Silvia Bertoni, M.A. (Rome), M.Phil (Dublin)
Teaching Fellow

Email: sbertoni@tcd.ie

Office: Room 4088, Arts Building
Role: Language Coordinator for Italian (pedagogy)

Silvia Bertoni holds an MA in Italian Studies from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and an M.Phil in Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin. For many years she has been involved in language teaching, teacher training, curriculum development, assessment, materials development, and editing.

Main interests

Teaching and learning Italian as a foreign language, in particular:

- developing language skills (reading, listening, writing and speaking)
- strategies to teach and learn vocabulary
- developing autonomy in language learners
- strategies to teach grammar and contrastive grammar
- the integration of culture and grammar
- the interrelation between language, literature, and film
- student engagement
- developing creativity in language teaching and learning
- using new technologies in the language class
- UDL and exploring inclusivity issues in teaching and learning Italian
- integrating drama activities in the language class
- teacher training and mentoring
- foreign language anxiety
- promoting a multilingual and multicultural approach to teaching and learning Italian
- 19th, 20th and 21st century Italian literature and history
- the relationship between history, literature, cinema, song, art, and society
- the use of literary texts and films to develop language awareness, cultural knowledge and intercultural awareness - Italian sociolinguistics
- Futurism in its many facets and its impact on language and society
- the social history of food and its representations in literature, cinema, and art
- the social history of fashion and its representations in literature, cinema, and art

Publications and materials development

2026 - Started co-authoring a book within a teacher training series for Ornimi Editions. The topic is the teaching of grammar across approaches and methods over time.
2026 - New edition of Caleidoscopio italiano (in course of publication, first published in 2014). Loescher Editore, Torino.
2023 - Author the Language Education section for Grammatica in agenda, textbook for Italian secondary schools. Zanichelli Editore, Bologna.
2023 - Book chapter in collaboration with Susanna Nocchi: “Inclusione delle regole o regole dell’inclusione? Esperienze sul campo” for the collection Occorre fare l’italiano. Teorie e pratiche di un italiano plurale, edited by D. D’Eugenio and A. Gelmi for Cesati Editore, Florence.
2023 - Affare fatto! 2 second volume of a course in Italian for business. Edilingua Edizioni, Rome. In collaboration with Susanna Nocchi.
2021 - Commissioned to adapt a unit in the Teacher’s Guide of Al dente 4 (Casa delle Lingue) to online teaching.
2020 - Article ‘L’italiano in Irlanda, esperienze sul campo’, Italiano a stranieri, 27, 2020. With Silvia Benini, Laura McLoughlin and Susanna Nocchi
2019 - Review of and feedback on the general structure and content of the Italian reference grammar Grammatica italiana di base by P. Trifone and M. Palermo, as well as close reading of the chapter on verbs, in view of its fourth edition. Zanichelli Editore, Bologna.
2018 - Webquest for TY module (for PPLI) and Intercultural activities for TY (for PPLI)
2017 - Language Education section for Nel vivo della lingua, textbook for Italian secondary schools (focusing on technical and vocational sector). Zanichelli Editore, Bologna.
2015 - Revision of exercises, testing activities and suggestions for the Teacher’s guide for Trepido seguo il vostro gioco. Zanichelli Editore, Bologna.
2015 - Section “Dalla lettura alla scrittura” to develop writing skills in Caro immaginar. Zanichelli Editore, Bologna
2014 - Caleidoscopio italiano, a publication exploring Italian language and culture through literary texts. Loescher Editore, Turin, Italy.
2014 - Italiano e inglese allo specchio, a contrastive grammar exercise book focusing on aspects of Italian grammar that are challenging for English speakers. Loescher Editore, Turin.
2012 - Digitisation of Giro d’Italia, volumes 1 & 2 and In bocca al lupo!... Crepi!
2012 - Module on the development of the Italian language from its origins to the present day in Grammabilità. Zanichelli Editore, Bologna.
2011 - Intercultural and linguistic activities to support students in the study of literature, as well as assessment units, both in the student’s books and in the Teacher’s notes, in Letture in gioco. Zanichelli Editore, Bologna.
2010 - In bocca al lupo!, … Crepi! an Italian textbook for the senior cycle in post-primary education published by Authentik, Dublin, under the auspices of the Post-Primary Languages Initiative of the Department of Education and Skills.
2009 - Classroom activities developed in collaboration with Susanna Nocchi for the website of the Post-Primary Languages Initiative.
2008 - AS/A2 Digital Reading Tests, written and edited in collaboration with Susanna Nocchi. Authentik, Dublin.
2008 - AS/A2 Digital Listening Tests, written and edited in collaboration with Susanna Nocchi. Authentik, Dublin.
2005 - Giro d’Italia 2, second part of an Italian textbook for the junior cycle in post-primary education in Ireland. Published by the Department of Education and Science under the auspices of the Post-Primary Languages Initiative.
2004 - Giro d’Italia 1, first part of an Italian textbook for the junior cycle in post-primary education in Ireland. Published by the Department of Education and Science under the auspices of the Post-Primary Languages Initiative.
2003 - Le parole italiane – esercizi e giochi per imparare il lessico, a book for learning Italian vocabulary, written in collaboration with Susanna Nocchi. ALMA Edizioni.
2002 - L’italiano in classe, booklet with useful language to encourage the use of the target language in the classroom. Accompanied by a tape. ITÉ, Dublin.
Authentik in italiano, language activities based on authentic materials, written in collaboration with Francesca Lorenzi. Authentik, Dublin.
1998 - Il mondo dei giovani, Italian language activities for Irish students aged 13-16. ATI/LINGUA.