Language Program Director, Italian

Luisa Canuto has been teaching language courses for UBC French, Hispanic and Italian Studies since 1994. In that same year, Luisa founded and then coordinated the Italian Program for UBC Continuing Studies, trained all the instructors, developed the curriculum for the program and created and led the UBC travel program in Italy. After winning the Killam Prize for excellence in teaching in 2000, she started working for the Centre for Teaching and Academic Growth (currently CTLT) as Faculty Associate and Manager, and developed educational programs for Faculty members, including Orientation events, Teaching and Learning Institutes and the Academic Leadership Development Program for new UBC Academic Leaders. She sat in the board of the Italian Cultural Centre for two years, and developed and facilitated the teachers’ training program for the Centre.

Luisa is currently full-time at the French, Hispanic and Italian Studies department with a recently acquired PhD on the topic of service learning for language acquisition, to teach and coordinate Italian language and culture courses. Her research interests include the use of educational technologies in the classroom, the impact of service learning on students’ linguistic and metacognitive development and curriculum program renewal and development.

Luisa has acquired graduate degrees in disciplines ranging from History to publishing to second language acquisition and teaching. Each degree reflects her diverse passions and learning interests — Italian and Venetian Medieval and Renaissance history, journalism and teaching and learning theories and best practices.

For 2017-18, Luisa is the Peer Review of Teaching program coordinator and is co-coordinating the UBC Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Community of Practice.

Interests

• Second-language acquisition theory and application
• Technology and Language Teaching and Learning
• Community-service learning as a pedagogical tool

Current projects

• WebQuests, WebSearches and other internet-based techniques as language learning tools
• Community-service learning as a pedagogical tool
• Evaluation of Language Learning

Journal Articles

Canuto L. (2016), Integrare Service Learning nelle classi di lingua straniera: modelli operativi e tendenze recenti, EL.LE, 5(2);

Canuto L. (2016), Service Learning: fondamenti teorici e benefici per lo studente di lingua straniera, EL.LE, 5(1);

Canuto L. (2016), Blogghiamo in Italiano: The Unexpected Virtues of micro-blogs in the Intermediate Italian Language Class, in (Balboni P.E, ed.) I ‘territori’ dei Centri Linguistici Universitari:le azioni di oggi, i progetti per il futuro, Torino: Utet Università;

Canuto L. (2015), Blogghiamo in Italiano. Microblogs in the Intermediate Italian Language Class for the Students’ Development of Independent Learning, Cooperation and Cultural Understanding and Exploration, EL.LE, 4(2), http://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/it/edizioni/riviste/elle/2015/3/blogghiamo-in-italiano/

Sibley, J and Canuto L. (2011) Guide to Teaching for New faculty at UBC, 3rd edition, [internal publication, UBC]

Canuto, L and Poole G. (2011) UBC Academic Leadership Development Program:
Teamwork, Passion and Dedication, STLHE Newsletter, (56): 10,
http://www.stlhe.ca/resources/documents/

Canuto, L. (2009), Vivere la lingua con sentimento: studenti nordamericani alla scoperta della comunità italiana, Bollettino ITALS, Anno VII, N. 28
http://venus.unive.it/italslab/modules.php?op=modload&name=ezcms&file=index&menu=79&page id=478

Canuto, L and Poole G (2009), A scholarly approach towards developing academic leadership, Academic Leader, Number xx, https://www.magnapubs.com/newsletter/academic-leader/61/a_scholarly_approach_to_developing_academic_leadership-11947-1.html

Canuto, L and Heald J. (2002, 2003, 2004), Parla, Canta e Scrivi, [internal publication, for UBC Continuing Studies]

Book Reviews

Canuto L. (2015) Book Review, I Nuovi Ferri del Mestiere, Torino: Bonacci/Loescher, http://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/it/edizioni/riviste/elle/2015/11/mezzadri-m-2015-i-nuovi-ferri-del-mestiere-tor/

Canuto L. (2015) Book Review, Benucci, A. (2013). Formazione e Pratiche Didattiche in Italiano L2, Perugia: OL3, EL.LE, 4(1), http://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/it/edizioni/riviste/elle/2015/10/benucci-a-a-cura-di-2013-formazione-e-pr/

Canuto L. (2014) Book Review, Abdelilah-Bauer, B. (2013). Guida per genitori di bambini bilingui, Milano: R. Cortina, in EL.LE, 2(3) http://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/riv/exp/46/29/ELLE/6/397

Invited Review for publisher Caleidoscopio, Textbook for Intermediate Italian Learners, October 2010

Killam Teaching Prize, 2000