From left: Director of ILS UG prof. Hadrian Lankiewicz, Director of Scuola Leonardo da Vici dr Pier Alberto Merli, Didactic Supervisor of Scuola Leonardo da Vici Roma dr Francesca Grasso
Due to the great interest in the new English-Italian specialisation at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics, there will be not one, but two groups of this specialisation! -Dr hab. Urszula Patocka-Sigłowy, prof. UG and I have decided to take this bold step. This year, we have enriched our staff, so we will manage, ‘ says the Director of the Institute of Applied Linguistics, dr hab. Hadrian Lankiewicz, prof. UG.
The new specialisation was possible thanks to, among other things, prof. Hadrian Lankiewicz's cooperation with the Italian language school in Rome - Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Roma. In August of this year, during a research internship, the Director of the Institute of Applied Linguistics gained new competencies in Italian language teaching and discussed the issue of a potential stay for University of Gdańsk students in Rome using funds from European programmes such as Erasmus+.
‘The Scuola Leonardo da Vici Roma is a renowned Italian language school that also offers a variety of courses in Italian, including culture and art as well as the didactics of the language. It also provides internationally recognised examinations. It is a school licensed by the Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca (the Italian Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Science),’ says prof. Hadrian Lankiewicz. ‘Most importantly for us, it has an Erasmus Card. I have been there many times for the so-called ‘vacanza studio’ stay, to have contact with the living language in a natural context. Capo del Modo, as Rome is often referred to, is the ideal place to immerse yourself in Italy's cultural richness. During my stay last year, the school's director, dr Pier Alberto Merli, having heard about my research and teaching plans, invited me for an internship. This year's stay was very fruitful. I look forward to collaborating in many fields.’
Applied Linguistics is one of the few courses in Poland that guarantees graduates at least three languages at a level that allows them to communicate freely. Apart from the new English-Italian specialisation, the following specialisations are available: English with German and English with Polish as a foreign language. In addition, the student chooses a third foreign language (Spanish, Italian or German) other than the languages of the specialisation.