Italy

Italia

Country context

At the present time Italian is used as the main language by around 90% of the Italian population, and also as the spoken language (ISTAT, 2007). This is a radical change from the centuries old idiomatic Italian tradition, characterised by a prevalence of local languages.

Before the Unification of Italy (1861), Italian was the language used for centuries as the literary language, but it was only spoken in the Florentine-Tuscan and Roman areas (De Mauro, 1963, 1979, 1994). After 1861, the political unification of the country determined a need for linguistic unification and the use of a standard language. As a consequence, in 150 years there has been a noticeable decrease in the use of dialects. Approximately 6.4% of the population now speak only dialect inside and outside the home, with more than 40% of Italians reporting the use of both Italian and dialect, depending on the context. Similarly, some R/M languages have, over time, resisted forces of unification and are spoken by 3.9% of the population (ISTAT, 2007).

Despite the general diffusion of standard Italian, used by the vast majority of Italian society, Italy still presents a linguistic identity characterised by a wide range of dialects, varieties and registers, which places it among the countries which even today present a relatively high index of linguistic diversity (http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=country).

To this complex panorama, a new factor has been added in recent years: the immigration of people from some of the poorest countries. Foreigners in Italy today total more than 5,000,000 - one immigrant for every 12 residents (Caritas, 2011). A census regarding immigrant languages does not currently exist, but research carried out in various areas of Italy estimate that approximately 200 new languages are present in the country (Bagna, Barni, Vedovelli, 2006; Barni, 2008). Immigration in Italy is characterised by the polycentricity of the place of origin, by various modalities of settlement in the territory from a quantitative and qualitative point of view (length of time, type of permanence, immigration projects etc.). Nowadays there is no area in Italy where immigrants are not present and cannot act like a force of language change from the bottom up (Vedovelli, 2010). 

The configuration of the Italian linguistic space, between the extreme of seeking a monolingual state and that of present and renewed plurilingualism, is reflected in the results of the research.

Languages in official documents and databases

The national language, foreign languages and a range of R/M languages are dealt with in language legislation and/or language policy documents. The learning and teaching of the national language abroad for children and/or adults originating from Italy is (co-)funded in more than 30 countries in Europe and abroad. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has been signed by government but has not been ratified by parliament in Italy. At the national level, however, the following 12 R/M languages are recognised, protected and/or promoted in official country documents or legislation: Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Franco-Provençal, French, Friulian, German, Greek, Ladin, Occitan, Sardinian and Slovene. Official provision in education is commonly available in regions where these languages are spoken.

Official nation-wide data collection mechanisms on language diversity in Italy in terms of periodically updated survey data. In these data collection mechanisms, national and R/M language varieties are addressed, based on a home language question.

Although in the Constitution (1946) no reference is made to Italian as the official language of the Republic, but minorities are mentioned and claimed to be preserved, it was only around fifty years later that R/M languages were recognised and protected by law (482/1999). Such recognition has not been ratified in the Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML). 

In 2010 an Italian test for immigrants requiring long term residency was introduced (D.M. 4/06/2010) and in 2011 competence in the Italian language became one of the key issues for the integration agreement between an immigrant and the State (D.P.R. 14/09/ 2011, n. 179).

With regard to documentation on languages, Italy falls behind some other European countries, with not even the most recent census (2011) including a question regarding languages or dialects. One positive step is reflected in the Multiscopo surveys, among which the most recent, carried out in 2006, has shown the plurality of languages present today and used on a daily basis by Italians (ISTAT, 2007). Overall research on immigrant languages still has to be carried out, apart from data on individual local situations.

