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Maria Angela Ceruti (Ph.D. student)

PhD Student in Linguistics (XXIV cycle) at the University of Pavia (defense in January 2012)

Full time English language teacher (with tenure) at the Istituto Comprensivo 'Card. A. Casaroli' – Castel San Giovanni (PC)

email: aries.sas@libero.it – mariaangela.ceruti@gmail.com

Research interest

Second Language Acquisition; Lexis Development; English Language Pedagogy; Task-based learning; Use of Language Corpora in Materials Development.

Title of PhD Thesis

“The Acquisition of Noun-Noun Compounds in English as a Second Language in Italian Speakers at Intermediate Level. The Effects of Form-focused Activities in Guided Experimental Contexts.”

Part of the materials used for the experimental design is available at:

https://www.sites.google.com/site/liceovoltaproject

Supervising Committee

Professor Nicola Grandi

Assistant Professor Elisabetta Jezek

Assistant Professor Cristina Mariotti

Professor Davide Ricca

EDUCATION

University Studies

Degree in Modern Foreign Languages and Literature (Laurea in Lingue e Letterature Straniere Moderne), University of Pavia, Italy, 12 June 1987 (grade 108/110)

Thesis: “Analysis of the English Vowel System” – Thesis supervisor: Professor Giorgio Graffi

Higher Education and Further Qualification

Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Development for Language Education - Leeds Metropolitan University, UK - May 2003 (passed with Distinction)

MA in TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language - University of Reading, UK December 1997 (grade 64). Dissertation title: “The Importance of Genre Analysis in the Training of Translators”

Diploma in Translation – Institute of Linguists Educational Trust - Milan, Italy, November 1992 (passed with Distinction in Paper 2, Technology, and in paper 3, Science)

Qualification as a Teacher of English to Italian Secondary School Students – Local Education Authority - Piacenza, Italy, 20 May 1991 (grading: 80/80)

Certificate of Proficiency in English – University of Cambridge – Local Examination Syndicate – Milan, Italy, December 1990 (grade: A)

Certificate in TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, validated by Trinity College London – Eaton Hall International - Retford, Nottinghamshire, UK, August 1990 (grade: A2). Extended Essay: “A Handbook for Teachers of English to Italian Speakers”

Certificat d’Etudes Françaises – deuxième degré (Certificate in French Studies, 2nd level):

University of Grenoble III - Grenoble, France, 29 September 1983 (overall assessment: “bien”)

PUBLICATIONS AND PARTICATION IN CONFERENCES

Publications in Books and Specialised Journals

"How can we promote spontaneous interaction in our classes? Observing a class of Italian Middle School students" in Perspectives - A Journal of TESOL-Italy. Vol. XXIX. N.1, Spring 2002, pp. 9-45

"La trasversalità del Portfolio: dall'autovalutazione alla continuità" with Manuela Borsani and Lucilla Lopriore, in LEND - Lingua e Nuova Didattica. Year XXXIII. N.5, December 2004, pp. 33-44

"Quale certificazione?" with Antonella Di Pascale, in Lingue Straniere – Ricerca sul curricolo e innovazione didattica – Series ‘Quaderni e Gruppi di Ricerca USR e IRRE Emilia Romagna.’ Volume 5, June 2007, pp. 115-124

"On solid ground. Matching practice and theory in a CLIL perspective" in Kalbų Studijos – Studies about Languages. N. 16, 2010, pp. 94-100

"Dal QCER alla classe: tipologie di valutazione e di misurazione" with Nicoletta Bianchi, Maria Teresa Pollini and Vittoria Volterrani, in Lingue e Culture – Series ‘Fare Sistema in Regione Emilia Romagna.’ Issue 3, November 2010, pp. 97-102

"Valutazione e certificazione delle abilità orali" with Donatella Bergamaschi, Elena Pezzi and Federica Piedimonte, in Lingue e Culture – Series ‘Fare Sistema in Regione Emilia Romagna.’ Issue 3, November 2010, pp. 110-119

"Lexicon and intercultural competence in EFL manuals" with Lucilla Lopriore, in R. Facchinetti (ed.) A Cultural Journey through the English Lexicon, Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, forthcoming, pp. 135-164.

