February 18, 2005. This semester, students in the Italian Department at Barnard College are using Kaleidoscope/Caleidoscopio, an innovative film-based curriculum for language instruction. Kaleidoscope immerses the student in an all-Italian site that features a series of activities based on the close analysis of Italian comedies from 1950 to 2000. As students watch selected film clips, they can choose whether to view the clip with or without synchronized closed-captioning of the dialogue (in Italian) and a glossary of relevant vocabulary terms. Students use the CourseWorks discussion board to analyze and reflect upon the films which are also discussed in class, integrating their Italian reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

Kaleidoscope