This paper investigates the integration of a language awareness approach within Canadian post-secondary education, with a focus on Italian as an Additional Language (IAL). Drawing on student and instructor surveys and self-assessment data collected between 2020 and 2024, the study illustrates how linguistic training can be embedded into the core curriculum of introductory IAL courses through targeted activities that promote language awareness. This pedagogical intervention was developed in response to challenges experienced by students when transitioning from high school to university. We introduced language-awareness exercises to address substantial gaps in foundational linguistic knowledge among students and language instructors. We offered linguistically enriched activities that support IAL learners in reactivating prior language knowledge and in transferring key linguistic principles across languages. This process fosters a more analytical and critical orientation toward language learning. The study furthermore discusses how these activities inform broader instructional practices and contribute to a more effective pedagogical design within post-secondary IAL programs.
In North America, over 70 million people know English and a Romance Language (often Spanish). Many students who enter college or university already possess such bilingual or plurilingual skills. The Intercomprehension of the Romance Languages: a Pathway to Plurilingualism courses (California State University, Long Beach (2014–2026), St. Lawrence University (2018), Bryant University (2023–2026)) offer a manner to foster linguistic growth for such students. The article expands on previous research (Oliva & Gómez Larriva, 2020) on students’ linguistic PCA (predispositions, confidence, and ability) scores that studies their perception when they mobilize their linguistic repertoire and approach unknown languages (Tyvaert, 2008) through proximity strategies, as “[n]o foreign language is totally unknown territory” (McCann et al., 2003, p. 8). It then explores the value of studying texts in Germanic languages to help heighten student confidence when reading unknown texts in Romance languages by revealing the applicability of intercomprehensive strategies beyond the scope of Romance languages.
This paper examines the transformative potential of Learning Analytics (LA) in higher education, with a focus on how student-generated data can enhance student learning experiences. Using the University of Toronto’s implementation of the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), we investigated an opt-in tool called the Student Learning Mastery Gradebook (SLMG), which can align a course’s learning outcomes with online assessments. We explored the affordance of LA on student performance and attitudes towards learning and learner autonomy using SLMG. Our mixed-method study, conducted in a second-year online English Grammar course, examined the potential for effective use of LA in university settings, especially for students. The results of this preliminary experimentation reveal insights into the benefits and challenges of LA use at the instructional level and in curricular design, emphasizing the need for further research into more ethical and student-centered approaches in institutional uses of LA.