Languages in pre-primary education

 

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants

LN - SOUTIEN SUP

Langues nationales
Groupes cibles
LRM: tous locuteurs natifs uniquement aucun soutien 
LE: tous restreint aucun soutien 
LM: tous locuteurs natifs uniquement aucun soutien 
LN - SOUTIEN SUP: tous enfants de migrants uniquement aucun soutien 
3 none none none
Durée
≥ 2 ans 1 an <1 an   
3 none none none
Taille minimale des groupes
aucune  5-10  >10
3 none none none
Jours par semaine
 >1 jour  0.5-1 jour  <0.5 jour
3 none none none
Formation initiale des enseignants
spécifique à une matière générale aucune 
1 none none none
Formation des enseignants en cours d'emploi
spécifique à une matière générale aucune 
2 none none none
Financement public disponible
total partiel aucun 
3 none none none

Languages offered in pre-primary education

R/M Languages

Albanian, Croatian, Franco-Provençal ,French, Friulian, Occitan, German, Greek, Ladin, Sardinian, Slovene

Langues étrangères

-

Langues des migrants

-

In general, the modest results shown in the pre-primary, primary and secondary education domains show that little attention is given to other languages, whether foreign or immigrant. The results in these domains can be related to the weakness of the competence in foreign languages by many Italians, documented in studies such as Eurobarometer (2006) and Eurydice/Eurostat (2008).

At the same time, the general results bring to light that, from pre-primary to upper secondary school, there is room for improvement with regard to the range of languages offered, organisation of learning; and training for language teachers. Furthermore, it should be noted that English is the language which is taught and encouraged the most among foreign languages at all school levels. 

In pre-primary education, the only languages offered are the R/M, and only in the areas where they are present, thanks to the protection in the law. No offer is provided in any foreign language.

Languages in primary education

Organisation

 

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants
Programmes scolaires
cohérent et explicite général pas de lignes directrices   
3 2 none
Enseignement EMILE (enseignement d'une matière intégrée à une langue étrangère)
  généralisé localisé aucun   
3 1 none
Groupes cibles
LRM: tous locuteurs natifs uniquement aucun soutien 
LE: tous restreint aucun soutien 
LM: tous locuteurs natifs uniquement aucun soutien 
3 3 none
Démarrage de l'enseignement en langue
A partir de la 1ère année à mi-étape en fin d'étape uniquement   
3 3 none
Planification
pendant le temps scolaire en partie pendant le temps scolaire hors temps scolaire    
3 3 none
Taille minimale des groupes
aucune 5-10 >10  
3 3 none
Surveillance des compétences linguistiques
surveillance nationale standardisée propre à l'établissement aucune   
1 2 none
Niveau requis
Autres LN: normes nationales ou régionales normes propres à l'établissement non spécifié 
LE: dépend du CECRL des normes nationales ou de l'établissement non spécifié 
LM: normes nationales ou régionales normes propres à l'établissement non spécifié 
1 2 none
Financement public disponible
total partiel aucun   
3 3 none

 

LN

Autres langues nationales
Programmes scolaires
cohérent et explicite général pas de lignes directrices   
2
Soutien supplémentaire pour les nouveaux arrivants
avant la phase d'intégration pendant aucun   
1
Evaluation diagnostique à l'entrée
tous immigrants uniquement aucune   
1
Surveillance des compétences linguistiques
surveillance nationale standardisée propre à l'établissement aucune   
2

Teaching

 

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants
Qualifications des enseignants
enseignants en langues enseignants en matières générales non qualifiés   
2 2 none
Formation initiale des enseignants
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
2 1 none
Formation des enseignants en cours d'emploi
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
2 2 none
Mobilité
intégrée dans la formation soutien financier informel aucune non applicable  
0 1 0

 

LN

Autres langues nationales
Qualifications des enseignants
enseignants en langues enseignants en matières générales non qualifiés   
3
Formation initiale des enseignants
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
3
Formation des enseignants en cours d'emploi
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
2

Languages offered in primary education

R/M Languages

Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Franco-Provençal, French, Friulian, Occitan, German, Greek, Ladin, Sardinian, Slovene

Langues étrangères

English: compulsory

Langues des migrants

-

In primary education English is the only language offered and its strong support at all school levels is justified by the fact that English will be used by pupils in the future, with no consideration of surveys and studies such as ELAN (2006) which highlight that other languages are also important in the work arena. Other languages which are spoken at home by pupils with an immigrant background have entered into schools (they are present in approximately 90% of state schools), but the maintenance of such languages is not part of the educational objectives. The same is true regarding structured support for the learning of Italian as a second language (L2), although this may be introduced into projects by individual schools. Otherwise, the recognition and protection of R/M languages has positive consequences on education, in terms of organisation and teacher training, in the areas where R/M languages are spoken.

