Dear all,
I was trying to keep out of the above issues even if I agree with Mr
Jameson that the lack of an Italian ALL committee is a sad affair.
As someone who has turned down the offer of being the Editor of
Tuttitalia, I would just like other interested parties know the
following:
1. Due to lack of funding, the ALL office in Rugby is unable to provide
the support it used to provide to either committee members or editors of
Tuttitalia (I believe Loredana can confirm this);
2. I set up, jointly with a very committed committee, two years of ALL
activities to promote Italian language and culture well in advance of
the dates in which such activities would take place, only to find out
that the publicity had not gone out about such activities because of
lack of staff/money/organisation at the ALL main office;
3. the relationship between the Italian Committee and the ALL main
office became slightly strained (eufemismo) because of the above points.
I have been a member of ALL since 1985. I have a research interest in
Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language and I have always been strongly
committed to the well-being of Italian Language Teaching and Learning in
the UK, however, since the departure of Bob Powell and of Christine
Wilding (both Italianists) from the ALL executive, I witnessed a decline
in the interest for Italian amongst the ALL 'upper-echelon'.
I used to have the will and the way, and people who know me know I am
not easily discouraged. But there is a limit. From January next year I
shall not renew my subscription to ALL and I personally do not think the
Association represents the interests of Italianists any longer.
Just a word of warning....
Ciao,
Marina Orsini-Jones
Subject Leader for Italian/Teaching and Learning Fellow
School of International Studies and Law
Coventry University
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