Dr. Omar Colombo

Dr. Omar Colombo studied Linguistics and Didactics of French as a Foreign Language (University of Nice and University of Grenoble, France) and completed a PhD in Applied Linguistics, specialization in Linguistics & Foreign Languages (teaching & learning; University of Grenoble).
His qualifications include over heighten years of academic experience in teaching Italian and French language and culture, Italian and French for special purposes, translation (French/Italian/English), linguistics and didactics of the foreign languages. He has worked in four different countries: in France (Universities of Lyon, Grenoble, Chambery and Rennes), in the UAE (Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi), in Malaysia (University of Malaya) and currently in Brunei (University Brunei Darussalam, UBD) as Assistant Professor in French at Language Centre (LC).
He has been engaged in research and publications in Foreign Language teaching & learning, in comparative language studies and in technology enhanced learning (new technologies).
He has also created various educational materials: didactic units, worksheets and assignments and course book chapters.

EDUCATION

2009 PhD in Linguistics, specialization Didactics & Linguistics. Stendhal - Grenoble 3 University (Grenoble Alpes University), France.
2005 MA in Linguistics. Stendhal - Grenoble 3 University (Grenoble Alpes University), France.
2003 MA 1st Degree (Maîtrise) in Didactics of French as a Foreign Language. Nice Sophia - Antipolis University, France.
2002 BA in Linguistics and BA in French as a Foreign Language. Nice Sophia - Antipolis University, France.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr Omar Colombo has tackled different research questions drawing from cognitive, psycholinguistic and didactic approaches. He is interested in first and second language acquisition, multilingual language learning (especially among Romance languages) and language teaching. By focusing on Italian and French morphosemantic L2 learning, he has studied the cognitive strategies and processes that underpin language processing. In addition, Dr Colombo also explored new teaching technologies applied to morpho-lexical acquisition in a distant learning context. Part of his research focuses on the semantic and cognitive activities (metalinguistic) in learners’ linguistic representations of known words and affixes. It is in a comparative perspective that he has focussed on French language for foreigners and taught in an Arabic university context. He has developed an increased interest in issues of intercultural contact and the development of interlanguage. His interest in Italian and French has been extended to both the assessment of the language competence in Italian and French as foreign languages, and the innovative teaching practices (Task-based Learning Approach, hybrid teaching…). Besides his scientific research, Dr Colombo always been interested in teaching collaborations and development of educational material such as didactic units, worksheets, assignments and course books. He is currently collaborating in a triennial 2020 – 2022 scientific project focusing on learners’ perceptions and emotions of a distance-learning course at University of Malaya, during Covid-19 emergency.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Catarinella, P., Kram, S., Colombo, O. & Husain, M.A. (1st September, 2024). Contrasting Realities: Italian Advertisements and Non-Sexist Linguistic and Social Norms. International Journal of Art & Design (IJAD), 8(2) SI, 09-24. DOI: 10.24191/ijad.v8i2/SI.3009.
https://doi.org/10.24191/ijad.v8i2/SI.3009
2. Catarinella, P., Kram, S., Aziz Hashim & Colombo, O. (2023). 2019’s Council of Europe guidelines against sexism and their impact on Italian grammar. The case of neutral (or generic) masculine. International Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies (IJAHSS), 5(5), 36-44. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10003300.
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10003300
3. Colombo, O., Ghimenton, A. (2023). Students’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Italian as a Foreign Language Learning in a Malaysian University Context. Conference Proceeding, 15th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences, May 18-19, Throne International Convention Center, PSU, Hat Yai, Thailand, p. 28-61.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lGhwQemgKnZHxtB64xzAYrzzb8d0rI1a/view
4. Colombo, O., Catarinella, P. (2023). Émotions suscitées par un dispositif de formation à distance lors de la pandémie de la COVID-19 : le cas d’apprenants Malaisiens de français et d’italien langues étrangères (Emotions stimulated by a distance learning device during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Malaysian learners of French and Italian as Foreign Languages). DIDASKEIN, Revue Internationale des Sciences du Langage, de Didactique et de Littérature, 4(1), 10-36, July 2023.
https://www.asjp.cerist.dz/en/downArticle/752/4/1/230092
5. Colombo, O. (2023). Elucidating learners’ perceptions and emotions towards interpersonal relations in a Foreign Language Remote Teaching. Asean Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AJTLHE), 15(1), 120-146. DOI: 10.17576/ajtlhe.1501.2023.08.
https://doi.org/10.17576/ajtlhe.1501.2023.08
6. Boscia, T., Colombo, O. (2022). Learners’ Perceptions of Language Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 7(2), 245-268. doi:https://doi.org/10.18196/ftl.v7i2.14550.
7. Boscia, T., Colombo, O. (2022). Investigation of students’ emotions during a remote teaching experience of Italian and French as foreign languages in Malaysia in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies (IJAHSS), 4(4), 06-20. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6859897.
https://ijahss.in/Archive/vol-4issue-4/IJAHSS0404001-06-20.pdf
8. Boscia, T., Colombo, O. (2021). Foreign language learning at the university: Students’ perceptions and emotions. In: Pandian, A., Kaur, S., & Cheong, H.F. (eds.), COVID-19, Education and Literacy in Malaysia: Social Contexts of Teaching and Learning, section Corona Speak: Issues in Language and Literacy, Chapter 5. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 9781032022864.

