holidays are concerned. I would like to know exactly which are the American public holidays (and their origins) and compare them to the Italian ones. It would be interesting to analyze what people usually do during these holidays and the importance they give to them. Veronica Bozzato

Although it may seem quite banal, I would like to talk about education: last semester's exchange with American students from Albany and the chat with Chiara Olivi confirmed me that the whole American educational system is very different from the Italian one and it might be interesting to descover the way in which a different school path influences the preparation and the cultural awareness of the students in the two countries. Are American and Italian students equally competitive in the world of work or are the ones more prepared and successful than the others? Are there some elements that Italy could "copy" from the American system and viceversa? Do graduated people from both countries always find a job which corresponds to their studies or do they have to accept what the market offers? In this field, I would also find very interesting to compare the way in which foreign cultures are presented and studied in the two countries. What are the corresponding courses mainly focused on? Do teachers prefer to analyse the language of the other country? Its literature? Its history? Do such courses provide a complete picture of the other culture? How students' knowledge is assessed? Elena Costa

For our final project I would like to focus on differences in educational system between Italy and United States because I think that education is one of the most important things in one person's life and it can really influence his or her future. I think that living and studying in certain countries really affects the way your life could be and the opportunities you can be offered. As always, much depends on the kind of person you are but I also believe that the place you live in can help you or even represent a problem. Giovanna Foschini

For our final project I would like to focus on the way the image of women is used in commercials and politics. I would like to draw a comparison between Italy and the U.S. in this respect. I came to this idea after watching the "Obama girl" video, which is only the latest demonstration of how the female body is misused to have more consent or to sell a product. How is this policy perceived by Americans and Italians? Do we really like it? Do women do it just for the money and the fame? Don't we feel it's just a subtle way to manipulate us? Raffaella Panizzon

I would like to write about women in politics, in Italy and in the United States. Probably the fact of working on the Us elections for so much time and contributing to the Wiki page fully dedicated to this issue has influenced me a lot. One of the Democratic candidates running for the office of President of the United States is in fact a woman, Hillary Clinton, and I guess this is the first time a woman gets so close to such a meaningful and high political position. A President woman: could it ever be possible in Italy? The low presence of women in the Italian political scenery is a matter of fact, so what I would like to do is try to analyse the problems that women still have to face with as voters and as candidates in the Us and in Italy and most of all to examine what are the different social and cultural factors that  prevent women from becoming important political leaders. Giada Guazzo

I agree with what my peer Anna Bordignon wrote (number 5). I’d like to write the final project about education and I think that the learning perspective that Anna proposed can be very interesting. I think we should discuss in group about the sources we can find and create. Since our final project can’t be very long I think we should try to write very concise and effective pages. The presentation should be clear, simple and eye-catching. We could divide our project into three parts: 1. What US students learn about Italian culture? (e.g. past history or contemporary history, Dante or Calvino, only literature or also historical background, normative or descriptive Italian grammar) How do US students learn? (Do they use mainly books or do they exploit technologies effectively? We could provide some explanations about what means US students do use to approach Italian culture, e.g. links of the sites). 2. What Italian students learn about American culture? (e.g. past history or contemporary history, Shakespeare and Milton or Orwell and , only literature or also historical background, normative or descriptive English grammar) How do Italian students learn? (Do they use mainly books or do they exploit technologies effectively)? As in the previous section, we can include links, pictures and explanations of how do they learn for example, just by listening to pop music, watching videos onYouTube, participating in forums, or watching movies ). 3. Comparison and analysis of the differences among US and Italian educational systems and perspectives for future students of these languages. These are just some ideas, I think we need to discuss what aspects are more relevant and what perspective we want to convey in our final project! Think about this, see you on Monday! Martina Urbani

For the final project, I would like to discuss about something that is close to my experience and so I think that the University life can be very interesting. We already talk with our peers about the differences in the organization of University life in the USA and here in Italy and so I would like to deepen this topic. We could draw a comparison between students' life in the campus and the way it works here in Italy, or how free are students to choose the lessons they prefer, or at which extent do students take part to the differet activities organized by the University. -Cristina Robba-

