The textbook encompasses not only grammar, but also culture and tradition, enabling students to understand a language shaped by a continually shifting and evolving world.
“Ecco! Senior” is a comprehensive resource for teachers and senior students, providing a flexible approach to language learning through both physical and digital formats.
The textbook was published by Pearson, an international education publishing company, in collaboration with seven Italo-Australian authors: Gabriella Bertolissi, Adriana Blazincic, Carla Catanzariti, Lidia Nuzzolese and Nancy Posterino – who all reside in Victoria – Maria Gaudioso from New South Wales, and Maria Lo Presti from Western Australia.
The project is a testament to the extraordinary teamwork undertaken by these authors as they developed the textbook in the midst of the pandemic.
Their efforts were recognised by the publishing award for its “authentic content, which is meaningful and carefully modelled on state curricula”, allowing students to practise a broad range of skills, from reading and writing to listening and speaking in Italian.
The intercultural and critical thinking activities in the textbook also encourage students to engage with the educational material on a personal level and to reflect on real world experiences.
One article, Un’identità ricostruita, un sopravvissuto che ce l’ha fatta, in the textbook describes the experience of an Italian migrant from Trieste, Attilio Dereani, who arrived in Melbourne in 1955 – an article that featured in Il Globo on July 27.
Such a candid description of a migrant’s experience aims to break the usual notions and stereotypes surrounding Italian culture.
“We worked with a team of passionate authors,” said Sonia Davoine, the editorial manager at Pearson.
“Gabriella Bertolissi was the first to contact me about the book proposal.
“She assisted me with organising all the materials, involving other professionals in Australia, so that the textbook would reflect a variety of voices and texts.
“We were committed to making a very different resource because students are tired of repeating the same concepts over and over.
“They enter Year 12 with an adequate understanding of the language and they want to be able to have meaningful conversations, to be able to discuss important topics like the environment, science, multiculturalism and migration.”
The textbook has garnered positive responses from thousands of teachers across Australia who have already adopted it in their classes.
Teachers especially appreciate the incorporation of digital resources, such as audio recordings from native speakers, which proved to be extremely useful when schools closed.
“It was a marathon, trying to finish the book over the course of such a complicated year, but it’s really rewarding to continually receive that positive feedback,” Davoine continued.
“Receiving such an important award is exciting; it’s good to have recognition of the commitment made by many in creating this resource.
“Personally, I’m really enthusiastic about it.”
For Gabriella Bertolissi, who has been a language teacher for 40 years and is now the coordinator of curricular projects for the Victoria Department of Education, the textbook represents the “vision of a non-stereotyped Italy” and grants students the ability to ask new questions.
“Over the years, even as president of the Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria, I have always devoted a great deal of effort to try to influence educational policy surrounding the teaching of languages,” Bertolissi said.
“I wanted to demonstrate that languages are valuable and necessary, not just for careers, but to benefit the mind, for cerebral elasticity.
“The pandemic has forced us to examine how and what we teach.
“Educators are always looking for new ways to improve the results of their pupils.
“It was essential to provide schools with digital versions of the textbook because we live in a modern world that is constantly changing.
“We’re happy to see that what we considered fundamental in the teaching of Italian was then also recognised by the judges who chose ‘Ecco! Senior’ for this prestigious award.”
