Giuliana Palma is a Principal Lecturer in the Modern Languages and Literature Department. A native of Italy, she holds a “Laurea” from the “Università di Firenze”, Italy (1982). Having joined the Trinity College faculty in the spring of 1988, she teaches beginning, intermediate and advanced language and culture courses. Whether she is teaching intensive elementary Italian or the history of the language (in Italian), she underscores the study of language as the main portal to understanding the peoples and cultures of Italy. For Palma moreover, language defines “being” and, thus, the study of foreign language is a means to learning more about who we are. Students are encouraged to reflect on their linguistic selves while and because they are studying a foreign language and culture.