<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Instructors of Italian are tasked with teaching not only the language, but also the culture. However, critical matters such as sexual identity are frequently not addressed in the Italian-language classroom. Current Italian-language pedagogy solely focuses on language-acquisition proficiency via heteronormative discourses, ignoring the more-diverse reality of Italian culture. This article aims to showcase how using a queer pedagogy based on queer theory can affect learners’ language acquisition and understanding of Italian culture. I used memoing and personal experiences as an Italian instructor to analyse the related literature. I propose that current pedagogy and curricula silence the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgenderquestioning/queer-intersex-asexual (LGBTQIA+) community, causing exclusion, anxiety and sometimes harassment from others. Open discussion through queer pedagogy would create critical conversations, allowing for the inclusion of all learners and topics. Italian instructors should promote these conversations, question the standard Italian-language pedagogy and use materials that are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ members.</p>
</abstract>

Instructors of Italian are tasked with teaching not only the language, but also the culture. However, critical matters such as sexual identity are frequently not addressed in the Italian-language classroom. Current Italian-language pedagogy solely focuses on language-acquisition proficiency via heteronormative discourses, ignoring the more-diverse reality of Italian culture. This article aims to showcase how using a queer pedagogy based on queer theory can affect learners’ language acquisition and understanding of Italian culture. I used memoing and personal experiences as an Italian instructor to analyse the related literature. I propose that current pedagogy and curricula silence the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgenderquestioning/queer-intersex-asexual (LGBTQIA+) community, causing exclusion, anxiety and sometimes harassment from others. Open discussion through queer pedagogy would create critical conversations, allowing for the inclusion of all learners and topics. Italian instructors should promote these conversations, question the standard Italian-language pedagogy and use materials that are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ members.

The Shift to a Queer Pedagogy in the Italian-Language Classroom

Journal of Language and Cultural Education

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"The Shift to a Queer Pedagogy in the Italian-Language Classroom"}

Instructors of Italian are tasked with teaching not only the language, but also the culture. However, critical matters such as sexual identity are frequently...

The Shift to a Queer Pedagogy in the Italian-Language Classroom

Published Online: Dec 14, 2021

Page range: 1 - 11

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jolace-2021-0001

Keywords
Italian, queer pedagogy, Foucault, LGBTQIA+, language education

© 2021 Giuseppe Formato, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Shift to a Queer Pedagogy in the Italian-Language Classroom

Published Online: Dec 14, 2021

Page range: 1 - 11

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jolace-2021-0001

KeywordsItalian, queer pedagogy, Foucault, LGBTQIA+, language education

© 2021 Giuseppe Formato, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Italian, queer pedagogy, Foucault, LGBTQIA+, language education