Al Dente: The ideal textbook for online classes

Al Dente, which includes four textbooks and covers levels A1 to B2, is the ideal textbook for online classes.

Online teaching: Book and digital accompaniment

During and after the pandemic, many of us became online education specialists more or less voluntarily.

First of all, I would like to say that in all my online classes, I use the paper volumes in addition to the digital version of the book. I can’t do without a book to flip through and margins to jot down my reflections and notes on further exercises or activities. I also have all of my learners buy a hard copy book for similar and other reasons.

But the fact remains that between me and the learner or group of learners there is a screen that separates us, and for this reason it is necessary to choose a textbook that also has a good digital accompaniment.

Al Dente: ideal textbook for online classes

The course “Al Dente” (4 textbooks for levels A1-B2) is an ideal textbook for online classes and is very suitable for the needs mentioned above, as it offers a variety of additional digital and other activities.

First of all, there are the modern and entertaining videos that convey the thematic and grammatical content of the unit just completed with a smile. They are definitely a tool I wouldn’t want to be without, no matter how the course goes. All manuals also include a section on preparing for language certificates (CILS, PLIDA, CELI, CERT. IT) and are available with glossary and instructions in English, German and Dutch.

Much supplementary material

Besides the usual exercises for each lesson, on the website of Casa delle lingue you can find many other ideas and activities in the areas of “Palestra di lessico”, “Palestra di grammatica”, “Nuvole di parole + esercizi” and “Schede per l’insegnante”.

In addition, there are the “Grammaclip” videos that explain grammar, the final tests, the “Compiti ecologici”, “Oggi in aula” and the “Proposte per la didattica a distanza”.

At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the supplemental material that was offered and didn’t quite know how to handle it. The Itinerari didattici digitali, which are included in the digital version of the book but are also very useful in the case of face-to-face lessons, have been created precisely for this purpose and show exactly which resource to use at which point in the lesson or textbook.

The only downside, in my opinion, is the Blinklearning platform, which doesn’t allow you to write quickly and easily on the digital book page, and often crashes when you use Zoom.

Conclusion

An unconventional and not completely user-friendly textbook, but modern and appealing, with an action-oriented approach and communication skills, suitable for ambitious and demanding learners and teachers who are always looking for that “something extra”.

Al Dente

Check out the complete Al Dente textbook series from Casa delle Lingue!

Claudia e Renata

Claudia and Renata are Italian teachers and good friends. Their paths crossed late in life, but they immediately understood each other and their initial professional collaboration grew into a wonderful friendship.

Renata, who is passionate about languages, travel and Japan, graduated in Venice with a degree in Asian Linguistics (four-year degree in Japanese Studies) and completed her professional training with a second Master’s degree in Advanced Planning of the Teaching of Italian Language and Culture to Foreigners. Claudia, who is interested in foreign countries and public relations, studied International Science in Padua and specialized in intercultural communication in Munich.

They met at the Technical University of Munich, where both are lecturers responsible for teaching Italian to foreigners. They decided to face the challenge of the pandemic together and have become inseparable ever since. Renata is the more technically skilled and experimental of the two. She is always looking for new software, tools and teaching methods to surprise and motivate her students. Claudia is a volcano of ideas, always taking on new challenges and drawing Renata into new adventures. They share a love of their work and books that threaten to bury them alive sooner or later! A new textbook or grammar rarely escapes their attention (and purchase).

Therefore, they have decided to share their decades of experience with you, in the hope that their opinions and advice on the subject will be useful both to their colleagues and to anyone who wants to learn our wonderful language.