The ELDIT program is an online platform for beginning to intermediate language learners. It is targeted at German native speakers that wish to learn Italian and Italian native speakers that wish to learn German. Currently ELDIT includes two main modules, a dictionary and a text corpus (texts of the so-called exams in bilingualism).
The platform offers the learning material for an autonomous preparation for the exams in bilingualism in South Tyrol. The dictionary as well as the texts, which are out of different domains (family live, hobbies, holidays, culture ...), are however designed in a very general way such that they are suitable for different learning situations.
The program is on one hand a useful instrument for autonomous learning, on the other hand it can be equally well used in traditional classroom lectures.
A research prototype
The ELDIT program is a research prototype still under development. The online presence of ELDIT is currently primarily for testing purposes, with only a portion of accessible information having been finalized. Other sections (mainly of the dictionary) are only temporarily online. All data has been developed at the European Academy of Bolzano for dictionaries for the bilingual exam, but has never before been published electronically or in an unabridged form ("einfacher Eintrag/entrata semplice"). This section of the dictionary will gradually be updated with new entries.
As the dictionary is still under development, there may be errors within the text or the lexicographic information. Please be patient if you encounter software problems, or if the dictionary is not available for short periods. We apologise for any inconvenience.
My ELDIT
In the future it will be possible to personalize the ELDIT program, i.e. select settings within the dictionary (and connected learning programmes) which may be tailored to individual users. At the same time, the program will itself 'observe' the user and automatically configure preferred settings. Furthermore, an additional system will be included which will individually assist users in practicing vocabulary and text exercises.
A learners' dictionary
ELDIT is an innovative electronic learners' dictionary containing basic vocabulary for both the German and Italian languages. The dictionary has been designed for native speakers of either language who wish to acquire beginner or intermediate knowledge of the other language. For words that are are not contained in the ELDIT database the user is directed to some other online information ressources, currently a general bilingual dictionary for German and Italian (Pons) and a terminological database (Bistro). Technologically and linguistically, the organisation and presentation of the contents are unique and highly innovative, and hypertext and multimedia elements serve to emphasize ease of learning. Information which will be added in a later step includes sound files, images, and personal annotations for each dictionary entry.
This module comprises 400 German and 400 Italian texts, which have been elaborated for the so-called exams in bilingualism in South Tyrol. One half of the texts is slightly easier and is considered for the written exams of level C; the other half is slightly more difficult and intended for the exams of level A/B. Each text includes 6 questions which the candidate has to answer with 1-2 complete sentences in the other language (click here for more details to the exam mode in German or in Italian)..
The texts are out of different spheres of live, they are informative, funny, odd or contemplative as well. They are organized into several domains, such that the learner can easily choose texts according to personal interests or other priorities. Also the text sources are widely different: magazines, newspapers, books, publishing material, etc. the texts have bee reformulated, i.e. slightly simplified and shortened (length of the texts: about 120 - 190 words each).
ELDIT is developed at the European Academy of Bolzano in collaboration with the Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana - SUPSI and the University of Trento.
We are grateful for the financial support from the Office of Bilingualism and Foreign Languages, from the Office of Education and Training (Authonomous Province of South Tyrol), from the Authonomous Region of Trentino-Alto Adige, and from the European Union
Further partners are: CEDOCS - Centro di formazione e cultura - Weiterbildungszentrum, Klett publishing house and lingostudy.de.
|
|