Flipping the classroom in beginner Italian: Implications for teaching and learning

This study analyses the implementation of the flipped classroom approach in a university beginner Italian language course and its implications for teaching pedagogy. The flipped classroom was designed around the specific needs of language education and the benefits of an inductive, student-centred approach that promote interactive learning. The approach followed a cycle of in-class preparatory discovery of the language contents, post-class/pre-class explicit delivery of contents (video lessons), in-class interaction and practice, and post-class reinforcement (online activities). Students watched instructional videos to prepare for in-class practice and carried out post-class activities as reinforcement and/or formative feedback. While adopting a highly flexible content delivery, this structure emphasised the students’ responsibility in completing preclass activities to be able to engage in in-class interaction.

The format was adopted in a 12-week semester unit at the end of which an anonymous survey on Qualtrics evaluated the students’ experience with the new approach. An important outcome was in the area of accountability. In language learning, it is crucial that students understand the importance of regular work outside the classroom. In the flipped model adopted, independent learning is naturally promoted, and students acknowledged that in our survey. By having to complete pre- and post-class activities as an integral part of the course, students learned the benefits of regular practice as a key strategy of language learning, contributing therefore to their self-regulation skills. The flipped approach was assessed by students as one that offers many advantages over the traditional approach. However, our analysis shows that for it to be embraced it is crucial that students understand its underlying pedagogy.