How to develop listening abilities with minuti contati. An experimental study with International mobility students in Turin

Oral input represents a child’s first encounter with his/her own mother tongue, but often, it is also the first contact which a student may have with a second language. Listening, in this sense, constitutes the first linguistic ability and the essential presupposition for language learning (Leone, Mezzi 2011). In an ISL (Italian as Second Language) context, the input to which the learner is exposed plays a decisive role (Krashen 1985). Nevertheless, the possibility of access to the sounds of the target language is often precluded because of the exposure to different educational approaches, lack of time and other factors. The Minuti Contati project originates from the evidence of the scarce availability of materials specifically aimed at listening, and, on the other hand, the need for a compendium created for the development of oral comprehension. The project deals with two minute dialogues, and can be accessed from any device, smartphone or tablet, with Internet connection and, if necessary, using earphones. Minuti Contati has been conceived for use as complementary material to authentic textual materials, produced by the ISL class teacher for adults and students in international mobility, as well as for self-learning. The aim is to focus on the lexical structures and on the words useful to facilitate learning in the various lexical fields. The path is structured in units, each related to a lexical field dealing with a specific communicative context. These materials have been used for the courses of ISL and of ILSP (Italian Language for Specific Purposes), patronized by the Università degli Studi di Torino, addressed to adults and university students in international mobility, and held at the Centro Interculturale di Torino, in the years 2015-2017. The project was nominated for the award “Un Libro per L’italiano – 2017”, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia. Targeting adults and young people of A2-B1 levels, Minuti Contati aspires to respond to the immediate needs of different generations - not just the new ones - who are perpetually connected. The expression "micro-moments", borrowed from the digital marketing lexicon, is ideal for defining the concrete user-learning needs, and accurately conveys the underlying concept of the fruition of digital materials.