Raising the (meta)pragmatic awareness of non-native pre-service teachers of L2 Italian with a telecollaborative data-driven learning project on formal email writing

Abstract

This study aims to determine whether a data-driven learning approach in a telecollaborative setting can effectively aid in the preparation of non-native pre-service teachers (PSTs) of Italian concerning pragmatic aspects of the target language. The study outlines a 4-week telecollaboration module focusing on formal email writing, involving eight PSTs at an Austrian university paired with Italian students. The participants were asked to analyze specific parts of emails written by native and non-native speakers and plan a lesson. The data analyzed came from questionnaires as well as from materials produced during the module itself. Ten Italian university professors offered baseline data. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were employed. The results indicate, on one hand, a small but significant improvement in the PSTs' understanding of target pragmatic phenomena after the intervention. On the other hand, not all the teaching strategies suggested in the module were fully grasped for potential future use by the PSTs. However, there is some evidence of PSTs’ autonomy in investigating, analyzing, and reflecting on pragmatic issues, offering a promising approach to enhancing teacher training in pragmatics.