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UNIVERSITÀ CA’ FOSCARI VENEZIA
CORSO DI LAUREA MAGISTRALE IN
SCIENZE DEL LINGUAGGIO
Curriculum GLOTTODIDATTICA
Tesi di laurea
Progetto di un manuale di italiano per studenti adulti,
immigrati, analfabeti
Relatore:
prof. Fabio Caon
Correlatore:
prof. Graziano Serragiotto
Laureando:
Federico Boaria
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INDICE
0. Introduction ………....6
1. The Italian Legislation ………...7
1.1 The “Accordo di integrazione”……….….7
1.1.1 The verification of the Accordo and consequences……….…....9
1.1.2 Special cases of exemption………...12
1.2 The Italian A2 level test……….….12
1.2.1 A2 certification for the Permanent Permit of Stay……….…13
1.2.2 The test for illiterate students ………...15
1.2.3 A2 oral level for the Accordo di Integrazione………18
1.2.4 Planning of the courses for the A2 level in the CPIAs………..20
1.3 The “Sessione di formazione civica e informazione”………21
1.3.1 Contents and courses………22
1.3.2 Ministry indications on the material. The Ministry videos………..26
1.3.3 The test for “Cultura e Civiltà”………30
1.3.3.1 The items of the test………..34
1.3.3.2 The evaluation………..35
1.4 Conclusions part one………37
2. The illiterates in class………39
2.1 The adult illiterate student………39
2.1.1 Didactics for adults ………..39
2.1.2 Achieving L2 literacy………42
2.1.2.1 Differences between L2 literate learners and L1 illiterate learners……….44
2.1.2.2 Many kinds of illiteracy………...46
2.2 Management of the mixed ability class (CAD class)………..49
2.2.1 Theoretical knowledge……….50
2.2.1.1 The Venetian School and Social Mediation………..52
2.2.2 Characteristics of the “Illiterate Mixed Ability Class”………54
2.2.3 Didactic Methodologies………58
2.2.3.1 Playful glottodidactics………59
2.2.3.2 Stratified and diversified unit (USD)………62
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2.2.3.4 The space in the classroom………68
2.3 Learning methods………70
2.3.1 An overview of reading-writing learning method………..71
2.3.2 Learning methods for illiterates……….73
2.3.3 The Eberle method……….75
2.3.4 The method of the textbook………..78
3. La proposta operativa ………81
3.1 La struttura del manuale……….81
3.1.1 Aspetti pratici e grafici ………82
3.1.2 Il curricolo: gli obiettivi didattici ………..84
3.1.3 I moduli e le unità didattiche (UD) ……….……….86
3.2 Le prime quattro UD………..91
3.3 I fascicoli extra ……….………94
4. Conclusions……….98
Bibliografia e sitografia…..………99
Ringraziamenti……… 104
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ABSTRACT
This paper is a research on a project for a textbook of Italian language designed for immigrant illiterate adults. In this historical time the urgency of a didactic material who can suit the difficulties of manage a class of illiterate adults is particularly significant. In the first part we will discuss about the Italian legislation on immigrants and their rights and duties in our country. This first part is essential to understand what are the minimum requisites for them to obtain the permit of stay and the permanent permit of stay. Among the aims of the textbook, in fact, there is the acquisition of the competences of the Italian language that the law requires them to get. In the second part the theoretical approaches are discussed. We will have to deal with the didactic to adult, the making literate in L2 and the main issue on how to manage a mixed ability class, which is the kind of class the Italian teacher very often encounters in the case of illiterate adults. We will then explain the learning method used in the textbook and why we chose it. Finally, the first 5 didactic units of the textbook are presented, with explanations and discussions about the exercises, the indication for the teacher and the didactic methodologies.
ESTRATTO
Questa tesi è la ricerca di un progetto per un manuale di italiano L2 ideato per studenti adulti immigrati analfabeti. In questo periodo storico, l’urgenza di specifici materiali didattici che possano aiutare a gestire le difficoltà di una classe di adulti analfabeti è particolarmente significativa. Nella prima parte si discuterà della legislazione italiana sugli immigrati e i loro diritti doveri nel nostro paese. Questa prima parte è essenziale per capire quali sono i requisiti minimi per gli stranieri per ottenere il permesso di soggiorno in regola, incluso quello permanente. Tra gli obiettivi del manuale, ci sarà infatti l’acquisizione di quelle competenze che la legge richiede loro. Nella seconda parte verranno discussi gli approcci teorici. Si tratterà della didattica ad adulti, dell’alfabetizzazione in lingua seconda, e della Classe ad Abilità Differenziate, che è il tipo di classe con cui l’insegnante di italiano si trova quasi sempre ad avere a che fare nel caso di adulti analfabeti. Si parlerà poi del metodo di apprendimento utilizzato dal libro e del motivo per cui è stato scelto. Infine, le prime 5 unità del manuale verranno commentate e descritte, in particolare si spiegheranno gli esercizi, le indicazioni per l’insegnante e le metodologie didattiche da applicare
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Introduction
The aim of this work is to provide an efficient instrument for Italian teachers who has to deal with a specific target of students: adult, illiterate immigrants. As their presence is going to increase, due to the recent phenomena of mass immigration which is involving our State, and as the Italian law has introduced a new regulation on the field of immigration, more new and up-to-date didactic instruments are required for the scholastic institutions.