In primary education, Italy’s profile is lower than many other countries in terms of both foreign language organisation and teaching. These results are due to the lack of a coherent curriculum, absence of regular monitoring and explicit requirements as to the proficiency level to be achieved. This is linked to other issues that have direct consequences on the linguistic offer throughout education, including: lack of pre- and in-service training for primary teachers of foreign languages; and an absence of a culture of linguistic assessment in Italy (Machetti, 2010), both at the research level and in teacher training. This has a direct impact on schools’ and teachers’ attitudes towards language testing and assessment (Barni, Machetti, 2005). This is true also for the other school levels.

Languages in secondary education

Organisation

 

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants
Programmes scolaires
cohérent et explicite général pas de lignes directrices 
3 2 none
Enseignement EMILE (enseignement d'une matière intégrée à une langue étrangère)
généralisé localisé aucun   
2 2 none
Groupes cibles
LRM: tous locuteurs natifs uniquement aucun soutien 
LE: tous restreint aucun soutien 
LM: tous locuteurs natifs uniquement aucun soutien
3 3 none
Planification
pendant le temps scolaire en partie pendant le temps scolaire hors temps scolaire   
3 3 none
Taille minimale des groupes
aucune 5-10 >10  
3 3 none
Surveillance des compétences linguistiques
surveillance nationale standardisée propre à l'établissement aucune   
1 2 none
Niveau requis
Autres LN: normes nationales ou régionales normes propres à l'établissement non spécifié not applicable
LE: dépend du CECRL des normes nationales ou propres à l'établissement non spécifié not applicable
LM: normes nationales ou régionales normes propres à l'établissement pas de normes not applicable
2 2 none
Financement public disponible
total partiel aucun   
3 3 none

 

LN

Autres langues nationales
Programmes scolaires
cohérent et explicite général pas de lignes directrices 
2
Soutien supplémentaire pour les nouveaux arrivants
avant pendant aucun   
1
Evaluation diagnostique à l'entrée
tous immigrants uniquement aucune   
1
Surveillance des compétences linguistiques
surveillance nationale standardisée propre à l'établissement aucune   
2

Teaching

 

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants
Qualifications des enseignants
enseignants en langues enseignants en matières générales non qualifiés   
3 3 none
Formation initiale des enseignants
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
3 2 none
Formation des enseignants en cours d'emploi
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
3 2 none
Mobilité
intégrée dans la formation soutien financier informel aucune non applicable  
0 1 0
Niveau de langue requis
dépend du CECRL des normes nationales ou régionales non spécifié non applicable  
0 2 0

 

LN

Autres langues nationales
Qualifications des enseignants
enseignants en langues enseignants en matières générales non qualifiés   
3
Formation initiale des enseignants
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
2
Formation des enseignants en cours d'emploi
spécifique à une matière générale aucune   
2
Niveau de langue requis pour les locuteurs non natifs
dépend du CECRL des normes nationales ou propres à l'établissement non spécifié non applicable  
3

Languages offered in secondary education

R/M Languages

Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Franco-Provençal, French, Friulian, Occitan, German, Greek, Ladin, Sardinian, Slovene

Langues étrangères

English and another foreign language: compulsory in lower secondary

English: compulsory in higher secondary (with the exception of schools with programmes related to language learning)

Langues des migrants

-

Secondary schools show relatively better results. The presence of a second foreign language in lower secondary schools and the offer of R/M languages are factors which contribute to increasing language richness. In higher secondary education, however, English dominates once again. More languages (mainly French, German and Spanish) are offered only in education institutions where the main objective is language learning. 

