Abstract:

Promoting the learning of languages is increasingly one of the main educational objectives of the European Union. Documents and consequent actions carried out by both the European Commission* and single countries aiming at reaching the goals of the Lisbon Strategy, emphasize the importance of making students more competent in foreign languages. In fact, the ability to speak more than two languages in different work contexts has become an essential requisite to apply for a job.
In Europe, the issues related to the language teaching/learning are inspired by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)**, whose key idea is to develop language competences in meaningful contexts, themselves constituting learning goals. In other words, the perspective adopted in CEFR is consistent with teaching/learning situations which integrate ‘language’ and ‘content’.

In Italy, only in the last years it has been paid adequate attention to the above mentioned issues. As a consequence of this new concern, the recent upper secondary school reform has introduced the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology in a large number of schools (Licei and Istituti Tecnici). Moreover, the new initial teacher training act provides for a module on CLIL for future teachers, whichever the subject they will teach.
The contribution aims at analysing the Italian context at the forthcoming introduction of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology in classroom.

CLIL is a methodology which aims at making students acquire both ‘language skills’ and the ‘content’ at the same time (Marsh, 2002). Until now, only a few studies are reported in which the content is Mathematics. As a consequence, it is difficult both to identify the necessary competences for mathematics CLIL teachers, and to find how these competences can be attained.
Even if, at a first analysis, acquiring competences in a foreign language and acquiring competences in Mathematics seem to involve educational issues which are completely different, it cannot be neglected the role played by the 'language' in Mathematics. In this context we consider 'language' by a twofold perspective, including both the 'universal' language of Mathematics and the 'specific' language in which Mathematics is taught/learnt. As a consequence, teaching/learning Mathematics may be affected by the language in which it is taught/learnt (Halliday, 1983).
In this paper, after a brief description of the theoretical reference related to the introduction of CLIL methodologies, we sketch an analysis of the Italian context as to teaching/learning mathematics in a non-mother tongue language. In doing that, also the feasibility of adopting some CLIL methodologies already experimented abroad, is investigated.

*http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/jir_council_it.pdf
**http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp

References:
Halliday, M.A.K. (1983). Il linguaggio come semiotica sociale. Un'interpretazione sociale del linguaggio e del significato. Bologna: Zanichelli.
Marsh, D. (ed.) (2002). CLIL/ EMILE – The European Dimension: Actions, Trends and Foresight Potential. Public services Contract DG EAC. Strasbourg: European Commission. [http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/languages/index.html]