About
I am a Lecturer (below the bar) in Italian, Second Arts Coordinator and Diploma in Italian Online Coordinator at University of Galway, Ireland.
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I am the HEI Outreach Officer and I am leading the Languages Connect Initiative at the University of Galway. I am currently the PI for the Mistral project (winner of the Open Educational Resources Grant, funded by Hardiman Library, University of Galway, Ireland).
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My research focuses on prosody with a special interest in intonation and its interaction with pragmatics as well as the role of intonation in foreign language acquisition and teaching.
At present, I am writing a book which addresses specific issues and shortcomings of the teaching and learning of foreign language prosody, both on a theoretical and methodological level, and particularly regarding the role of intonation and its functions in speech communication. The monograph is based on my PhD dissertation entitled "Prosodic training in foreign language: A study with Hiberno-English learners of Italian", which was chosen as the winner of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics (IRAAL) postgraduate award in November 2019, the European Doctorate Award (University of Galway) in April 2020 and the Grant-in-Aid of Publication fund in January 2021 (Moore Institute, University of Galway).
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My interests lie in the research fields of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics:
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Prosody with a particular focus on the pragmatic functions of intonation (Irish-English and Italian varieties)
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Prosody in second language acquisition and teaching
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Corpus Linguistics
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Second language acquisition and pedagogy
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Didactic Audiovisual Translation
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E-learning and e-teaching
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Open Educational Resources
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Language teacher education
Audio recordings of the intonational questionnaire survey on the Italian variety spoken in La Spezia were carried out at La Clinica Dischi recording studio.
Education
2021
Postgraduate Certification in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
University of Galway, Ireland
2019 (virtual conferring in April 2020)
European Structured-PhD in Italian Studies
Prosody training in foreign language: a study with
Hiberno-English learners of Italian
University of Galway, Ireland
2017-2018
Visiting PhD Researcher
under the supervision of Prof. Barbara Gili Fivela
Centro di Ricerca Interdisciplinare sul Linguaggio (CRIL)
University of Salento, Lecce (Italy)
2014
MA in E-learning and E-teaching Italian to foreigners (Master ELIIAS di secondo livello)
First class honours
Università per Stranieri di Siena, Italy
2012
MA in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics
First class honours
University of Pisa, Italy
2011
Erasmus Student - Slavistics (9 months)
St.Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, Bulgaria
2008
BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures (Bulgarian & Russian) First class honours
University of Pisa, Italy
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Course on Audiovisual Translation and Language Learning (AVT): "La traducción audiovisual y el aprendizaje de lenguas", UNED Abierta, Spain, 29/07/2022.
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Giornata di Studio: "La traduzione audiovisiva per apprendere le lingue", Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Italy, 02/12/2021.
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Secondo Corso di Alta Specializzazione di Fonologia, Center of Advanced Studies in Humanities, CeASUm, University of Trento, Italy, from 24 to 28/05/2021.
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Course on Prosody, Variation and Contact, Luso-Brazilian Association of Speech Sciences (LBASS), 19, 21, 23, 26 and 28 /04/2021.
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Education Program for teachers (24 ECTS: anthropology, psychology, pedagogy and educational studies and technology), Online University of Pegaso, Naples, Italy. In Summer 2019, I met the requirements of the Italian Educational system (MIUR) for teaching Italian as a second language (L2) in secondary schools in Italy.
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Workshop on Accommodation in Speech Communication, University of Zurich, 13/12/2018.
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Workshop on Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies, Youth Academy, University of Galway, Ireland, 3-5/10/2017.
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Aix Summer School on Prosody. Methods in Prosody and Intonation Research: Data, Theories and Transcription, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-Marseille, France, 06-09 September 2016.
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Summer Seminar of Bulgarian language and culture for foreign scholars, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria (July/August 2010).
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Intensive Russian language course: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia (July/August 2007).
Professional Development
Resume
University of Galway, Ireland
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Since January 2023
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Lecturer (below the bar) in Italian
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Kobe University, Japan
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June 2022 / December 2023
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- JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow under the supervision of Professor Ryoko Hayashi.
University of Galway, Ireland
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September 2014 / June 2022
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Teaching Assistant, BA in Arts and Global Languages
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Teaching Assistant and E-Tutor, Diploma in Italian Online and Evening Diploma in Italian
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Lecturer in Italian Studies (substitute Prof. Laura McLoughlin and Prof. Anne O' Connor)
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Instructor, Youth Academy (Italian)
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PhD student in Italian Studies
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University of Galway, Ireland
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May 2021 / June 2022
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PI and Lead Author for the Mistral project
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University of Galway, Ireland
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December 2019 / May 2021
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Research Assistant for the Lilac project
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Research Assistant for the Tra-balliamo project: Italian for secondary schools
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Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
Centro di Ricerca Interdisciplinare sul Linguaggio (CRIL)
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April 2017 / June 2017 & September 2018
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Visiting PhD student under the supervision of Professor Barbara Gili Fivela.
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Before moving to Ireland in 2014, during my master degree studies, I was an E-tutor at the Università per Stranieri di Siena (Centro FAST), Italy. At the same time, I collaborated with numerous civic society partners in La Spezia (Italy) and was active in efforts for the inclusion of asylum refugees and immigrants. I developed and delivered literacy and Italian courses to promote their integration into society.
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2023 HEI Funding, PPLI, Languages Connect.
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2023 Summer Camp in Italian, Languages Connect.
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2022 The International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE), Best Poster Award, 2nd place, "Sociolinguistic variation of the MOUTH dyphthong in two Irish English varieties".
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2022 JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Research Support Allowance.
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2021 JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Postdoctoral Fellowship (Kobe University, Japan).
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2021 OER grant - the MISTRAL project, University of Galway, Ireland.
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2021 Grant-in-Aid of Publication fund Award (Moore Institute, NUI, Galway, Ireland).
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2020 European Doctorate Award (University of Galway, Ireland).
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2019 Irish Association for Applied Linguistics (IRAAL) Postgraduate Award.
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2019 Leargas Award “Learning Italian as a FL by captioning and revoicing cartoons” project was shortlisted for the European Language Label.
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2019 Write-up Bursary - School of Languages, Cultures and Literatures (University of Galway, Ireland).
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2014 Galway Doctoral Research Fellowship, College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies (University of Galway, Ireland).
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2014/2018 Travel Bursary College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies (University of Galway, Ireland).
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2018 Grant AItLA – Associazione Italiana di Linguistica Applicata, Rome (Italy).
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2016&2018 Grant ‘Andrea Paoloni’ AISV - Associazione Italiana Scienze per la Voce.
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2011-2012 Grant Erasmus Programme (9 months) The Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research (MIUR).
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2010 Financial support from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria for the Summer Seminar on Bulgarian language and culture.
