Riassunto esame Inglese monografico 1, Prof. Rossi Enrica, libro consigliato Word for Word - The social, economic and political impact of English, English - Speaking Union

An understanding of all these is essential to intercultural communication and we have

also to cancel stereotypes from our minds. Moreover, when we L1 are talking to L2, we

must monitor and filter our language so that others can understand us. In order to reach

Europe’s goal of reducing barriers between different backgrounds, cultural literacy,

cultural reference and cross-cultural awareness should be taught both to C1 and C2, so

that people can tolerate differences.

In language education learners may reach quite high levels of language proficiency and

yet still experience difficulties in understanding complex native-speaker discourse and

text. Several language dictionaries now include cultural references, and more specialised

dictionaries also exist. Learners who are linguistically proficient but have not visited the

country or have not read a lot of newspapers and magazines in U.K. or U.S. English

would find it very hard to make sense of these utterances, even though linguistically they

are very simple. One of the goals of European integration is to reduce the barriers

between people from different backgrounds, for this reason it is clear that teaching an

awareness of and sensitivity to cultural issues and differences is an important

contribution, we should teach cultural reference as part of reading/writing skills in

learners’ own (L1) languages as well as in foreign languages (L2) that they learn.

Cultural awareness → his goal is facilitating communication between interlocutors from

different cultural backgrounds.

Why Spanish? Teresa Tinsley

→ Who do people choose to study Spanish (apart from English)?

→ The economic power of Spanish.

→ 420 millions of native speakers.

→ 3rd most widely used language on the Internet.

→ Tourism in Spain

→ Language planning in schools.

European businesses require a wide range of languages, but people within EU and out

of it lack interest in learning other languages apart of English. This refers both to native e

non-native English speakers, who consider English a basic skill. Studies show that, when

people are given more of a choice of language to study, a lot of them chose Spanish.

What strikes the most is the speed of the arising number of pupils studying English, even

if the percentage of them studying modern languages are declining. 12

The factors influencing this are various. Firstly, the value of a language is greater the

more people speak it. Spanish has more native speakers than English and it is the third

language most widely used on global scale. We see it both local within Europe, but also

global within America. Moreover, we have a higher perception of Spain economic power

thanks to its international businesses, even if other countries have an higher economic

demand. Spain is the third most visited country for tourism, especially by young people.

Therefore, people feel Spanish as a useful and attractive language, but why does it not

happen also for France and Germany, which are very visited too? British teenagers

came out to be very interested in Hispanic celebrities and they could imagine themselves

living in Spain while having fun. Surely, the promotion and marketing of Spanish culture

have had very positive results. Very often is the school system to decide which language

education to offer and it choose it by taking attention to different factors.

The desirability of offering some degree of choice over the language(s) they wish to

1. learn

The usefulness of the language in question for personal or career reasons

2. Local and regional needs, such as community or transport links, or major local

3. employees

The availability of teachers

4. The availability of teaching and learning resources

5. Continuity from primary school

6. Available pathways to continue studying the language.

7.

Spanish is the only language to score all these points. Another factor is how much easy

a language is to be learnt and Spanish resulted to be the easiest for British. It has to do

with the motivation of people, who recognize they can reach a higher level more quickly.

What is certain is that Europe is under-exploiting the potential of language skills, even if

we know that in the future we will work in a global environment, in which international

cooperation will be essential. We also know that knowing one foreign language improves

the learning of one another, so that people who today know English and Spanish, they

will have the opportunity to learn others later in life.

While English-speaking countries find themselves at the bottom of the European league

in terms of language performance, in other countries English often has more the status

of a basic skill than a foreign language, and other languages struggle to attract

students.

Spanish is the 4th foreign language in Europe, the 2nd foreign language taught after

French, it has 420 million speakers, it’s the 3rd used language on the internet. Spain in 13

the 3rd most visited country for tourism, after France and the U.S., especially for young

people and especially from the U.K. people, there the country is the number one

destination. Spain is considered a country where teenagers have no difficulty imagining

themselves, while France is more associated with high culture and privilege. Spanish

It’s

owns this power also for its easiness of learning it. clear that multilingualism is here

to stay, there will always be a need to learn and use languages other than mother

tongues.

