TITLE OF THE SUCCESS STORY
Courses of Italian as L2 - from student to tutor
COUNTRY WHERE IT TOOK PLACE
Italy
AUTHOR OF THE SUCCESS STORY
Student
SCHOOL TYPOLOGY
High Secondary School
THEMATIC AREA
Integration of immigrants students
DESCRIPTION OF THE SUCCESS STORY
Please describe:
- Main actors involved:
Emiljano Pashollari,a 18 year old student, many foreign students and teachers of the Polo Bianciardi (ex Einaudi Institute), a teacher of Italian Language as a L2
- when, where and how the story took place:
. The story began in February 2011, when I arrived in Grosseto from my country, which is Albania, and I went to be registered at Einaudi Institute. They welcomed me very well, both in the office and in the class in which they placed me. After a few days a teacher who was in charge of foreign students came in class and told me to go at school in the afternoon because there was a course for foreign students recently arrived in Italy which I could attend. Since then I have followed regularly all the courses they have organized: in the first period They helped us to learn the language and vocabulary, towards the end of the year the teacher helped us to study various subjects and to get ready for the oral and written tests that were a bit simplified. At the end of the year I was able to speak Italian well enough and even if I did some mistakes in writing I understood almost everything.
This year, that teacher asked me if I could help the foreign students in the subjects that I do better like maths, law and business administration. I immediately accepted and I was happy to give a hand to these guys, as well as the school had helped me when I got here. In the afternoon, once or twice a week, I meet three students, one Senegalese, one Turkish and one Romanian and I help them to do the math exercises, and when we do other subjects I help them to repeat, to make summaries and I explain the words they do not understand.
- the reasons why the story can be considered successful
The story can be considered a success because when I arrived I felt a bit lost with all the changes I had had a new town, a new house and a large school with many students .. and I did not understand anything. Attending that first course was an encouragement for me because it made me feel accepted and followed, I made some new acquaintances and I felt no more alone because there were also other foreign students who were in a similar situation and they could understand me . As I became more confident I was even better in my class and I understood my teachers.
Now I have become “the teacher” of new schoolmates who have arrived recently and this encourages me even more to continue to improve.
- the starting point of student so that it can be understood clearly the measure of success
When I arrived in Grosseto I did not speak Italian at all. With the help of the courses that I have attended and the availability of teachers in my class now I speak the Italian language with no problems.
- Social and Economic Background of the family involved (if relevant for the story)
In my family only my dad works, so if the school had not helped me giving me the chance to improve my language skills my parents would not be able to make me sustained by a private teacher.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
- Give evidence of the possible explanation of the success
The student is aware of having benefited from the actions put in place by the school that, organizing courses of "emergency language" for newcomers, supported them both on a purely linguistic and educational level, allowing them to quickly acquire the basis for interacting in class and to deal with the study of disciplines also in terms of self-esteem, making them feel welcomed and supported in their specific difficulties.
From here the full availability of Emiliano to "give back" the support received by helping his new schoolmates, which is clear in the answer he gave when he accepted to be a tutor, "Of course I'm coming! After all that the school has done for me! "
- Analyse the interaction between the different actors involved
The interaction among students, curricular teachers and the teacher of Italian as a L2 has been continuous and of a paramount importance.
Language lessons were characterized by a serene atmosphere and hospitality that favored the positive approach of the student at school. Among the Italian teacher as a L2 and the coordinators of the classes involved ,there were continuous exchanges of information on students and on how the progress during the course reflected on the school performance. When we started then to approach the study of the disciplines we worked on topics and materials in agree with their curricular teachers and were made written tests that have also helped to determine the final evaluation of the student.
Even in the final experience of peer education, the themes and materials on which Emiliano make his mates work are agreed with the teachers, which verify later, in the classroom the work done by the students. Similarly, the class council of the student -tutor will recognize, at the end of the year , the commitment of the boy.
- Describe the action of educational policy, either at local, regional or national level (If relevant)
Activities undertaken are among those suggested by the Management Plan on Diversity foreign-students of our Institute, and, also, to facilitate the integration and the academic success of the students who are newly immigrants
- identify and describe the transferability potential of the experience
The experience is definitely re-proposable in each school.
