Motivation and its implications in tertiary Italian studies

Taking as its departure point studies on motivation in language learning, the paper examines their implications for tertiary Italian teaching in Australia. In the context of current government policies, maintenance of tertiary enrolment numbers is essential for the survival of the discipline. Accordingly, strategies which favour motivation need to be identified. These include taking steps to understand and consequently maintain value attributions by students, establishing clear goals in the short and long term and promoting student autonomy, and encouraging both direct contacts with contemporary Italy and those offered by modern media technology. Vague communicative goals may demotivate students, especially those not of Italian background.