In 2016 the University of Padova and its Language Centre ("Centro Linguistico di Ateneo" -- CLA) became involved in the two-year "Cultura e accoglienza" Project (see Dalziel and Piazzoli in this volume), the aim of which was to encourage around 30 refugees and asylum seekers to pursue university studies by means of a…

In 2011 the Language Centre of the University of Parma introduced a self-study programme aimed at creating an autonomy-inspired language learning environment. Students are actively engaged in the management of their own learning and co-directed by advisors and teachers in the phases of planning, monitoring and assessment. Reflective diary writing…

The recent reform act for the Italian upper secondary school has ruled the gradual introduction, from the 2012-2013 school year onwards, of the CLIL (content and language integrated learning) methodology in the "Licei" and technical schools. While CLIL clearly offers students great opportunities for developing their skills and abilities…

Summarizes and evaluates the foreign-language program decreed by the Italian Ministry of Public Education for students in the two years of senior high school. (CFM)

An adaptable, interdisciplinary project in high schools in Naples, Italy, involves teaching science in French to those who have completed at least three years of language study. Goals are to sensitize students to scientific French and to enrich their understanding through thematically focused work. (CNP)

Describes an experimental French foreign language program in one Italian region's primary schools. Discussion focuses on specific strategies used for developing proficiency at that age level based on the characteristics of French and the nature of language. (MSE)

An Italian program integrating second language instruction into the elementary school curriculum is described. The program is seen as a forward-looking effort but lacking in important cultural content. Discrepancies between objectives and classroom reality are discussed. (MSE)

A review of the situation of modern language teaching in western Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom) looks at the demography and multilingualism of the region, the organization of school systems in those countries, and the status of school-based modern language…

Numerous reports and articles have decried the mediocrity of U.S. students' foreign language skills and have called for improved language education. One study that looked at foreign language education in 19 countries suggests several characteristics of successful foreign language programs: starting early, providing an articulated framework,…