Publications of Pedagogical Materials

Co-author – with Lucilla Lopriore, Manuela Borsani and Sandra Mori – of Off We Go! English Language Course for Middle School Students, Turin: Loescher Editore 2001.

Co-author – with Lucilla Lopriore and Manuela Borsani – of Portfolio Europeo delle Lingue, Turin: Loescher Editore, 2004.

Co-author – with Immacolata Calabrese and Silvana Rampone – of Cross-curricular Projects – progetti interdisciplinari per la Scuola Secondaria di Primo Grado, Turin: Cambridge Italy and Loescher Editore, 2007.

Co-author – with Lucilla Lopriore – of Voicing English – A Corpus-informed English Course. Turin: Loescher Editore, 2010.

Conference Talks and Poster Presentations

‘This is what the convent passes’ paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 1998 – Linking Life, Language and Learning’, Rome, November 1998.

‘Who’s afraid of innovation? Enhancing spoken interaction at Scuola Media’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘BRITISH COUNCIL 2001’, Venice, March 2001.

‘Connecting You! Enhancing written interaction at Scuola Media’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2001 – Towards Understanding’, Rome, November/December 2001.

‘Delegating or Developing? Facing the dilemma of the assessment process’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘BRITISH COUNCIL 2002’, Florence, March 2002.

‘School projects … Project schools. Project work, self-assessment and portfolios’ (with Lucilla Lopriore and Manuela Borsani) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2002 – Beyond Words’, Rome, November 2002.

‘Portfolios in action: opportunities for assessment and learners' development’ (with Lucilla Lopriore and Manuela Borsani) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2003 – Language and Identity’, Rome, November 2003.

‘Bridging Continuity’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘BRITISH COUNCIL 2004’, Venice, March 2004.

‘Il Portfolio di Apprendimento. Nuove opportunità di continuità, auto-valutazione e sviluppo del discente' paper presented at ‘BOLOGNA DOCET 2004’, Bologna, April 2004.

‘Sustaining Quality, Continuity and Results in Learning and Teaching’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2004 – Reflective Teaching’, Rome, October 2004.

‘Between the lines … Reading Portfolios’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘BRITISH COUNCIL 2005’, Sorrento, March 2005.

‘Leggere un Portfolio tra continuità e innovazioni' paper presented at ‘BOLOGNA DOCET 2005’, Bologna, April 2005.

‘Too many cooks … Linking portfolios to real life at school’ paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2005 – A Fresh Start’, Rome, September 2005.

‘Shifting perspectives – Language corpora for language teaching and learning’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2006 – Inviting views’, Naples, October 2006.

‘Progetti cross-curricolari per la Scuola Secondaria Inferiore - Riflessioni e Proposte Operative’ paper presented at the study seminar ‘Insegnamento dell’Inglese e curricolo verticale’, Gruppo di Ricerca Regionale sulle Lingue Straniere USR-IRRE ER, Bologna, 29 November 2006.

‘Ingage – Incontriamo Nel Gioco Altri Giovani Europei – Tell Me How You Play’ paper presented at the study seminar LLP Emilia Romagna in ‘DOCEBO 2008’, Bologna, September 2008.

‘On solid ground: Matching practice and theory in a CLIL perspective' paper presented at ‘LINC – Conference on Learning, Innovation and Creativity in CLIL’, Turku, Finland, September 2009.

‘Voicing English: Enhancing learners' language awareness and interactive skills’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2009 – Multiplying Voices’, Rome, Novembre 2009.

‘Enhancing the acquisition of compound nouns. The role of focus on form in formal instruction’ poster presented at ‘EUROSLA XX’, Reggio Emilia, September 2010.

