July 29, 2021

Dear first-year students,

In the classroom, in the presence of the professor/lecturer: this is how the Faculty's teaching activities will take place in the academic year beginning next autumn. It is, however, also allowed to attend lectures by remote connection, especially in order to take into account the safety distancing norms that may continue to be provided for by the health emergency regulations.

Teaching activities in the Faculty of Linguistic Sciences and Foreign Literatures will begin on Monday 20 September. The first two weeks (from 20 September to 1 October included) are devoted to language exercises. For each of the two languages of specialisation that you have chosen, there are several hours, spread over various days of the week, so that you can attend lessons and study; this first group of exercises is very important, because it enables you to acquire the basics of the languages or to ascertain the actual level of skills that you already possess. Languages are not learned once and for all: knowledge (what you know about a language) and skills (how you can use the knowledge you have acquired to write, read, listen, speak to an audience and interact in face-to-face oral communication) must be reviewed and tested every day. These skills are only consolidated through constant and continuous application until they become habits and personality traits. Neglecting language exercises means undermining the formation of a multilingual professionalism that characterises a Faculty graduate.

From Monday 4 October, the "canonical" lessons of all courses begin, and the language exercises continue until the end of the first semester of the academic year in December.

In February too, before classes for the second semester start, two weeks will be devoted to language exercises only.

We hope that the restrictions experienced during this period will gradually be lifted, so that we can return to teaching activities in the most fruitful way, which involves genuine interaction between people.

Have a good start to your university experience at our university!

Giovanni Gobber