Spanish is saw as a powerful language for business and jobs thanks to the success of

companies like Zara. Also, Spain is the third most visited country for tourism. In fact,

the accessibility and appeal of Spain as a tourist destination, particularly for young

people, undoubtedly plays a role in their perceptions of Spanish as a useful and

attractive language to learn.

Also the choose of Spanish it is not just made by learners but also by the educational

institutions planning which languages to offer. Spanish is also considered as a easy

language to learn

Education though the medium of a second language in country-wide contexts,

John Clegg

→ CLIL: what is it? Why is it so important? content and languages integrated learning

programs in many European countries, where schools offer individual subjects in a L2

→ What conditions to be successful?

Students must be good in the foreign language and in their native language;

1. Teachers need language (in the L2) and pedagogical/teaching skills.

2.

In many parts of the world (especially in Africa), it’s becoming common for scholar

learners to learn subjects in a second language (L2), usually English, so that students

can reach good levels both in the knowledge of the subject and good ability in L2.

This happens at some conditions: teacher must have L2 abilities, students must have

good enough L2 abilities or they must be improved thanks to the pedagogical expertise

of teachers. An example of this is CLIL, Content and Language Integrated Learning.

There are places in the world, where some subjects are always and everywhere taught

in L2, as it happens in some African countries, but it has not good results, except for

Singapore. The problem is that L2 is used only in instruction and so both learners and

teachers do not know it enough and they don’t know how to use it. The result is a

depressed educational achievement across the continent. 14

Other problems are the lack of pedagogical skills of teachers and the lack of motivation

among learners, parents and teachers, moreover appropriate materials are often

scarce. Outlining of key conditions for the success of country-wide L2-medium

education and indication of the extent to which governments which run these

programmes need to make wholesale interventions in the education service in order to

make them work.

Learners have to be able to use the language well enough to learn subjects in it;

learners from families with higher socioeconomic status can find L2-medium learning

easier than learners from poor and uneducated families. If they don’t know well L2, they

won’t have an effective and fast learning of the subject taught in L2. Moreover, learners

with a low socio-economic status tend to do worse in education in L2 and it happens

also on a level of community. If it gives more aspirations to learners, they will flourish in

L2 education. Moreover, learners must have a good literacy about their own L1 so that

they can transfer those skills in L2. In Africa learners start the schooling in L2 after few

years of insufficient L1 education. Governments must devote more resources to

disadvantaged schools. Teachers should be provided with good pedagogical skills,

schools should have subject material for low-L2 learners, the effectiveness of teaching

the language should be raised and policy management should support L2-medium

education.

Teacher skills, they need to speak L2 well enough so that they can be efficient in

teaching, and they can respond adequately to learners. Lots of teachers need upgrading

courses, which are expensive, time-consuming and it is hard to find this kind of courses

with orientation to teaching process. However, even if a teacher is very fluent in L2, s/he

needs pedagogical skills to make the subject understandable. Also from this point of

view, upgrading courses must be done, but subject teacher-educators are scarce

everywhere.

Textbooks, they must be a support both to learners and teachers. They must be

following the adequate level of the learners, so that the book isn’t too

designed

demanding, but it maintains cognitive challenges. To teachers they are a kind of

pedagogical training also in the preparing of lessons.

The problem is that adequate textbooks for L2 education lack and the governments

should commit them. Language teaching, reaching L2 academic proficiency takes a lot

longer than reaching a social proficiency. It is a matter of years and, again, teacher need

the expertise to use L2 as Medium of Instruction, which is not common, it takes time for

both teachers and learners, it might take years. 15

Programme management, to reach a good standard of L2 school system requires a

framework of policies and practices which operate across the curriculum and the school.

The governments have to import these practises or grow them over time.

Governments must be careful and well informed before adding L2 subjects in the school

system. They need to proceed with caution, because if the teaching doesn’t work well, it

will damage the education and the satisfaction of learners.

In Europe, CLIL tends to happen mainly in secondary schools on the back of good

primary education in the L1.

Spanish in the school systems of English speaking countries, José Ferrari

→ Native English speakers don't study foreign languages.

→ A huge lack of attention to the teaching of foreign languages.

→ Limit for natives: they are monolingual.

In native English territories there is a lack of foreign languages teaching, as English is