‘Lexicon and cross-cultural awareness in EFL textbooks: a case study’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘LEXIS – The Study of Lexicon across Cultural Identities and Textual Genres’, Verona, November 2010.

‘Sustaining continuity and learner progression through authentic language tasks’ (with Lucilla Lopriore) paper presented at ‘TESOL ITALY 2010 – Language Flows’, Rome, November 2010.

'The acquisition of NN compounds in English as a Second Language in Italian speakers at intermediate level (CEF – B1/B1+) - The effects of ‘form-focused activities’ in guided experimental contexts' paper presented at 'EUROSLA XXI' – Doctoral Workshop, Stockholm, September 2011.

OTHER INFORMATION

Awards

Royal Academy of Engineering Award (UK), November 1992: following the performance in the Science and Technology options of the Institute of Linguists’ Diploma in Translation examination, translating from English into Italian.

Work experience

I have been working as an English language teacher on a permanent contract with the Education Authority since October 1995. I am just back to my middle school English Language post at the Istituto Comprensivo ‘Card. A. Casaroli’ of Castel San Giovanni (PC) after a 3-year leave to attend the PhD research programme in Linguistics – Second Language Acquisition at the University of Pavia.

I worked as a free-lance translator, interpreter, teacher trainer, and language consultant to industry from 1989 to 1995. In 1995 I was English language teaching co-ordinator at the private language school British Institutes of Piacenza.

From 1996 to 2001 I was a partner in A.R.I.E.S. sas, translation company and language centre.

I have been involved in teacher training, in European projects and in materials writing projects since 1999.

The most significant experiences include the following:

E-tutoring and language training of a group of primary school teachers in the province of Piacenza, in school years 2010/11 and 2011/12.

E-tutoring of two groups of newly-appointed teachers in the province of Piacenza, in school years 2005/06 and 2007/08.

Co-ordination, on behalf of TESOL Italy, of a group of English Language Teachers of the province of Piacenza, involved in the 2002 Ministry of Education Action Research Project about competence in the foreign language (CM Prot. 4499 of 16/1/2001, CM Prot. 2711 of 30/4/2001, note Prot. 2368 of 11/02/2002 - Progetto Lingua 2000). This involved the administration, marking, report, and discussion of centrally developed tests. The main theme investigated was: ‘The Development of Oral Production and Interaction Competence in Secondary School Students’

Project Quality Monitor within the INVALSI OCSE - PISA 2003, for the province of Trento.

Funzione obiettivo/strumentale (member of the principal’s staff) at the Istituto Comprensivo of Castel San Giovanni from school year 2000-2001 to school year 2007-2008, with the task of monitoring, supervising and promoting activities concerning the development of foreign language competence. The activities implemented include: the management and co-ordination of a training course for teaching a foreign language at a very early age; the development of internal certification exams; the co-ordination of three SOCRATES/LLP-Comenius bilateral partnerships with class exchanges.

Participation with a SOCRATES-COMENIUS grant in the in-service teacher training course ‘EDIPED – European Digital Portfolio for Educators’, in Bad Goisern, Austria, from 15 to 20 February 2006.

Participation with a SOCRATES-COMENIUS grant in the in-service teacher training course 'European Dimension in Cultural Heritage', in Vaasa, Finland, from 15 to 20 April 2002.

Language teaching (English and French) at several lower and upper secondary schools in the province of Piacenza, in private companies and training centres.

Teacher training and development, course design and language co-ordination at British Institutes Piacenza.

Translation into Italian of the handbook “L’Unione Europea e le Piccole e Medie Imprese” (Deloitte & Touche, 1995).

Translation of quality assurance manuals, operational procedures, spare parts and maintenance catalogues, pricelists, scientific articles, promotional literature, contracts, computer printouts.

Interpreting in private business meetings and trade exhibitions, as well as training courses for technicians at ENEL Piacenza.