Learn more about Professor Teresa Lobalsamo & her Summer Abroad course ITA358/359Y0
May 28th, 2021
What department are you affiliated with? How long have you taught at UofT?
Department of Language Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga, since 2013.
Can you briefly describe this virtual course?
ITA358/359Y0 is a grand tour of the Italian culture. Key aspects of the country’s past and present will be discussed during lectures and webinars and brought to life on virtual walking tours of different cities every week.
Your course will be offered virtually this summer, what interactive ways will students experience this course material and Italian culture?
Each class includes 1 to 2 live broadcasts from Italy during which an expert guide will walk us through the streets of Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Palermo. To celebrate all that we have learned throughout the course, our last two classes are organized around virtual group dinners, where we will cook and dine together, following lessons by an Italian chef.
What take-away’s do you hope students will experience after completing ITA358Y0?
Through their participation in lectures and the tours that complement course content, students will be well-versed in an array of Italian Studies topics. As a result of the direct exposure to the sights and sounds of Italy, as told through the eyes of expert guides on the ground, students will also strengthen critical cultural competence. The virtual itinerary allows us to extend our visits across the entire peninsula and, as such, students can confidently boast that, this summer, they travelled to and throughout Italy.