The effects of the recent introduction of legislation regarding Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) methodology (DD.PP.RR. 87, 88, 89 15/03/2010) in the last year of higher secondary education (starting in language schools from the third year) are not yet possible to predict, also because teacher training for this objective has not yet been activated and furthermore it is supported by a limited budget. The same is true for the recent introduction of MA degrees and pre-service training courses (TFA) for teachers in secondary schools (D.M. 10/09/ 2010, n. 249). 

As in the other school levels, recognition and support for immigrant languages in secondary schools is completely absent.

Languages in Further and Higher Education

Further Education (in three institutions)

 

Établissement A Établissement B Établissement C

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants

LRM

Langues R/M

LE

Langues étrangères

LM

Langues des migrants
Gamme de programmes de soutien en langue
large variété limitée aucun 
none 3 2 2 3 none none 2 none
Programmes scolaires
cohérent et explicite général pas de lignes directrices 
none 3 2 3 3 none none 2 none
Niveau requis
dépend du CECRL des normes nationales non spécifié non applicable
0 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 0
Financement public disponible
total partiel aucun 
none 2 1 2 2 none none 2 none

LN - SOUTIEN SUP

Langues nationales

LN - SOUTIEN SUP

Langues nationales

LN - SOUTIEN SUP

Langues nationales
Gamme de programmes de soutien en langue
large variété limitée aucun 
3 3 3
Groupes cibles
tous restreint aucun 
1 2 3
Programmes scolaires
cohérent et explicite général pas de lignes directrices 
3 3 3
Compétences professionnelles
oui non 
3 1 3
Amélioration des compétences générales
oui non 
3 3 3
Financement public disponible
total partiel aucun 
3 3 3
Stages en entreprise
intégrés dans le cursus en option aucun 
1 1 1
Utilisation des instruments de l'UE
oui non 
1 1 1

Languages offered across 3 VET institutions in Italy

R/M Languages

Slovene

Langues étrangères

English, Spanish, French, German

Langues des migrants

Arabic

Higher Education (in three institutions)

 

Établissement A

Établissement B

Établissement C

Langue(s) d'enseignement
n'importe quelle langue nationale et étrangère nationale uniquement 
2 2 2
Langues sur le site web
Nationales, étrangères et R/M nationales et étrangères nationales uniquement 
2 2 2
Groupes cibles pour un soutien supplémentaire dans la langue nationale
tous  restreint aucun
2 2 2
Niveau requis dans l'enseignement en langue étrangère
dépend du CECRL des normes nationales ou propres à l'établissement non spécifié
1 1 3
Recrutement d'étudiants non nationaux
Internationaux et immigrants internationaux uniquement locuteurs natifs de la langue nationale uniquement
3 3 3
Mobilité pour les étudiants en langues
obligatoire facultative aucune offre
2 2 2
Mobilité pour les autres étudiants
obligatoire facultative aucune offre
2 2 2

Languages offered across 3 higher education institutions in Italy

Arabic, Bengali, Catalan, Chinese, Korean, Danish, Hebrew, French, Japanese, Hindi, English, Dutch, Modern Greek, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian / Croatian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, German, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

As in other educational domains, in further education the overall linguistic offer in the three sample cities – Rome, Milan and Trieste – remains more or less linked to European languages, with English well above the others. 

In further education the teaching of Italian stands out due to the number of adult foreigners for which public adult education is the only means to learn the language of the society in which they live and work. In any case, we know that immigrants who invest in language training are low in number compared to the actual number living in Italy. The effects of the Ministerial Decree of 4 June 2010 – which has decreed it compulsory to pass an exam in Italian at level A2 in order to obtain a long term EC residence permit – and the recent integration agreement, which introduces competence in Italian as a requisite for living and working in Italy, cannot yet be calculated.