Into practice, I will present a textbook that is conceived to be used by the teachers who conduct Italian courses for illiterate foreigners. The textbook is addressed both to teachers who work at the CPIAs and to volunteers who operate in other educational contexts.
This project has born with the collaboration of the director of the CPIA of Vicenza Ovest and of two other teachers, who directly tested the material of the textbook with their students in class.
This paper will develop into three chapters: the first two are dedicated to the theoretical knowledge on which the book gets his fundaments, while the third one deeply analyse the specific contents of the textbook. Specifically, chapter one will analyse the Italian legislation on immigration, while chapter two will investigate the fields of adult education, of achieving L2 literacy and of the writing-reading learning methods. The researches on these topics will conduct to the creation of the textbook which will be explained in the last chapter and presented in the appendix.
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CHAPTER 1 - The Italian legislation
In this chapter we will discuss legislative aspects of education aimed at immigrants in Italy. The analysis of the law is the first step for setting the parameters and writing the objectives of a textbook specifically designed for foreigners. Italian law on immigration clearly defines the rights and duties of immigrants, the competences they must develop in order to obtain a residence permit, the time they have at their disposal, and the tools they can access to achieve these results. Before treating the themes of illiteracy and adult education, and before presenting the textbook, which is the core of the paper, we first have to look at the juridical aspects. It would be unwise and counterproductive to focus on theoretical matters only, as the permissions and limitations of the law are unequivocal and they represent the first obstacle to a proper educational plan. Once we have studied the current rules and their parameters we can then propose our own. Eventually we will be ready to delve into the actual methods and teaching approaches. We note that it is not our purpose to comment on the validity and efficacy of these political decisions; instead, we simply consider them as they are.
1.1 The “Accordo di integrazione”
We start this research by presenting, in sum, how Italian legislation handles immigration. We must remind the reader that the laws in this field have undergone a very recent transformation, and some changes are still in effect (as in the case of CPIA1). The most important law that represents a drastic change of immigrants’ rights is the DPR 179 of 14/11/2011, which became effective on 10/03/20122. The law introduces the Accordo
di Integrazione (which we will refer to as simply “Accordo”). The Accordo is a pact that the immigrant who asks for a residence permit automatically stipulates with the State of Italy. The new regulations, introduced on 10/03/2012 (as indicated in the Circolare of the Ministry of the Interior n. 1542, 02/03/2012), are applied to all immigrants aged more than 16 that enter Italian soil for the first time and who ask for a residency permit of the duration of at least one year. The Decreto foresees that the Accordo may be translated into the mother tongue of the foreigner, or, when not possible, into the language indicated by them as preferred.
1 Legge n.47, 25/02/2013. The new CPIAs have started working since the 01/09/2014, and the complete
closure of the ex CTPs had place one year later..
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We will carefully analyse the text and emphasize the elements we need to consider when creating the textbook. The crucial point is written in article 2 clause 1, which states:
“Art. 2, comma 1:
Lo straniero […] che presenza istanza di permesso di soggiorno allo sportello unico per l’immigrazione […], contestualmente alla presentazione della medesima istanza stipula con lo Stato un accordo di integrazione, articolato per crediti.”
It is the first time that such a pact is provided for by law in Italy, though it reflects similar pacts in other European countries such as France, Germany, and the UK. This pact is one of the measures undertaken in concert between the Ministries of Education, Internal Affairs, and Social Politics to put into practice the contents of the so called “Patto di sicurezza”, a law promulgated in 20093. This last one is an integration of the
previous law on immigration, the “Testo unico sull’immigrazione” (dlgs. 25 luglio 286/19984). The new provision simply comes from the necessity of fully integrating
foreigners into the social and civil life within the territory, and consequently to guarantee that they acquire the essential competences to obtain the permanent permit of stay. In fact, the preamble of the Accordo provides a definition of integration and of its actualization:
“L'integrazione, intesa come processo finalizzato a promuovere la convivenza dei cittadini italiani e di quelli stranieri legalmente soggiornanti nel territorio nazionale, nel rispetto dei valori sanciti dalla Costituzione italiana, si fonda sul reciproco impegno a partecipare alla vita economica, sociale e culturale della società.” 5
Further on, the text of the law specifies how the Accordo must be fulfilled. First, however, let us look at the duration of the Accordo: it lasts two years from its stipulation, but it can be postponed one additional year (art. 2 comma 7: “L’accordo ha durata di due anni prorogabile di un altro anno”).
