Professional Development Seminar "Giornata di studi per insegnanti di italiano"

On 3 June 2026, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split hosted the professional development seminar Giornata di studi per insegnanti di italiano, organized by the Centre for Foreign Languages and the Department of Italian Language and Literature. The seminar focused on the use of authentic materials in teaching Italian as a foreign language, offering participants an opportunity to explore various ways of incorporating such materials into classroom practice.

Following brief welcome addresses by Prof. Nikica Mihaljević, PhD, Head of the Department of Italian Language and Literature, and Assist. Prof. Antonia Luketin Alfirević, PhD, Head of the Centre for Foreign Languages, Prof. Srećko Jurišić, PhD, from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split, presented comics as an inexhaustible source of teaching materials in his presentation entitled Il Rinascimento a fumetti: "La compagnia della forca" in classe. Dr. Saša Bjelobaba, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, focused on various literary excerpts in his presentation Far vivere la letteratura nella classe d’italiano LS: dalla pagina alla comunicazione. Dr. Carlo Carratelli, Lecturer of Italian at the Department of Italian Language and Literature of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split, presented podcasts in his presentation Il podcast nella classe d’italiano: ascoltare, capire, comunicare. He highlighted podcasts as one of the most popular audio formats in contemporary Italian digital media, particularly among younger audiences, and emphasized their considerable potential in foreign language teaching.

The speakers actively engaged participants through workshop-style activities, allowing them to experience the use of the presented materials from the learners’ perspective. During the breaks, participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas. Particularly valuable was the exchange between experienced teachers and their younger colleagues, who are also alumni of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split. This interaction further underscored the importance of professional seminars as spaces for professional networking, collaboration, and the sharing of good teaching practices.