My name is Wendy Schrobilgen, I am Assistant
Professor of Italian in the Department of
Linguistics and Languages here at McMaster University.
I teach all levels of Italian language and
culture in the department, I teach introductory
Italian, intermediate Italian, and advanced
Italian.
I also teach one very special Italian culture
course entitled "Italy Today."
In the course Italy Today we examine some
of the major trends that have shaped Italy
over the last sixty years, from the time of
the second World War.
We talk about the political trends, social
trends, and economic trends, and one of the
most provocative topics that comes up in this
course is that of the North South debate,
and a result, I've been working with a colleague
on a lexical study on the sort of language
that learners use when they talk about their
perceptions of North and South.
We're interested in what sort of language
they use, but also how that language is influenced
by filmic representations, of North and South,
in Italy.
Words are central to the sort of research
I do, I have done studies on the conceptual
structuring of Italian by native speakers.
As a motivator for word choice, as an instructor
of Italian, I also do lexical studies in the
area of second language acquisition.
I'm interested primarily in how learners of
Italian decompose or separate multiple units
of meaning in Italian.
My research findings help inform my teaching
methodologies as an instructor of a second
language, but as well, my research has significance
in that it can offer invaluable clues as to
how the human mind works.
What is it that makes us human?
How is it that human beings think?
Because that separates us from the rest of
the Animal Kingdom.
Our lives are so much more meaningful when
we're connected to others.
The humanities affords us the opportunity
to explore ourselves, and by so doing, have
a deeper understanding of others.
