Gisella Langé Strasbourg, June 8, 2009 Languages of schooling and the Language Education Policy...

Gisella Langé Strasbourg, June 8, 2009

Languages of schooling and the Language

Education Policy Profile: the case of Lombardy

Gisella Langé

[email protected]

Ministry of Education, University and Research

Lombardy Educational Authority


LOMBARDY

Population:

10.065.440

Area:

23.859 kmq

Foreign language teachers: 10.258

1 million students

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Lombardy_%20Profile_EN.doc

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Lombardy_Profile_FR.doc

www.progettolingue.net


Scope of Lombardy Profile

Importance of policy analysis at a time of change

Awareness raising on specific issues including promotion of plurilingualism diversification of the range of languages

Process supported by Italian national authorities

possible contribution of the Profile to a policy debate at national level


Policies and curricula linked to contexts:

– Schools in context – significance of school headteachers

– Learners and their ‘language history’

For region: regional council/centre – policy and curricula for region (regional devolution)

For (groups of) schools – policy and curricula for context and for learners (school autonomy)

For learners – planning for own learning (learner autonomy)

Suggested Actions


After the Profile (2006)

political changes at national level

regional devolution on the way implementation of the School Reform Law voted in 2003 new documents of reference at national level that take into consideration the CEFR and the E.U. Recommendation on the 8 key competences

critical remark: more focus on English than on plurilingualism at national level


Consequences of the Profile

Holistic/global approach

Plurilingualism Coherence

Qualitative improvement

Curriculum and syllabi development

Indicators


Area Multilinguismo e Internazionalizzazione

A new Department within the Lombardy Regional Education Authority


• Developing common templates for language curricula

• Favouring languages of origin - Arabic in primary schools - Rumanian in primary and secondary schools

• Improving foreign language learning by starting at an early age

- English as 1st foreign language at primary school, but also other languages in some schools

Language learning (1)


• Improving foreign language learning by focusing on meaningful contents

- promotion and expansion of CLIL/EMILE or bilingual courses (tandem teaching: subject teachers and FL teachers)

- improvement of intercultural competences in international cooperation (e.g school exchange, educational stays, international projects, internships)

- international diplomas (ex ESABAC), language certificates, language competitions and other language projects



• developing student autonomy

using the European Language Portfolio,

special projects (ex. Certilingua, etc)


FOREIGN LANGUAGESup to 2006

English = from primary school to upper secondary school

French, German, Spanish= in all lower and some upper secondary schools Russian = in some upper secondary schools

Arabic, Chinese, Japanese mostly in extra-curricular courses in upper secondary schools

FOREIGN LANGUAGES after 2006

English, French, German, SpanishRussian: same as before 2006

Arabic, Chinese, Japanese mostly in extra-curricular courses in upper secondary schools BUT now also in curricular courses

ARABIC offered in PRIMARY schools

ROMANIAN offered in PRIMARY, Lower and Upper Secondary Schools


The Profile brought together teachers from languages of schooling (especially what we call Language as Subject i.e. teachers of Italian) and Foreign Language teachers:

• descriptors of competences for Italian as a subject and Italian as a foreign language have been developed

• certifications for Italian as a FL are been introduced


Teachers of other subjects

• know what the CEFR is

• show great interest in the way levels, descriptors and competences are defined in it

• are trying to describe and grade competences for their subjects…

CLIL/EMILE training activities favour awareness and cooperative work on language learning…


Summing up• Visible short and medium term

consequences

• Ongoing public debate, conferences, round tables,

articles, etc.

• General understanding of the importance of plurilingual education and languages of schooling

• More attention to the linguistic integration of young and adult migrants

• Relevant effects on curriculum development assessment vulnerable groups (chidren of migrants) institutions

Languages of schooling

PoliticiansAdministrat

ors

ParentsJournalistsPublishers

Cultural AgenciesAssociationsTrade UnionsWorld of work

University ProfessorsInspectors

Headteachers

TeachersTrainers


Next project in Lombardy…Languages of Schooling

2009: European Year of Creativity and Innovation


SLO GAN

Gisella Langé Strasbourg, June 8, 2009 Languages of schooling and the Language Education Policy...

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