APPLICATION TO MAECI

The Project, developed in the schools of the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB), actively involves 241 classes, from kindergarten to grade 8. The initiative aims to develop linguistic knowledge, communication skills, and expressive abilities tailored to students' varying learning levels. The educational targets align with the A1-A1+ levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

METHODOLOGY

Linguistic Knowledge: The program focuses on the acquisition and reinforcement of Italian grammar, vocabulary, and syntax rules. Key topics include spelling, morphology, verb tenses, vocabulary expansion, and proper sentence structure.

Language Skills: Skill development is gradual and adapted to each student’s starting level. The goal is to enable students to understand and produce coherent, accurate, and context-appropriate oral and written texts.

Communication Skills: The program promotes communication in diverse settings, encouraging active student participation through dialogues, storytelling, oral presentations, and classroom interactions, all adjusted to their linguistic level.

Differentiated Instruction: Given the variety of language levels, abilities, and interests among students, the program implements personalized teaching strategies. Teachers are trained by the YCDSB and use flexible instructional methods tailored to each student’s needs. Each class follows a customized learning path with integrated activities in listening, reading, writing, interaction and speaking.

Adaptation and Assessment: Differentiated instruction allows for adjustments in content, methods, and objectives based on individual student needs. Assessments are ongoing and formative, helping to track progress, identify challenges, and provide targeted support — ensuring inclusive and conscious learning.

STRATEGIES

Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language (LS) to Students Aged 5-14

Teaching Italian as a foreign language to learners aged 5 to 14 requires the adoption of active, multisensory, and differentiated methodologies that address both the cognitive and emotional needs of developing minds. A communicative and playful approach forms the foundation of the pedagogical framework, fostering contextualized and functional learning.

Play-Based Learning: The use of role-playing games, structured activities (memory games, flashcards, board games), and interactive digital tools facilitates natural and engaging vocabulary and grammar acquisition, enhancing retention through motivation.

Cooperative Learning: Strategies such as collaborative group work, team projects, and language tandems encourage the development of communication and social skills, promoting authentic language use in meaningful contexts.

Multisensory Approach: Kinesthetic and hands-on activities, combined with auditory-visual input (songs, rhymes, movement-based games), support language processing by engaging multiple sensory channels, in line with inclusive education principles.

Storytelling and Emergent Literacy: Storytelling, illustrated books, and interactive read-alouds help students implicitly acquire syntactic and semantic structures while stimulating imagination and verbal expression.

Educational Technology: The integration of digital tools (apps, videos, subtitled cartoons) extends language exposure in controlled virtual environments, strengthening listening comprehension and vocabulary.

Active Production & Formative Assessment: Role-plays, guided dialogues, and simulated conversations promote oral production in realistic communicative settings. Ongoing formative assessment allows for personalized instruction, tracking individual progress and adapting to learners' needs.