Course improvement grant spotlight: “Italian language enhancement for Maymester course in Rome”

Posted by shephs2 on Thursday, October 7, 2021 in Commentary, Grants, News.

Chiara Sulprizio, senior lecturer in classical and Mediterranean studies, recently talked with CFT assistant director Julaine Fowlin about her Course Improvement Grant, “Italian language enhancement for Maymester course in Rome.” Chiara teaches a maymester course called, History and Art of Ancient Rome, and she takes students to Rome and Southern Italy for that month. She has basic Italian Language competence and will use her grant to become more fluent in the Italian language to facilitate the immersive experience for students better. She will be taking a course called Italian for Latin Teachers with Gregory Stringer.

In the video interview, Chiara shares that her improved confidence and abilities allow her to interact with the local community better. She will also be a better teacher in terms of how she structures the course and organizes activities. Notably, she mentioned she would also handle more of those interactions on the fly or in the moment. Chiara feels that you never stop learning as a teacher and is excited to embark on her new learning journey. She encourages others to apply for the grant as the process is easy and accessible; it took her about 1- 2 hours to complete. The projects don’t have to be large scale as there are small ways to change and improve a course in an impactful and meaningful way. As Chiara thinks about teaching when things have been a bit uncertain and crazy, she tries to enforce to her students that “we’re in this together” and they are working as a team. She wants everyone to feel connected and included. She shares with students that she is learning from them as much as they are learning from her, and she creates a structured, safe space for everyone to explore together.