Integrare ricerca e divulgazione Le riviste delle associazioni di insegnanti di lingue e il caso di Scuola e Lingue Moderne

In this article, we briefly review the main stages of the evolution of language teaching in the Italian school system and the parallel development of pedagogical journals. Then, we will focus on the roles and functions of the journals of language teachers’ associations, analysing their characteristics and developments, also in light of recent technological innovations. The specific case that we will examine will be the journal SeLM. Schools and Modern Languages, edited by ANILS, the Italian National Association of Teachers of Foreign Languages

Terza età ed educazione linguistica. Narrazione e letterature come spazio per la memoria, la saggezza e la creatività

People, all over the world, are getting older and older: older adults are an increasingly important part of society, even though they are often discriminated against and simply considered weak and unproductive. In fact, psychological and neurobiological medical research has proved that changes occurring in the minds and brains of older adults do not simply imply losses, but also modifications that allow self-adaptation to physical aging; at the same time geragogy has highlighted the fact that older adults have great growth and educability potentialities. Yet, the educability of the elderly is based on the psychological and neurological characteristics of age: it is worth giving past and autobiographical memory, creative skills and wisdom the opportunity of growth through the study of languages and literature as a cultural and intercultural challenge, as well as through the autobiographical method.

Il profilo dell’insegnante di lingue minoritarie, tra standardizzazione delle competenze e varietà dei modelli scolastici

La nostra riflessione parte dalla consapevolezza del legame tra qualità dell’insegnamento delle lingue e visibilità e riconoscimento delle competenze dei docenti che le insegnano. Nelle comunità connotate da una lingua minoritaria, la scuola e l’istruzione hanno un ruolo chiave nel suo mantenimento e nella sua valorizzazione; ma, ad oggi non è possibile stilare un bilancio del tutto soddisfacente della qualità dell’insegnamento delle lingue minoritarie in Italia, anche a causa della mancanza di un profilo condiviso e diffuso delle competenze dei docenti che le insegnano

Web 2.0, Language Learning and Intercultural Competence

Whenever a new form of communication appears on the scene, it immediately becomes the object of discussion. This has been going on since the first penny press edition in 1834, whereas today discussions are carried out with reference to the Internet. The stability with which mass-media have faced different criticism can be well understood thanks to the functionalist analysis which considers the media as a social system working within an external system made up of a set of cultural and social conditions. In spite of its complexity, any set of repetitive actions contribute to maintaining or to weakening the stability of the system. We can say that globalization would not have been possible without the media and Web 2.0 may be of remarkable interest for its role in influencing cultural identity. All the past technologies, from electric light to the airplane, took a whole generation to gain ground among people, and Internet has not required such a long time. The impossibility to digest the new modalities of communication offered by the net creates the risk of unexpected contamination. Geographical magazines often show pictures of native Amazonians dressed in their traditional costumes while using computers and mobile phones. Educational uses of Web 2.0 and mobile learning tools have been rapidly expanded over the last few years and a great number of projects have been planned for teaching languages. Mobile learning includes many areas: handheld computers, MP3 players, notebooks and mobile phones. In this paper we shall outline the methodology including selection of web tools, task design, implementation and intercultural communication. The study carried out at the University of Florence shows that learners develop their communication competence while performing entertaining activities which enable them to achieve the desired goals

La natura della memoria autobiografica e l’autobiografia linguistica Il metodo autobiografico nella linguistica educativa per gli anziani anziani

Autobiographical memory is an essential part of long term memory. It intersects cognitive processes, current emotions related to the memory of oneself past, and thought about oneself and one’s goals and purposes. Au tobiographical memory joins past with future of an individual. By it everyone forms an idea about himself/herself.Starting Autobiographical memory is an essential part of long term memory. It intersects cognitive processes, current emotions related to the memory of oneself past, and thought about oneself and one’s goals and purposes. Au tobiographical memory joins past with future of an individual. By it everyone forms an idea about himself/herself. Starting from the features of autobiographical memory it is possible to elaborate an autobiographical method. This paper aims to analyse the main features of the autobiographical memo ry within the perspective of the language education of the elderl y . It will especially focus on the mod el of l ang uage autobiography as an educational and training tool for the language education of the adult s and elderly

Nuove prospettive per l’Educazione Linguistica: per una nuova interdisciplinarietà

In questo saggio introduttivo, si vuole proporre una serie di spunti di riflessione su alcuni tra i principali aspetti caratterizzanti la glottodidattica, con lo scopo di aprire un confronto tra studiosi sul tema di quali possano essere le possibili evoluzioni e le prospettive future di questa scienza. Dopo una considerazione sulla denominazione della disciplina – da sempre tema di confronto e discussione – si propongono alcune riflessioni sul carattere interdisciplinare e teorico-pratico che da sempre caratterizza la glottodidattica e sui metodi della ricerca adatti ai suoi scopi.Sono temi che vengono poi approfonditi e contestualizzati nei saggi dei colleghi e delle colleghe pubblicati in questo numero monografico

La natura della memoria autobiografica e l’autobiografia linguistica. Il metodo autobiografico nella linguistica educativa per gli anziani

Autobiographical memory is an essential part of long-term memory. It intersects cognitive processes, current emotions related to the memory of oneself past, and thought about oneself and one’s goals and purposes. Autobiographical memory joins past with future of an individual. By it everyone forms an idea about himself/herself.Starting from the features of autobiographical memory it is possible to elaborate an autobiographical method. This paper aims to analyse the main features of the autobiographical memory within the perspective of the language education of the elderly. It will especially focus on the model of language autobiography as an educational and training tool for the language education of the adults and elderly

Uno studio sull’apprendimento delle lingue nella terza età: Il Progetto VintAge. Focus su inclusione, ageismo e lingue straniere

The article illustrates a research called "Learning foreign languages for seniors. Vintage project”, whose roots can be identified in the increasingly pressing and investigated themes of active ageing, empowerment, and inclusion of the elderly population.  To avoid the risk of social exclusion, the elderly need new skills, and among these the plurilingual, communicative and intercultural ones are central. Language learning experiences have a privileged place in the well-being of the elderly, and the relevant literature shows that they are able to bring social, cultural and cognitive benefits. In particular, the Vintage project had the main objective of implementing and experimenting - in order to test its effectiveness - teaching materials created ad hoc for the teaching-learning of foreign languages dedicated to students over 60. Some of the data obtained will be analyzed, in order to propose a reflection on the socio-personal, biographical, linguistic characteristics of the elderly who require linguistic training and on the perceptions they have regarding old age and learning in old age. Some conclusions of a linguistic nature will be given on the basis of the examination of the research data and in particular on the basis of the data provided by the informants of our research, it will be seen that there is a problem of inclusion and ageism which can negatively affect the elderly language student. Therefore, promoting inclusion and fighting ageism are decisive actions for the success or failure of the language learning path