Abstract:

This paper describes several sources of errors that students of Italian make and some of the problem solving behaviors they adopt when doing drill-and-practice exercises on direct and indirect object pronouns and the present perfect tense. While some of the error sources are well known to Italian instructors, an unexpected source is identified. The study also reveals a problem-solving behavior not found in the traditional learning environment and reports on the results of a survey completed by students at the end of an intermediate-level course. Lastly, avenues for future research are suggested.

Author: Roberta Sinyor