Two years is the maximum time the immigrants have at their disposal in order to attain
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http://www.asaps.it/leggi/leggi_ord/2009L.%2015.07.2009,%20n.%2094%20(Pacchetto%20Sicurezza-mini).pdf per accedere alla legge completa: dlgs. n.94 15/07/2009 “Pacchetto sicurezza”.
4http://www.clap-info.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TU-immigrazione-DL.vo-108-e-109-2012.pdf
per accedere alla legge completa: “Testo unico sull’immigrazione”.
5http://www1.interno.gov.it/mininterno/export/sites/default/it/assets/files/22/0185_Accordo_di_Integ
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all the competences required by law, with just one bonus year. For this reason, I have planned the textbook considering its usage in a didactic path that is at most this long. This is enough time for the foreigners who perhaps received little education in their home countries but learn at a faster pace, but not too much time for the full illiterate who received no education and who may also show, in addition, other cognitive problems or acquisition impediments. In any case, the law is expressed clearly, so we must keep in mind that the time immigrants have at their disposal is limited. Consequently, an Italian course must also suit this timeframe by imposing a very strict and rigid organization of objectives and school schedules. The few cases that allow an exemption from the stipulation of the Accordo are listed by the same law, and we will see them in 1.1.2.
1.1.1 The verification of the Accordo and consequences
The Accordo establishes the use of credits, which the immigrant accumulates gradually. Credits are firstly assigned according to the possible attested competences that the immigrants matured in their original country (diplomas, degrees, professional courses…) as long as they are recognized by the Italian government. Then, credits are assigned during the period of stay in Italy depending on the activities performed, courses followed, and the language certification(s) obtained. Of course, there is also the possibility of having these credits cut whenever there is an issue with respect to the Italian justice system and for other cases specified by law. We will not describe in depth how the credit system works for this topic is outside the scope of this paper, but I would like to clarify the situation that immigrants face to better understand their legal constraints6.
The immigrant must reach a total of 30 credits at the end of the second year, by stipulation of the Accordo. 16 credits are recognized when the Accordo is signed. Apart from the total credits, it is mandatory to pass two exams: the first exam is the certification of the Italian language (A2 oral), as we will see in the next paragraph (1.2). Passing this exam also assigns 20 credits. The second exam is the so-called test on “Cultura e civiltà”, which we will further analyse in 1.3. This exam is worth 6, 9 or 12 credits, depending on the final mark. We anticipate in this section that if the exam is not
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passed or if the immigrant does not follow the respective classes, which are mandatory (see par. 1.2.2), they will lose 15 credits. Other certifications or special activities assign other credits. For example, the attendance of an Italian course in a CPIA gives an amount of credits proportional to its duration.
A month before the expiration of the Accordo, the immigrant must show the competent office, the “Sportello unico per l’immigrazione”, that they have obtained the expected results, and the office must verify all documents. The Sportello must behave as follows:
“Art. 6, comma 5:
a) qualora il numero dei crediti finali sia pari o superiore alla soglia di adempimento, fissata in trenta crediti, purché siano stati conseguiti il livello A2 della conoscenza della lingua italiana parlata e il livello di sufficienza della conoscenza della cultura civica e della vita civile in Italia, è decretata l’estinzione dell’accordo per adempimento con rilascio del relativo attestato;
b) qualora il numero dei crediti finali sia superiore a zero e inferiore alla soglia di adempimento ovvero non siano stati conseguiti i livelli della conoscenza della lingua italiana parlata, della cultura civica e della vita civile in Italia di cui alla lettera a ), è dichiarata la proroga dell’accordo per un anno alle medesime condizioni. Della proroga è data comunicazione allo straniero; c) qualora il numero dei crediti finali sia pari o inferiore a zero, è decretata la risoluzione dell’accordo per inadempimento, con gli effetti di cui ai commi 6 e 7.”
