Book Description

The concept of university language centres has changed in recent decades. Initially conceived as laboratories for practical and autonomous language-learning, they are now considered as places with more specific and complex functions in language teaching and learning. University language centres now constitute networks for exchanging knowledge and know-how in order to respond to ever-changing, multilingual and multicultural contexts. At the same time, the availability and acquisition of new technologies is contributing to the creation of new tools for the provision of appropriate services and training. This collection covers a wide range of topics related to the activities, experiences and applied research carried out in Italian university language centres. It provides further evidence of the important role university language centres play in promoting language expertise, developing tools and adopting digital resources, and providing support and training for language teaching. Technology, creativity, methodologies and plurilingualism are key topics in the book as they constitute the essential ingredients for effective and successful language teaching and learning. The volume’s thirty-three chapters provide multi-perspective approaches, showing how the real contexts of current language education need the integration of theoretical backgrounds with the best practices resulting from practical experience.