Paolo Frascà

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream; Coordinator of ITA250 & ITA350 Language Courses
Carr Hall, Room 213, 100 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1J4
416-978-2201

Campus

Areas of Interest

  • Italian Language Teaching and Pedagogy
  • Italian-Canadian Studies
  • Sexuality and Gender Studies

Biography

Paolo Frascà's work focuses on three main areas: pedagogy, particularly the teaching of Italian language and culture through a sociocultural approach and through collaborative, experiential methodologies; migration studies, with a focus on the Italian-Canadian community and its histories, languages, practices, and cultural production; sexuality and gender studies, specifically Queer theories and the Italian gay liberation movement of the 1970s. Before joining the University of Toronto’s Department of Italian Studies as a Faculty Member, he taught courses in language, culture, translation, literature, migration, and sexuality at the University of Toronto Mississauga and at Brock University. Prof. Frascà has published several peer-reviewed essays, in recognized scholarly journals and volumes, in areas that span from sociolinguistics and dialectology to the intersection between migration and queerness. He is Co-Director of two projects at the University of Toronto’s Frank Iacobucci Centre for Italian-Canadian Studies: Indigenous-Italian-Canadian Connections (with Dr. Angela Nardozi, University of Toronto) and Queer Italian-Canadian Artists (with Dr. Licia Canton, Accenti Magazine). Prof. Frascà also oversees a number of experiential and cultural activities in his role of Language Coordinator. Additional roles at the University of Toronto include Steering Committee Member and Affiliated Faculty at the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies and Co-Lead of the Global Languages Initiative. He is a contributor and member of various local and international organizations, including the Endangered Language Alliance of Toronto and the Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca Queer. Prof. Frascà strives to integrate discussions on social justice, equity, and decolonization into his courses and considers himself a community-oriented educator and researcher. Pronouns: he/they; lui

Education

PhD, University of Toronto
MA, University of Toronto
Hon. BA, University of Toronto

Awards

Administrative Service

Coordinator of Language Courses, 2021-2022
Coordinator of ITA250 & ITA350 Language Courses, 2022-present