Speaking without words: enhancing intercultural awareness through gamification and cooperative learning

Living in the knowledge society requires an ever higher capacity to learn in and from the relationship with otherness. In this context, it is essential to develop a sense of openness, sensitivity and curiosity towards other cultures in order to be able to interact in a proactive and creative way. The paper aims to propose an educational laboratory practice designed to stimulate Italian language learning through gamification and peer cooperation among students from different socio-cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds, thus allowing an intercultural confrontation. The goal is to develop students' strategic skills in the use and meaning of gestures in various linguistic registers, functions and contexts. To address this objective, a series of interactive online activities have been designed on two game-based learning platforms. Starting with brainstorming activity, students are encouraged on several occasions to interpret the meanings of gestures by challenging each other in playful virtual environments. Subsequently, they process the information by working together to develop a performance based on non-verbal communication. The learning process is based on collaborative interaction among Italian and foreign students at the University for Foreigners of Perugia with technology as a tool used to collaborate internationally.