FACCIAMO UN GIRO IN CAROSELLO!: Learning in Italian through Advertising

Dr. Matilde Fogliani and Dr. Luisanna Sardu

Can we consider advertising authentic material for didactive purposes? Is advertising emblematic of the Italian language and culture, or it is simply a micro-language used by business to stimulate sales? Can we use advertising as teaching material for students of Italian language and culture?

We believe that advertising can be a complete and flexible didactic tool to develop linguistic competence.

The short messages of advertising which accompany the jingle allows for the analysis of grammatical concepts for students in beginning to advanced level, with the help of dynamic and interdisciplinary activities.

Students will be fully immersed in the language, culture, and history of Italy exploring the following:

• Italian brands and products for the national and international market.

• Mini dialogues, idiomatic expressions¹, and phrases coined by advertising and which became part of daily Italian language

• Regional accents and dialects²

• Past and present music that has been recognized as tormentone³

• Comparisons between Italian and American culture and society to help develop intercultural competence.

We have received positive results when using image and video material during our teaching in high schools and colleges.

Continuing a conversation supported by Anthony Mollica, who states that, “the language of advertisement is interested in provoking the reader’s behavior⁴” (1979), we believe that the intermediality between images, words, and music can be used to spark conversations about social issues of the past and present.

E. Jane Doreing argues that, “analyzing advertisements provides meaningful communicative activities by giving extra-linguistic support in the form of visual realia that prompt discussion of topics familiar to the student⁵” (1993).

Every generation of Italian or American students remember or store in mind a jingle or slogan of an advertising that symbolized his or her generation.

For example, an advertising of our generation was Cogli l’Attimo- FIAT⁶ (2001) and its catchphrase: Buonaseeeeeera…

Randy Davis contends that adtvertising “has not been fabricated, arranged, or simplified for the consumption of the language learner, but has been created for native speaker⁷.”

It is exactly for this reason that we believe our project will immerse students in the language, culture, and history of Italy through the lens of Italian advertising starting with the first nation-wide broadcasts in the mid 1950s, to the development of the memorable characters of il Carosello, who advertised everything from coffee to cars.

We hope that the units we designed will provide students with a fun and insightful glimpse into daily Italian life in the 20^th century. In the process, students will learn about the products, words, and ads that captivated Italian families and drove Italian consumerism.

Through these advertisements, students will strengthen the grammar, speaking, and writing skills in a way that is accessible and relatable.

This is a project in construction and we will continue updating this site with new advertising and new activities.

Matilde Fogliani and Luisanna Sardu