Graziella Spinelli Kehrenberg
 It is a great pleasure to be part of the teaching faculty at San Diego
State University. My name is Graziella Spinelli Kehrenberg and I was
born and raised in Asmara, Eritrea (East Africa); my mother was born
and raised in Milan and my father was born in Terni (Umbria) Italy.
I always attended Italian schools and I received my graduate Degree in
Italian Language and Literature from the University of Bologna. In
addition
to my formal education, I have taken specialized courses in language
teaching pedagogy at UCSD. I have also received a graduate credential
in Spanish and world literature from San Diego State University. In
1990 I went to Dartmouth College, where I received intensive training
in the
Rassias method of teaching foreign languages.
In 1980, with the assistance of two other Italian community members
in San Diego, I created and established the Italian Community Center
(ICC) in Little Italy for the purpose of promoting the Italian language
and fostering Italian language and culture throughout the San Diego community.
I was President of the ICC for three years and have been on the Board
of Directors ever since. In addition, I was also president from 2002-2003.
At the present I am VicePresident. I have organized various cultural
events and activities, such as Qui si parla italiano!, a monthly conversational
group with a guest speaker on some topic related to Italian culture.
I currently provide pedagogical guidance and supervision for the Center’s
Language Teaching Program which initially consisted of a few brave volunteers
and a handful of students. Today the instructors of the Center are paid
for their teaching and we have more than 2 hundred students.
I have also been President of the House of Italy, in Balboa Park.
At San Diego State University I have taught Italian 100A, Italian 100B, Italian
201 (Reading and Conversation), Italian 210 (Reading and writing) and Italian
Civilization.
I greatly enjoy teaching and my goal is always to help students and develop
their love for the Italian language and culture. |