TOP PUBLICATIONS

1. Colombo, O. (2023). Elucidating learners’ perceptions and emotions towards interpersonal relations in a Foreign Language Remote Teaching. Asean Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AJTLHE), 15(1), 120-146. DOI: 10.17576/ajtlhe.1501.2023.08.
https://doi.org/10.17576/ajtlhe.1501.2023.08
2. Boscia, T., Colombo, O. (2022). Learners’ Perceptions of Language Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 7(2), 245-268. doi:https://doi.org/10.18196/ftl.v7i2.14550.
3. Boscia, T., Colombo, O. (2022). Investigation of students’ emotions during a remote teaching experience of Italian and French as foreign languages in Malaysia in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies (IJAHSS), 4(4), 06-20. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6859897.
https://ijahss.in/Archive/vol-4issue-4/IJAHSS0404001-06-20.pdf
4. Boscia, T., Colombo, O. (2021). Foreign language learning at the university: Students’ perceptions and emotions. In: Pandian, A., Kaur, S., & Cheong, H.F. (eds.), COVID-19, Education and Literacy in Malaysia: Social Contexts of Teaching and Learning, section Corona Speak: Issues in Language and Literacy, Chapter 5. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN: 9781032022864.
5. Colombo, O. (2019). Relations L1/L2 dans l’emploi de la morphologie modificative de l’italien à l’écrit (Use of modifying morphology in Italian writing texts: Relationship between Italian as a mother tongue and as a Foreign Language (IFL)). Scientific Journal Bialostockie Archiwum Jezykowe, n. 19-2019, Poland. ISSN No.1641 - 6961; DOI No. 10.15290/ba, p. 68-77.
6. Colombo, O. (2017). La morfologia alterativa negli scritti di nativi italofoni: le implicazioni in italiano L2 (Modifying morphology in the writing production of native Italian speakers: The implications for Italian as a Second Language (ISL)). In: Corino, E., Onesti, C. (eds.), Italiano di apprendenti. Studi a partire da VALICO e VINCA, Perugia, Guerra Edizioni, p. 103 - 129. ISBN: 978 - 88 - 557 - 0609 - 4.
7. Colombo, O. (2010). L’apprentissage du lexique et des suffixes évaluatifs en italien LE: la production écrite et la compréhension orale à partir d’images chez des étudiants francophones (Acquisition of modified lexicon and modifying suffixes by Francophone learners of Italian as a Foreign Language (IFL): Writing production and listening comprehension with graphic stimuli). Sarrebruck, Éditions Universitaires Européennes. ISBN: 6131527628, 9786131527623.

GRANT DETAILS

2006 PhD Grant Aires Culturelles 2006 (Cultural Areas 2006) provided by the Université Franco Italienne (Franco-Italian University). Grant aim: to promote academic and scientific partnerships between France and Italy.