In the three universities, the range of languages is almost wide, but the languages are mainly present in language faculties and courses.

Languages in Audiovisual Media and Press

 

Rome

Milan

Trieste

Nombre de langues à la radio
>4 3-4 1-2 langue nationale uniquement 
4 3 3
Nombre de langues à la télévision
>4 3-4 1-2 langue nationale uniquement 
2 2 2
Productions télévisées en langues non nationales
sous-titrées doublées
1 1 2
Films au cinéma en langues non nationales
sous-titrées doublées
1 1 1
Programmes en langues R/M hors région
toujours régulièrement parfois jamais
1 1 3
Disponibilité du langage des signes à la télévision
toujours régulièrement parfois jamais
1 1 1

Languages offered in audiovisual media and press across 3 cities in Italy

Radio

English, French, Sinhala, Amharic, Arabic, Creole, Croatian, German, Polish, Portuguese, Romani, Romanian, Slovene, Spanish, Tagalog

Television

English, Slovene

Journaux

English, German, French, Spanish, Albanian, Croatian, Slovene, Japanese, Turkish

The choice of languages in audiovisual media is quantitatively and qualitatively scarce. The practice of dubbing films and television programmes produced abroad does not help in giving contact with other languages. The only language occasionally available is English, but in a very limited way. The other languages offered on Radio are the languages used in the programmes produced by immigrant communities. Slovene, as a R/M language, has a certain presence in Trieste.

Better results are obtained with regards to newspapers. The languages available reflect both the presence of immigrant communities, but also of tourists, with the majority of newspapers being in European languages. We should not forget indeed that Italy is the destination for millions of tourists every year. In 2010 there were 44 million visitors, of which a fifth were from Germany alone. The top five countries (other than Germany these are France, Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain) represent almost 60% of visitors (RTBicocca, 2011). The presence of newspapers for sale in these languages seems to be motivated by the need to satisfy demand from these visitors rather than from Italians approaching these languages. We should also not forget that the average of Italian readers of books and newspapers is well below the European average (ISTAT, 2011; De Mauro, 2011). The newspapers in Slovene, Croatian and Albanian in Trieste represent the geographical and cultural proximity of the countries in which such languages are spoken and the historical opening of this city towards the Balkans.

Languages in public services and spaces

Institutionalised language strategies at city level

> 4 3-4 1-2 langue nationale uniquement

fréquence d'utilisation : largement utilisée occasionnellement utilisée non utilisée

Rome

Milan

Trieste

Services municipaux

6 6 1

Présence dans le site web

1 3 0

Rapports municipaux annuels

0 0 0

Traducteurs et interprètes externes ou internes

6 6 6

Compétences dans des langues autres que la langue nationale dans les descriptions de postes des employés

4 6 1

Plan ou programme en place destiné à améliorer les compétences en langues

0 5 1

Recrutement de personnes multilingues pour soutenir les objectifs de l'organisation

1 0 4

Offre de formation en langues aux employés

4 5 4

Registre des compétences en langues des employés régulièrement mis à jour

0 6 6

Programmes de récompense ou de promotion pour les employés capables de communiquer correctement dans une autre langue

0 0 0

Oral Communications Facilities

>4 3-4 1-2 langue nationale uniquement

Rome

Milan

Trieste

Débats politiques et processus de prise de décision au niveau du conseil municipal

1 1 1

Services de l'éducation

1 4 4

Services d'urgence

4 4 2

Services de santé

4 4 4

Services sociaux

3 4 1

Services juridiques

4 3 3

Services de transport

3 3 3

Services d'immigration et d'intégration

4 4 1

Services du tourisme

4 4 4

Programmes de théâtre

2 2 2

Written Communications Facilities

>4 3-4 1-2 langue nationale uniquement 

Rome

Milan

Trieste

Débats politiques et processus de prise de décision au niveau du conseil municipal