For our final project I would like to write about EDUCATION. We know very well how the educational system is here in Italy, whereas I personally have a vague idea about that of USA. I think that a comparison between the two systems could be interesting in order to focus on the consequences that they have on the individual in society. Sara Babetto

Like Elena Costa, I’d like to focus my final project on education. I’d like to compare Italian and American system to explore their influence  on the personality and the future of the Italian and American guys. Do we have the same possibilities of the American guys? To what extent our education influence our mind? Martina Torresan

For our final project, I would like to focus on legalization of drugs. I think this is a crucial topic nowadays and it would be very interesting to analyse it in detail making a comparison between the drug policies of the two countries. In Italy, the debate between people who think that the only solution to fight drugs is to make it legal and those ones who claim that drug use and possession are real crimes is very strong and controversial. Both the parties have a series of reasons to support their thesis. How is the situation in America? What do you think about it? Which is younger people’s approach to this issue?

For my final project, I would like to focus on death penality. I perfectly know that this topic is not so happy but I read some interesting opinions in the forum and would like to focus my final project on that. For example I could compare the American laws, what it permits and which are the differences between Italian law. It could be interesting compare also the people's opinions about that topic. Alessandra Squaquara

In the final project I would like to focus on death penalty. I know that  is a very delicate topic but I’m curious to know what the Americans think about it. I’m completely against  death penalty because I think it doesn’t solve any problems to apply it; furthermore, I think that killing a murderer is the worst way to explain someone who had done something wrong. I think that to put someone into jail for the rest of his/her life would be enough. In my opinion, if someone is deprived of his/her  freedom he had already received a strict punishment. In Italy the problem is that when someone is jailed for 30 years for example, he will never pass all this period in prison. Certainly, he will sent out of prison after 10 years because he had a good behavior… it’s incredible but it always happens! So, I would like to know what Americans think about death penalty and if they think it really reduces crimes. Elena Carlet

Exactly 30 years after the law which legalized abortion in Italy (1978-2008), the issue of abortion is still very controversial. In February, the editor of the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, Giuliano Ferrara, who supports the Universal Moratorium for the Abolition of the Punishment of Abortion, formed a new political party “Aborto? No grazie. Per la moratoria con Giuliano Ferrara ”, which aims to bring the cause of abortion in the next Parliament. I think that the project I’m going to do with my peers is a great chance to see how Italy and America have faced this big ethical issue so far. Some points that could be discussed in an objective way are as follows: - the abortion laws in the two countries (late abortion term, i.e. how late abortion can be performed legally, parental notification for minors and privacy for non-adults, government funding, i.e. if health care covers abortion, etc.), - statistics (the trend of abortion rates in the two countries, differences between North & South, native people & immigrants, teenagers & adults), - the methods of abortion which are legalized in the two countries (such as the abortion pill “Ru486”, which is being introduced in Italy only these days), - the position on abortion of US and Italian candidates in 2008 elections, - the influence of Christian “pro-life” movements in the two countries. Elena Vivian

For our final project I would like to focus on health care. I would like to know better how the system works, how expensive it is if one does not have an insurance, how long  is hospital waiting time?; if you don't have an insurance is it the same price if you are hospitalized in a public or private clinic? Is it the same in every State or are there any differences? Are people happy or discontent with the system? Elisa Snaidero

I'd like to look into either education or food and eating culture. More on my blog (http://www.ninablogging.blogspot.com/). nina horakova

As regards the final project, there are a couple of topics I would be interested in working on, such as an analysis of the issue of health care, which I think is a very important topic as far as the US are concerned,  and a comparison on the situation of young people working policies in the two countries. Camilla Zulian

I think it would be interesting to compare the attitude towards arts in the U.S. and in Italy. I'd like to have a look at the famous museums in America, e.g. Moma in NYC. How do Americans feel about art ( museums, classic music etc.) ? Do Italians really care so much about their history and famous painters etc? In my opinion, it would be interesting to make this kind of comparison. Another topic I was thinking about is news on TV. What do American TV channels provide regarding news and how is information presented? Caroline Witte

For the final project I would like to focus on health care but more particularly on the "substance abuse among youn people". For 'substance' I mean the abuse of medicines which is becoming more and more frequent in our society, even when we have to deal with a light headache. Moreover, I would like to deal with the problem of depression among young people which, I think, is closely connected with the way the society is perceived nowadays. Monica Ferrara