Whether point c) occurs, the consequences are very clear. The permit of stay is annulled or declared non-renewable and the immigrant is expelled from the territory. Alternatively, if they successfully pass the two exams and they obtain all the necessary credits, the Accordo is extinguished, and their integration in the Italian territory is considered fulfilled. As a consequence, the permit of stay is granted. Point b) reminds us that a bonus time of one year is given for those who were not able to satisfy the requirements during the first two years. To sum up, in order to extinguish the Accordo di Integrazione an immigrant must:
- Reach the total amount of 30 credits after two years;
- Reach at least the attested A2 (oral) level of the Italian language (see Par. 1.2); - Participate in and successfully pass the “Sessione di formazione civica e di
informazione”. (see par. 1.3).
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place in any case, for example when the immigrant is in possession of a permit for political asylum or family reunification.
Other laws and regulations followed the law of Accordo di Integrazione (DPR 179/2011) to give further indications on how the Accordo works and on the procedures to follow for the institutions involved. In particular, other important rules are contained in the following:
- Linee guida progettazione dei percorsi di alfabetizzazione e apprendimento della lingua
italiana; transmitted with nota n. 666 of 13 March 2012 of the MIUR (Dipartimento per
l’Istruzione – Direzione Generale per l’istruzione e formazione tecnica superiore), about the organization of Italian courses.
- Accordo-Quadro signed the 7 August 2012 by the Ministry of the Interior (Dipartimento per le Libertà civili e l’immigrazione – Direzione Centrale per le Politiche dell’Immigrazione e dell’Asilo) and by the MIUR, which apply what provided in the DPR 179/2011, particularly for what concerns the “Sessioni di formazione civica e di informazione” (artt. 3 e 5).
- Linee guida per la progettazione della sessione di formazione civica e di informazione; transmitted with the nota n. 988 of 4 july 2013 of MIUR, about the courses of formation in the CPIAs;
- Circolare n. 824 of 10 February 2014; in which the Govern remember to the Prefetture that “Starting from the 10/03/2014 the first Accordi will be checked. […] It is duty of the “Sportello unico per l’Immigrazione” to proceed with the check of the requirements to extinguish the Accordo”, and gives other technical directions on how to hand out the tests.
- Circolare n 451 of 03 April 2014; containing Linee Guida about the tests of A2 and B1 of Italian language and of the test on “Cultura e Civiltà”.
- Circolare n 5923 of 08 October 2014; about final dispositions on how to conduct the test of Cultura e Civiltà.
We will find all of these rules in the next pages, and we will carefully analyse their contents.
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1.1.2 Special cases of exemption
There are just three cases in which the immigrant is not obligated to sign the Accordo. Those cases are provided for by the law in the 8th and 9th comma of article 2 (Dpr 179/2011). The State does not proceed to draft the Accordo for those who are:
- Affected by serious pathologies or diseases that limit their language and cultural acquisition or simply their self-sufficiency. The condition is to be attested by medical certification;
- Unaccompanied minors;
- Victim of people trade, violence or heavy personal exploitation.
In the last two cases the Accordo was substituted by the attendance of an assistance program for the social integration, which is regulated by the “Testo unico sull’immigrazione” (see ref 3).
The limit-cases mentioned above are of course outside of our field of research, so we will not consider them for our purposes. As we can see, illiteracy is not taken into consideration as a deterrent for the requirements to be reached or for their reduction, as it is not a medical condition. Consequently, even if illiterates are at a disadvantage, they must obtain the same results as the other applicants. However, it is clear that their abilities cannot compete with those of their peers. Legislation has recently paid more attention to illiterates and has intervened in a few ways to help them pass the two exams and give them the right to access some educational services. It is for this reason that I have decided to concentrate my research on those resources that aim to help this more vulnerable group of immigrants.
1.2 The Italian A2 level test
We will present now what the State requires to the immigrant in order for them to be “fully integrated”. The competences they need to acquire are listed in art. 2, comma 4 of the law and also in the Accordo itself, signed by both parties. We read the first lines, leaving the rest for the next paragraph:
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“Art. 2, comma 4:
Con l’accordo, lo straniero si impegna a: a) acquisire un livello adeguato di conoscenza della lingua italiana parlata equivalente almeno al livello A2 di cui al quadro comune europeo di riferimento (QCER) […]”.
Point a) refers to the minimum level of oral language that the immigrant must achieve at the end of two years from the stipulation. At the end of the given time, students should reach the A2 oral level of the QCER in Italian. It is important to note that the law speaks of oral skills only, and this is a great advantage as oral competences are easier to achieve than written ones. This is particularly true for illiterates, the target of the textbook. As we will see in the practical section (Ch. 3), the textbook follows two paths at the same time with two different aims: one path is to reach, among others, the oral competences of the A2 Level, (to pass the relative exam), while another path focuses on achieving literacy which is the general aim. Practically, at the end of every didactic unit, there will be a resume of the oral competences acquired (“What can I say?”) and the writing competences acquired (“What can I write?”).