1 1 2

Services de l'éducation

1 1 4

Services d'urgence

3 3 3

Services de santé

1 4 4

Services sociaux

1 4 1

Services juridiques

1 4 3

Services de transport

4 2 3

Services d'immigration et d'intégration

4 4 1

Services du tourisme

4 4 4

Programmes de théâtre

2 2 2

Languages offered in public services and public spaces across 3 cities in Italy (N ≥ 2)

English, Spanish, German, French, Romanian, Arabic, Slovene, Russian, Chinese, Croatian/Serbian, Albanian, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Japanese, Polish, Sinhala, Tagalog, Tigrigna, Bengali, Hindi, Nigerian languages, Turkish, Amharic, Panjabi, Persian, Urdu

None of the three cities chosen for the research have significant institutional strategies regarding the promotion of multilingualism. Linguistic competencies are generally not considered an important requirement for employees when being hired, as a career strategy, or as a form of training on site. In public services in Trieste, Slovene is present, both in written and oral communication facilities.

In these last two contexts the general profile of Italy has improved because in city council institutions, especially in services for residents, more attention is being paid to other languages due to the increasing demand from immigrants. This is proven by the informative publicity and mediation services which are mostly in languages such as Chinese, Arabic, Romanian, Russian and Albanian - the languages of the immigrant communities present in Italy.

However, even in these services, European languages are more prevalent, both for their use in tourism as well as their wide use among immigrants (in particular French and Spanish).

Languages in business - 24 companies

General Language Strategies

Largement utilisée

Occasionnellement utilisée

Non utilisée

Stratégie linguistique en place

7 5 12

Accent mis sur les compétences en langues lors du recrutement

10 8 6

Clause de mobilité internationale

6 6 12

Recours à des traducteurs/interprètes externes

2 12 10

Tenue de registres sur les compétences en langues du personnel

0 8 16

Utilisation de réseaux pour la formation en langues

3 6 15

Utilisation de programmes / financements de l'UE

5 1 18

Connaissance des programmes / financements de l'UE

0 12 12

Internal Language Strategies

Largement utilisée Occasionnellement utilisée Non utilisée

NL

BE

FL-R/M - IL

NL

BE

FL-R/M - IL

NL

BE

FL-R/M - IL

Partenariats avec le secteur de l'éducation pour les langues

2 4 2 2 5 2 20 15 18

Programmes de récompenses / promotion basés sur les compétences en langues

2 2 1 2 2 2 20 20 21

Offre d'une formation en langues

3 6 3 3 3 2 18 15 19

Utilisation du CECRL

4 5 2 2 3 2 18 16 20

Langues utilisées pour les documents sur le lieu de travail/l'intranet

24 5 2 0 5 1 0 14 21

Langues utilisées pour les logiciels, les programmes web

21 5 1 1 8 2 2 11 21

External Language Strategies

Largement utilisée Occasionnellement utilisée Non utilisée

NL

BE

FL-R/M - IL

NL

BE

FL-R/M - IL

NL

BE

FL-R/M - IL

Langues utilisées pour les rapports annuels/rapports d'activité

24 5 2 0 4 1 0 15 21

Langues utilisées pour le marketing

21 6 2 1 3 0 2 15 21

Langues utilisées pour la promotion de la marque/l'identité

24 10 2 0 3 2 0 11 20

Langues utilisées pour le site web

20 10 3 0 1 1 4 13 19

Languages other than English offered in business across 24 companies in Italy (N ≥ 2)

German, French, Russian, Croatian/Serbian, Japanese, Spanish, Polish

In the area of business Italy has obtained comparatively lower results, confirming what has already come to light in other research (ELAN, 2006). There is a lack of awareness on the part of the businesses (especially in the small and medium sized companies, which are key to the Italian economy) of the fact that weak foreign language competence limits the possibility of internationalisation in an ever more global market. The low consideration of the importance of even English, is also surprising, with it seen as being important for only certain categories of employees. The results for Italy are weaker than other countries in both Business English and other languages. The majority of companies surveyed provide branding and marketing, work place documents, the intranet, and their website only in the national language. This decreases the potentiality of reaching international markets, and this is particularly serious in the case of medium and large-sized companies. A consequence of this is the declaration by the businesses surveyed that they do not make much use of internal and external translators. Can we consider this as a sign of the reluctant attitude shown by Italian business towards foreign markets and consequently by foreign business to make investments in Italy? As we know (Land, 2000), the presence and use of different languages plays a key role in persuading companies to consider a place as a business location.

