Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo
Every year, Italy celebrates the Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo — a week dedicated to promoting the Italian language and culture across the globe. In Ireland, schools, cultural institutions, and universities join the initiative by organizing engaging activities, workshops, and events that highlight the richness of Italy’s language, traditions, and heritage. In October 2024, we played our part by organising workshops in three different primary schools in Galway City and County!
Discover Italy with Geronimo Stilton!
In October 2024, to celebrate the Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo, the Italian Department at the University of Galway ran a series of creative language workshops for primary school pupils in County Galway, in collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Dublino. We visited Corrandulla National School, School Rois and St. Nicholas Primary School.
A Thousand Wonders: a Journey to Discover Italy
The workshops were based on the book A Thousand Wonders: A Journey to Discover Italy, which allowed students to explore Italian culture through monuments, food, cinema, and more. Using this engaging story as a guide, the sessions combined language learning with storytelling, games, and interactive quizzes, helping students discover Italy in a fun and immersive way.
Our special ambassadors
The workshops were delivered by our PhD students Sveva Zafferri and Federica Curreli, with the support of final-year student ambassadors Liadan Harrold and Agostina Reati, who helped guide activities and assist pupils throughout the sessions. Thanks to their enthusiasm and work, we reached three different primary schools, bringing our workshops to over 100 pupils, who were greatly excited to learn more about our language and culture through a highly interactive and creative approach.
The highlight of the workshop
A special highlight of the workshops was the incorporation of Geronimo Stilton, one of Italy’s most beloved children’s characters. Geronimo Stilton is widely recognized for supporting young readers in developing literacy skills, cultural knowledge, and a love for reading. To inspire further engagement with Italian language and storytelling, each pupil received a personal copy of the book at the end of the workshop, giving them the opportunity to continue their journey of discovery at home.
Click play on the video below to watch a special message recorded by Geronimo Stilton especially for pupils who took part in the workshop:
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