RESEARCH OUTPUTS (PATENTS, SOFTWARE, PUBLICATIONS, PRODUCTS)

COURSE BOOK CHAPTERS
Colombo, O., Persia, R. (2010b). Unità 3: Cerco casa! In: Garbarino, S. (eds.), Italiano: obiettivo B1, Roma, Aracne Editrice S.r.L., p. 41 - 59. ISBN: 8854834874.
Colombo, O. (2010c). Unità 8: Essere Italiani. In: Garbarino, S. (eds.), Italiano: obiettivo B1, Roma, Aracne Editrice S.r.L., p. 136 - 155. ISBN: 8854834874.
Colombo, O. (2010d). Unità 9: Un po’ di cultura. In: Garbarino, S. (eds.), Italiano: obiettivo B1, Roma, Aracne Editrice S.r.L., p. 159 - 175. ISBN: 8854834874.
TEACHING COLLABORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
2014 - 2015 Participated in a distance collaboration project on Skype between the Department of Applied Foreign Languages - Italian students (BA, 3rd year) of Paris - Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the Department of Arabic Language students of Università del Salento (Lecce, Italy). Reading and speaking language practice Italian/Arabe.
2010 Development of didactic units: Di sole e d’azzurro (A1 level), distance teaching, Department of FILTRE (Languages Centre), Lumière Lyon 2 University. Accessible on Lingalog.net: http://www.lingalog.net/dokuwiki/ressources/italien/eco, section: Italian.
2009 Creation of worksheets and assignments: Centre National d’Enseignement à Distance (CNED) - National Centre for Distance Learning, Institute of Lyon, Baccalaureat level. Worksheet printing: September 2009, Printing Offices of the CNED Institute of Lyon.
2006 - 2007 Content development: Course in General Linguistics and Linguistics of Romance Languages, hybrid teaching (face - to - face and online), Department of Foreign Literature, Languages et Civilisations - Italian, Stendhal - Grenoble 3 University (Grenoble Alpes University). Content developed in collaboration with Elena Tea (Department of Lansad, Stendhal - Grenoble 3 University, Grenoble Alpes University). Accessible through the Esprit platform, http://flodi.grenet.fr/esprit/login.php, section: Italian: LLCE L1 S1–Linguistique Générale.
2006 Content development: Italian Language Course, hybrid teaching (face - to - face and online), Department of FILTRE (Languages Centre), Lumière Lyon 2 University. Content developed in collaboration with the Italian team of the Department of FILTRE. Accessible through the Department of FILTRE platform, http://cours.univ - lyon2.fr/.

Industry, Institute, or Organisation Collaboration

2021 Peer-Review of two book chapters, In: COVID-19, Education and Literacy in Malaysia: Social Contexts of Teaching and Learning. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2021.
2018 Congress International Free Linguistics Conference (FLC), 10 - 11 July, University of Malaya (Malaysia). Tasks: member of the organizing committee. Assignment: collaboration in the conferences program team. Accessible on http://www.flcgroup.net/conference/past-conferences/2018-2/.
From 2017 MÉTHODologies de l’enseignement/Apprentissage des Langues (MÉTHODAL) OpenLab. University of Cyprus, and University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Research laboratory in language learning and teaching methodologies. Tasks: member of the laboratory. Accessible on https://methodal.net/Omar-COLOMBO.
From 2012 Cultures, Sociétés et Technologies de l’Information (CSTI) laboratory. Sorbonne - Paris 4 University, France. Tasks: member of the laboratory. Accessible on http://www.csti.paris-sorbonne.fr/centre/equipe/home.php.
From 2007 Varietà di Apprendimento della Lingua Italiana: Corpus Online – Acquisition of Italian Language Varieties – Online Corpus Research project (VALICO).
Università degli Studi, Torino, Italy. Corpus of writing productions of learners in Italian as a foreign language. Tasks: member of the scientific project. Accessible on http://www.corpora.unito.it, section: VALICO.
2005 - 2017 Laboratoire de Linguistique et Didactique des Langues Étrangères et Maternelles (LIDILEM). Department of Linguistics Science, Stendhal - Grenoble 3 University (Grenoble Alpes University), France. Tasks: member of the laboratory. Accessible on https://lidilem.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/.
2008 - 2011 Research project Thematic Network on Intercomprehension (REDINTER). International project on the intercomprehension among Romance languages. Tasks: member of Laboratoire de Linguistique et Didactique des Langue Étrangères et Maternelles (LIDILEM) team, Stendhal - Grenoble 3 University (Grenoble Alpes University), France. Assignment: work team 3, Développement du concept d’intercompréhension (Development of the Intercomprehension concept). Accessible on http://www.redinter.eu/web.
June - July 2011 Research contract (30 hours in total) through the scientific international project Thematic Network on Intercomprehension (REDINTER).
Tasks: member of Lumière Lyon 2 University team, France. Assignment: translator and collaborator at the website implementation, work team 5, Dissémination institutionnelle et politique (Institutional and political promotion). Accessible on http://www.redinter.eu/web.