Key Findings overall

In conclusione, l’indagine conferma che la società italiana, in tutte le sue espressioni, vive una generale ‘questione delle lingue straniere’, una paura dominante nei confronti della diversità linguistica (Vedovelli, 2010). Di conseguenza, è scarsa la competenza nelle lingue straniere, da quelle di grande diffusione internazionale, a quelle meno diffuse, ma ugualmente importanti per la presenza di suoi parlanti nel territorio, per il loro legame con l’Italia e per fare affari nei mercati emergenti.
La causa va ricercata innanzitutto nel monolinguismo che è stato una delle caratteristiche distintive della politica linguistica e educativa dopo l’unificazione italiana e che è stato sostenuto da un rifiuto generale per le lingue degli altri. Secondariamente, è il risultato dell’inefficacia dell’azione istituzionale messa in atto dal nostro Stato, e caratterizzata dalla inadeguatezza delle risorse, dell’organizzazione, di formazione per i docenti, così come dalla mancanza di collegamenti sistemici con il mondo delle imprese. A scuola l’attenzione è solo centrata sull’inglese, che – peraltro – è insegnato in un contesto di limitatezza di risorse che rende spesso inefficace ogni sia pur volenteroso sforzo dei singoli docenti o delle singole scuole. Ancora oggi i giovani che terminano il nostro sistema scolastico sono caratterizzati nella assoluta maggioranza dei casi dalla ‘conoscenza scolastica’ di una lingua straniera e tale espressione è un eufemismo, un modo velato per alludere direttamente alla mancanza di competenza.
Le lingue immigrate presenti oggi in Italia costituiscono un fattore di neo-plurilinguismo che potrebbe potenzialmente contribuire a ridurre la paura di diversità linguistica nel nostro Paese, ma questa opportunità non è tuttora considerata.

Promising initiatives and pilots

L’introduzione della metodologia CLIL nella scuola secondaria di secondo grado, della laurea magistrale e del tirocinio per la formazione per gli insegnanti (TFA) potrebbero potenzialmente essere delle iniziative promettenti, ma non è ancora possibile verificarne gli effetti. La recente introduzione di un anno di Tirocinio Formativo Attivo (TFA, D.M. 249/2010 e D.M. 31/2012) per la formazione dei nuovi insegnanti nella scuola secondaria di II grado prevede l’apertura di corsi per insegnanti di cinese, arabo, giappones, neogreco e sloveno, oltre a quelli di inglese, francese, tedesco, spagnolo e russo, tradizionalmente presenti. Questa ci sembra un’importante iniziativa per la promozione del plurilinguismo e per il riconoscimento delle lingue RM e delle comunità immigrate.
Ci sono varie altre iniziative organizzate dalle singole scuole o anche da singoli insegnanti, che sono le testimonianze della capacità degli insegnanti stessi di mettere in atto risposte creative, in particolare per rispondere alla presenza di studenti che non parlano la lingua nazionale che entrano nelle loro classi. In alcuni casi, tali iniziative sono collegate e documentate a livello regionale, in particolare dalle istituzioni regionali (come la Toscana, la Lombardia, l’Emilia Romagna e il Trentino Alto-Adige) che più si impegnano nel sostegno linguistico. Tuttavia, in molti casi, queste iniziative sono legate all’insegnante o alla scuola, e pertanto nè destinate ad accompagnare il percorso scolastico degli alunni, né replicabili.

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