About the Book

**Introduction**

This innovative language learning textbook is designed to facilitate the acquisition of Italian through an engaging and effective approach. The text combines the Teaching Proficiency Thru Reading And Storytelling (TPRS) methodology with traditional language instruction, providing a comprehensive framework where vocabulary and grammar structures are clearly explained and reinforced through various drill exercises.

At the heart of TPRS lies the technique of “story-asking,” which encourages active participation in the learning process by co-creating stories. This interactive approach not only makes learning enjoyable but also ensures that the material is comprehensible from the outset.

To build a solid foundation, the focus will first be on vocabulary acquisition. Target vocabulary is introduced through interactive language games via platforms like QUIZLET, along with structured drill exercises included in each module. Students will engage with the material by reading and listening to stories, answering yes/no questions, and responding to multiple-choice questions. Additionally, they will formulate questions related to the stories, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to create their own stories, utilizing the vocabulary they have learned, and share these stories with their classmates. This creative process is essential for reinforcing understanding and application of the language.

This textbook is designed to help students read Italian with ease and enjoyment. By progressively developing vocabulary and grasp of grammatical structures, students will find that reading and listening to simple stories ignites their curiosity and imagination. Together with the integration of modern AI tools, this approach aims to make language learning not only effective but also an exciting journey.

Leggiamo is an Italian textbook directed to students with no knowledge of Italian and it is designed for classes taught in American Community Colleges. It was born in the context of the OER as free resource. The title Leggiamo (LEGGI+AMO) incorporates the shape and content of this book. LEGGIAMO in Italian means we read; LEGGI is “you read”, and AMO is “I love”. Therefore, “We read, you read and I love it”. This normally happens with storytelling. Why? Because language exists because there is a context. There is an indispensable link between form and content, and very often language shapes the context, and the way to see the world. Therefore, language and the story, that is written and told, embody a given culture. This is why it is very important to learn different languages. By knowing and experiencing a language, we can broaden our perspective of seeing things that before we could not notice. On the other hand, students decide to study a particular language because they have a story on their mind about that language. This is why storytelling is very important and definitely sparks students’ interests, and makes the material meaningful.

I decided to name this book Leggi-AMO to reconnect it to the etymology of the verb LEGGERE in Italian. It derives from the Latin legere, which finds affinity in the Greek λέγω (lego), with the meaning of collecting or saying. Reading basically means collecting, but the term suggests a meaning that goes beyond the simple mechanical repetition of sounds; in fact, the leg- root is the basis of the term lògos, which contains several meanings (word, speech, cause, reason...) so reading can be considered as an action that involves the totality of the person who "collects'' and especially his ability to grasp the deep meaning of each text. Indeed, this is this book's purpose. And furthermore this book is thought as a collage, a collection of OER resources that are already available.

Leggiamo 1, volume 1, develops around an open story set in Florence, requiring students to elaborate on the plot across four chapters/modules where grammatical structures are contextualized. The foundational structure has been reshaped based on the book French OER 1 by Carrasco, Zahedi, and Parrish, as well as selected pages from Spunti (Leisawitz and Viale).

Leggiamo 2, volume 2, is the continuation of the story, set in North of Italy (Milan and Lake Como) and South of Italy, Amalfi Coast, requiring students to elaborate on the plot across four chapters/modules where grammatical structures are contextualized. The foundational structure has been reshaped based on the book French OER 2 by Carrasco, Zahedi, and Parrish, as well as some selected pages of Spunti (Leisawitz and Viale), and from Italian 2 of Caterina Peri.

The final product is a true collage of linguistic and cultural elements, immersing students in both the language and the rich culture of Italy. I used different AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity to edit and revise the pages, I used reve.art to create pictures that help students to visualize the story and facilitate the learning experience.