Learning by Playing: Improving Graphemic Competence in Italian as a Second Language through Recreational Linguistics

Language learners have always perceived grammar as a tedious obstacle since traditional teaching techniques lack motivation and curiosity. Recreational Linguistics offers a valid solution to make these techniques stimulating and enjoyable in a way that also allows learners to linguistic reflection. The present thesis intends to verify and demonstrate the effectiveness of recreational activities in improving graphemic competence in young Italian L2 learners, with a specific emphasis on the accurate use of double consonants. The study is divided into five chapters, beginning with an exploration of play from a historical, philosophical and psychological perspective. In the second chapter, playful language teaching and play as a strategic language learning tool are presented and discussed, starting from the fundamental principles of the Affective humanistic approach. In the third chapter, Recreational Linguistics is addressed, detailing its definitions and applications at school, before moving into the fourth chapter, where the relation between grammar and play is explored, focusing on graphemic grammar by giving examples of recreational activities aimed at orthography implementation. In the last section, a didactic proposal for Recreational Linguistics Italian L2 Workshop is presented, in which the offered activities may provide valuable insights for future research on the effectiveness of language games in language education, as well as suggestions for Italian L2 classrooms.