As far as final project is concerned, I'd like to focus on a comparison between the American and the Italian health care system. I'm even interested on the musical scene of the two countries and as Elisa has highlighted, it could be an interesting aspect to discuss, for example starting from those genres of music that arouse as forms of protest, like the Blues in the U.S.A.  in the early '30s and 'la canzone cantautorale' in Italy in the '70s. Alice Violato

For our final project, I would like to focus on legalization of drugs. I think this is a crucial topic nowadays and it would be very interesting to analyse it in detail making a comparison between the current drug policies of the two countries. In Italy, the debate between people who think that the only solution to fight drugs is to make it legal and those ones who claim that drug use and possession are real crimes is very strong and controversial. Both the parties have a series of reasons to support their thesis. How is the situation in America? What do you think about it? Which is younger people’s approach to such a thorny issue? Elena Boscaro

As far as our final project is concerned I’m really interested in going into the American healthcare system, writing about issues on       e u t h a n a s i a. To be more precise I’d like to understand how the Americans perceive euthanasia: is it considered the right to die for patients terminally ill, or just a way to kill someone? Here in Italy, as we all know, euthanasia is an illigal practice; from this point of view we're still heavily influenced by the Church. I perfectly know that this is a very complicated subject but as you all know…nothing ventured, nothing gained! Alessia Ferrara

Hello! Thinking about the topic we will focus on our final project, I'd like to deal with the situation of women in everyday life and in politics as well... Is it true that American women only think of their career and independence? What are the opportunities women have in the society they live in? What are their needs? Observing that in Italian society, especially in some jobs, women are still discriminated, I'd like to find out if American women suffer the same condition. Laura Zoccarato

Comparison between the situation of working women in Us and in Italy. We all know that women are paid less than men, even though, in many cases, they work more. They’re also more likely to get a job in more precarious forms of employment. Women often have lower status job and they’re still scarcely involved in politics, as the Italian situation demonstrates. Equality between sexes is an abstract principle which is not always guaranteed. Even in democratic countries, women are victims of gender bias and wage discrimination. I'd like to compare the Italian and the American situation to see if there's some differences. SILVIA LOVATO

In our final project I would like to write about THE YOUNG PEOPLE. Their trends, their interests, their problems, their education in the modern society. I think it could be an interesting topic to talk about even in our Skpe conversations with the American peers, since we are the subjects. GIOVANNA SPEROTTO

Penso che sia molto importante parlare del problema dell'immigrazione tra gli Stati Uniti e l'Italia. Durante la nostra classe in lunedi, abbiamo discusso la storia dei nostri antenati quando sono emigrato agli Stati Uniti. Penso che sia molto interresante se discutiamo le ragioni gli italiani emigrano dall'Italia agli Stati Uniti. Anche, penso che sia molto importante creare una definizione specifiche del uno immigrato. Brian Albanese

we wouldl ike to devote the wiki page to the HEALTH CARE SYSTEM in the U.S.A. It's a controversial issue, it involves even civil rights. Indeed, as usual in the U.S, whatever you need you have to pay for it. It is right to make things work but it is not consistent with people's healthiness. If I'm dying and poor I should be helped as much as a rich man/woman would be. It's not all, there many more things to be analyzed. NICOLA CANTON ELENA SOTTIL

I'd like  write a paper about the American dream:   What does "American dream" mean? How did it shape American society? What did it become when it was imported in Europe and in Italy, in particular? Does it still exist nowadyas? And if it does, is it different, someway? Alberto Tono

 

Final Activities

 

1. First of all, we would like to you fill out a questionnaire on your experience with the exchange and the final project. (It will be available soon.)

 

2. As the courses had a dual aim, i.e. language learning as well as improving your intercultural competence, we would like you to take time to do a self-assessment on your intercultural comptence. Please go to the ICC_Assessment page to find out more.

 

3. Vote for the best final project. Go to the BloggingEnglish08_Final page and take a quick but careful look at all the final projects (except your own) and using the criteria we came up with in the first semester to judge online sources of information, choose the best one. Then go to here to vote and explain the reasons behind your choice.