A Study On Elementary-level Chinese Teaching Textbooks In Italy

The Chinese-language learning boom is growing in Italy, but, currently, the amount and options of published teaching materials for students of the minority language is lacking. This paper is a comparative study of two Chinese-language textbooks aimed at native, Italian speakers: Cinese Contemporaneo and Il Cinese per Gli Italiani. The analysis focuses on the compilation of the textbook materials and their content combined with interviews with and evaluations from their main users (teachers) in order to recommend revisions to enhance current textbooks as well as propose suggestions to improve the production of future, country-specific Chinese textbooks. Both texts are widely promoted and used in Italian senior high schools, at different college-level Chinese Language departments and in two Confucius Institutes. However, their effectiveness is better evaluated by examining their differences in tone and subject localization. Cinese Contemporaneo is a textbook translated from Chinese into Italian by the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (known as Hanban). It focuses on the mechanics of the Chinese language and draws strength from its form layouts, grammar sequencing and technical accuracy. In contrast,Il Cinese per Gli Italiani is compiled and published in Italy and concentrates on localizing its learning topics to the interests of native, Italian learners. It excels in its comparison of Italian and Chinese, pointing out key differences in the languages and highlighting the difficulties caused by these differences.After analysis, this paper concludes that a blended style, using technical mechanics in a localized context will enhance the effectiveness of future foreign-language textbooks. Additional research should also be done to assess the usefulness of recent enhancements in multi-media teaching supplements.