Faculty

Education

Nov 2004 Ph.D. University of Toronto, Department of Italian Studies, Toronto, ON

Dissertation title: Letteratura e industria: Tommaso Di Ciaula e Vincenzo Guerrazzi

Thesis Supervisor: Professor Rocco Capozzi

1996 MA University of Toronto, Department of Italian Studies

1995 B.Sc. (Biochemistry), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

Scholarships & awards

2006 Professional Development Award, University of California in Los Angeles, CA

2005 Speed Grant for Faculty Development, Bowling Green State University, OH

1996-2000 Open Doctoral Fellowship, University of Toronto , ON, Canada

1998 Milton Buchanan Fellowship, Italian Department, University of Toronto

1994 Tory Jean Arnold Scholarship, Italian Department, University of Toronto

TEACHING AND RESEARCH interests

• 20th-Century Italian Literature and Culture
• Italian Cinema
• Trends in Second Language teaching & learning
• Ethnicity and foreign language teaching & learning
• Teaching & Learning Second Languages with Multimedia
• Development of software for teaching & learning Italian and English as L2

Languages

• Italian: near-native fluency in speaking, writing and reading
• Vietnamese: native fluency in speaking
• French, Japanese and Latin: basic knowledge

Teaching EXPERIENCE

2005-present Lecturer

University of California in Los Angeles, CA

• Beginners Italian (ITAL1, 2, 3)
• Intermediate Italian (ITAL 6)
• Italian Literature & Cinema (ITAL 121)
• Italian reading (1G) for graduate students of other language departments

Jan-June ‘05 Visiting Assistant Professor

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio

• Italian for beginners (ITAL102)
• Second year Italian (ITAL202)
• Italian cinema (ITAL261)
• Italian Film: Cultural and Linguistic Issues in Translation (ITAL470)
• Introduction to International Studies (INST200)
• Responsible for preparing lessons, testing materials, teaching all classes, and evaluating students’ performance

2003 Instructor

Continuing Education at University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, B.C. and Continuing Education at Kwantlen College, Langley, B.C.

• Proposed an introductory Italian language and culture course for 8 weeks
• Created the curriculum and 64-pages study booklet
• Conducted lessons for 4-12 students

1992-2002 Assistant of Japanese English Teachers

Koshigaya City Board of Education, Saitama, Japan

• Taught English in Elementary Schools, Junior High Schools, and School for nurses
• Coordinated activities for groups of students ranging from 30 to 120
• Conducted workshops for Japanese teachers
• Wrote articles on teaching methodologies, effective activities, and cultural diversity for the Board of Education’s publications “Koshigaya Forum” and Wonderful Box of Communication.

1996–1999 Teaching Assistant

Department of Italian Studies, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON

• Taught beginners and intermediate Italian (ITA100Y & ITA 200Y)
• Conducted laboratory and computer sessions
• Facilitated conversation classes
• Prepared tests and final examinations
• Evaluated and graded students’ performance

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Fall 2006 OID Research grant, UCLA
“Wimba as a motivating tool for improving in-class communication and participation of Asian students”

Feb 2005 Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA
“Foreign Languages: Teaching with Technology” Workshop

• Received hands-on experience in the use of technology in teaching a foreign language.
• Created web and CD ROM based activities

Research experience

Oct-Nov ‘04 Research Assistant, University of Toronto in Mississauga

• Compared two texts of Horeste to study the variations in different editions

1996–2004 Doctoral thesis, University of Toronto

• Read literary works and their critics
• Interviewed two authors in Italy in 1998
• Viewed and compared cinematic and theatrical works

2000-2001 Independent research , Japan

• Analyzed teaching materials
• Observed and modified lesson plans
• Co-authored volume 1 of the textbook Percorso Italiano. Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo
• Researched and analyzed teaching ESL in Japan resulting in the publication of the article “Familiar Icons in Teaching ESL to Japanese Primary School Students” in Daily Yomiuri

BOOKS

• Bergonzi-Truong. Percorso Italiano, Vol. 1. Tokyo: Istituto di Cultura Italiano, 2001

Translation

• AA.VV. Made in Italy: The Canadian Way. Translated by Guarnieri, P., Piccolo G., Rende L., Truong H., Wright G. Published by The Italian Chamber of Commerce of Toronto, 2004

REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

• Review of Un viaggio (2 nd Edition, 2000). Italica 78.4 (Winter 2001): 563-564
• Review of Il forneri. Italica 77.4 (Winter 2000): 573-574

Non-refereed Publications

• “Familiar Icons in Teaching ESL to Japanese Primary School Students.” Daily Yomiuri. Japan, Sept 28 2001
• “Readers’ Forum.” Daily Yomiuri. Japan, Apr 4 2000

Conferences

• “Presentation of Third Year ALTs.” JET 2001 Mid-Year Conference. Saitama, Japan
• “Lesson planning” & “Motivating Students.” 2001 Saitama Orientation. Japan
• Summer 2000 Workshops for Japanese Teachers of English. Facilitator. Saitama Northern Educational Centre. Saitama, Japan

• “Villaggio Operaio Crespi D’Adda: ideal community development or utopia?” American Association of Italian Studies, Colorado May 2007
• “Web-based Vocal Communication Project-WIMBA” AATI, ACTFL-Nashville, November 2006
• “ Industrialized landscapes: The Lexus and the Olive Tree in Tuta blu, Tommaso blu and Rocco and His Brothers.” Spring Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Canadian Society for Italian Studies (CSIS), University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, May 2005
• “L’immagine dell’operaio in alcune opere letterarie e pittoriche di Vincenzo Guerrazzi.” Spring Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Canadian Society for Italian Studies (CSIS), University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, June 1999
• “Il linguaggio di Tommaso Di Ciaula nel contesto di letteratura e industria.” Spring Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, CSIS, University of Ottawa, May 1998

Academic Membership & Community contributions

• Bowling Green State University Italian Discussion Table, Spring 2005
• Canadian Society for Italian Studies since 1997
• Modern Language Association since 1999
• Rocky Mountains Modern Languages Association. Organized and Chaired the Special Topic Session “Millennium Look at Italian Studies” at the 2001 RMMLA Conference in Vancouver, B.C.
• Ontario Association of Teachers of Italian: assistant/judge at the Annual “Concorso OATI di lingua e Cultura Italiana”. Toronto, Spring 1996 and 1998