Italian in the Youth Academy

Welcome to the Youth Academy, where young learners embark on a unique journey of language discovery with the course Impariamo con i Cartoni! Learning Italian by captioning and revoicing cartoons. Our innovative Italian course for primary school students uses interactive audiovisual translation activities to make learning fun and effective. Explore what makes our youth academy course special and how we can inspire a love for the Italian language and culture in your kid.

What is the course about?

Impariamo con i cartoni! Learning Italian by captioning and revoicing cartoons is an innovative language learning programme designed for primary school students, focusing on Italian through interactive audiovisual translation activities. Students engage in captioning and revoicing tasks, where they add subtitles and dub animated content, enhancing their listening, speaking, and comprehension skills dynamically and enjoyably. This approach not only teaches the Italian language but also immerses students in Italian culture through iconic Italian cartoons like la Pimpa! Students gain numerous transferable skills while learning a new language and mastering professional software like Aegisub and Audacity.

Who developed and teaches the course?

The course was created, developed and delivered by Dr. Francesca Nicora and Dr. Anastasia Beltramello starting from 2017.

Dr. Nicora and Dr. Beltramello are recognised scholars in the field of didactic audiovisual translation and have authored several academic articles on the use of audiovisual translation in teaching foreign languages to children (see the section Publications). Their work has contributed significantly to the understanding and application of audiovisual translation in educational settings. Since October 2024, the course has been taught by Sveva Zafferri, PhD student in Translation Studies.

Where is the course offered?

Since 2017, the course has been offered as part of the Youth Academy at the University of Galway, giving primary school students the chance to experience university-level learning in a supportive and inspiring environment.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Youth Academy Italian course quickly moved online, using Zoom to deliver its innovative audiovisual-translation-based lessons. This shift also made it possible to reach students beyond Galway City and County, including Donegal, Mayo, and other areas, unlocking the potential of audiovisual translation to engage young audiences across the region.

Course Significance & Numbers

This course represents a pioneering approach to language education, integrating AVT techniques to teach Italian in an engaging and effective manner. The innovative use of captioning and revoicing activities allows students to actively participate in the learning process, enhancing their language skills and cultural understanding. The course's impact and excellence were recognised in 2019 when it was shortlisted for the European Language Label Award, a prestigious honour that acknowledges outstanding language education initiatives across Europe. This recognition underscores the course's contribution to advancing language education and its potential to inspire similar programmes internationally.

 

Since 2017, for a total of 8 editions, we can proudly announce that the number of kids who took part in the Italian course is: