Innovation in Language Learning
Artificial Intelligence for Italian as a Foreign/Second Language: Insights from a Pilot Teacher Training Online Course
Letizia Cinganotto, University for Foreigners of Perugia (Italy)
Ana Gimeno-Sanz, Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain)
Jacopo Torregrossa, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (Germany)
Abstract
The DAI (Developing an AI-assisted Italian Language Teaching and Learning System) project (https://www.dai-project.eu/) investigates how artificial intelligence can be integrated into the teaching and learning of Italian as a foreign or second language to promote more personalized, inclusive, and pedagogically sustainable practices [1]. The paper reports on the pilot phase of the teacher training course, which was developed as one of the project’s main outputs and tested with a group of educators before wider dissemination. The piloting phase aimed to strengthen teachers’ AI literacy and their capacity to critically and creatively use AI-based tools in Italian L2/LS contexts [2]. The training combined short theoretical inputs, guided demonstrations, collaborative tasks, and reflective discussion, allowing participants to explore the pedagogical potential of generative AI, chatbots, adaptive platforms, and automated feedback tools. The course also encouraged teachers to examine issues of reliability, bias, transparency, academic integrity, and the changing role of the teacher in AI-supported language education. An important focus of the course was placed on practical classroom applications, such as lesson planning, scaffolding, differentiated instruction, vocabulary work, and learner engagement. The paper discusses the feedback collected from the course participants, highlighting that enrolees appreciated the concrete and immediately transferable nature of the activities, the relevance of the examples provided, and the opportunity to reflect on both the benefits and the drawbacks of integrating GenAI into language education. At the same time, they expressed concerns about technical uncertainty, time required for implementation, and the need for clearer institutional guidance. Overall, the pilot study indicates that effective AI integration in Italian language education largely depends on carefully designed teacher training initiatives that balance innovation with critical awareness and ethical responsibility [3].
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Italian as a foreign/second language, teacher training, AI literacy
REFERENCES
[1] Cinganotto L., Montanucci G., Intelligenza Artificiale per l’educazione linguistica, UTET, 2025.
[2] Cinganotto L., Montanucci G., Exploring the Integration of Artificial Intelligence
in Online Language Learning: A Case Example of Italian as a Foreign Language. Innovation in Education for Deeper Learning, 2025, pp. 37-54.
[3] Cinganotto, L., Delle Donne, E. & Gimeno-Sanz, A. DAI Project.
AI Forward – Artificial Intelligence for Language Learning, Teaching, and Assessment. Edilingua, 2026, pp. 80-87.
