Innovation in Language Learning

Chev. Prof. Mario Pace is Professor of Italian and Head of the Department of Languages and Humanities in Education within the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta. He also serves as Visiting Professor at several universities and educational institutions across Europe.

An internationally recognised expert in language teacher education, Prof. Pace specialises in the preparation and professional development of teachers of Italian as a foreign language and teachers of foreign languages more broadly. At the University of Malta, he is responsible for the pedagogical formation of future language educators, serves on the Master in Teaching and Learning (MTL) Dissertations Committee, and supervises the teaching practicum of student teachers of Italian.

Prof. Pace has played a leading role in shaping language education policy in Malta. As adviser to Malta’s Ministry for Education on foreign language teaching and learning, he was entrusted with the design and implementation of major national reforms in language education. His contributions include the development and nationwide implementation of the Subject Proficiency Assessment (SPA) programme for secondary schools and the Foreign Language Awareness Programme (FLAP) for primary schools. He has also chaired several national working groups, including the National Working Group for the Promotion of Foreign Languages and the National CEFR–Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) Working Group, bringing together key stakeholders from the education sector.

For over twenty years, Prof. Pace has served as Director of Courses at the Società Dante Alighieri in Malta. In 2006, he was appointed by the Società Dante Alighieri in Rome as the official examiner for the P.L.I.D.A. (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri) certification examinations in Malta. He has also developed and delivered specialised language-training programmes for public and private organisations, including courses in Italian for Commercial Purposes and Italian for Call Centres.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Prof. Pace has delivered invited lectures and keynote addresses at numerous international conferences across Europe and the United States. His research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals, and he is the author of Marco Largi ovvero Carlo Magri – drammaturgo maltese (1617–1693). Vita e opere (Midsea Books, 2018).

In 2018, he was awarded the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (OSI) by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of Italian language and culture in Malta, his commitment to strengthening cultural and educational ties between Italy and Malta, and his significant contribution to language education.

Since 2020, Prof. Pace has served as Peer Reviewer and member of the Scientific Committee of Linguistica, Glottodidattica e Intercultura (Linguistics, Language Education and Intercultural Studies), an academic journal recognised by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research (ANVUR).

His research and professional interests include language teacher education, foreign language acquisition, language assessment and testing, curriculum development, educational reform, languages for specific purposes, reflective practice, ePortfolios, student and teacher motivation.

Area/s of Expertise: Language Teacher Training, Higher Education, School Education, Language Learning, Languages for Specific Purposes, ePortfolios, Reflective Writings, Language Testing, Foreign Language Acquisition, Assessment, Student and Teacher Motivation in Class.