1.2.1 A2 certification for the Permanent Permit of Stay
Before we continue with the obligations of the Accordo as far as the Italian language is concerned, we first take a step back to see what laws preceded the new Accordo. A Decreto has been emanated by the Government to put into practice another article of the Testo Unico of 2009, which lists the requisites for obtaining the permanent permit of stay. The law is still valid and it exists along with the Accordo. We now observe the Decreto.
The Decreto emanated by the Ministry of the Interior Maroni on 04/06/2010 on “Modalità di svolgimento del test di conoscenza della lingua italiana”, preceding by one year the Accordo di Integrazione, asserts that:
“Art.2, comma 1:
Per il rilascio del permesso di soggiorno CE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo, lo straniero deve possedere un livello di conoscenza della lingua italiana che consente di comprendere frasi ed espressioni di uso frequente in ambiti correnti, in corrispondenza al livello A2 del Quadro comune di riferimento europeo per la conoscenza delle lingue approvato dal Consiglio d’Europa (art.2, comma1).”
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In order to obtain the certification, the immigrants have more than one option, each one listed in the Decreto. They can (art. 4 , comma 1):
-) Obtain the A2 level certification via the institutions recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education (Allegato A: Università degli studi Roma Tre; Università per stranieri di Perugia; Università per stranieri di Siena; Società Dante Alighieri);
-) Attend and successfully pass an Italian course at the CPIA at an A2 level;
-) Obtain the A2 level certification with respect to the Accordo di Integrazione, in order to obtain the credits;
-) Obtain the Licenza di Scuola Media italiana in a CPIA.
The Government has also asked the institutions mentioned in Allegato A to fix the contents of the A2 level test for immigrants, the criteria of evaluation, and the duration of the test, given what art. 3 comma 3 and 4 state:
“Comma 3: [L’esame] è strutturato sulla comprensione di brevi testi e sulla capacità di interazione in conformità ai parametri adottati per le specifiche abilità dagli Enti di certificazione. Comma 4: per superare il test il candidato deve conseguire almeno l’ottanta per cento del punteggio complessivo.”
After seven months, the “Vademecum contenente indicazioni tecnico-operative per la
definizione dei contenuti delle prove che compongono il test, criteri di assegnazione del
punteggio e durata del test” 7 eventually reflected the directives given by the Enti di
certificazione listed above. The Vademecum specifies that the test is divided into two sessions, one referring to comprehension abilities and the other to interaction abilities. The first part is divided in:
· An oral comprehension, where the candidates must listen at two texts on general daily life issues (1. comprensione orale di una conversazione tra nativi; 2.
comprensione orale di annunci e istruzioni; 3. comprensione orale della radio e di audio-registrazioni; 4. comprensione orale della TV). (pag.4).
7 (Di cui al DM 4 giugno 2010), diramato con nota n. 11255 del 28 dicembre 2010 del Ministero
dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (Dipartimento per l’Istruzione – Direzione Generale per il Personale scolastico).
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· A written comprehension, where the candidates must read two texts on general daily life issues (1. lettura della corrispondenza; 2. lettura per orientarsi; 3. lettura
per informarsi e argomentare; 4. lettura di istruzioni). (pag.5).
The second part is on written interaction, and consists in:
· Writing short and simple notes using conventional sentences ( 1. Corrispondenza;
2. Note, Moduli). (pag.7).
The time provided is 60 minutes: 50 for the comprehension and 10 for the interaction. The exam is passed if the candidate reaches 80% of the total possible points (80/100). The contents of the issues are well indicated in the Vademecum on pages 9 and 10 and they are divided into domains (private, public and occupational) and semantic fields (family, school, religion, weather …).
1.2.2 The test for illiterate students
With the Circolare Ministeriale n. 463 of 20/02/ 2012, the Ministry acknowledges the cases of illiterates who are not able to pass the test in all its components. This is why the Circolare introduces the possibility of integrating the written parts of the test into oral ones, prepared ad hoc by the CPIAs:
“Preso atto, per altro, dei numerosi casi di dichiarato "analfabetismo funzionale", si è convenuto, sempre d'intesa con il Ministero dell'Interno, che a richiesta dello straniero, il quale dichiari - sotto la propria responsabilità - di essere incapace di sostenere la prova relativa all'interazione sia nella prevista modalità informatica che anche in quella scritta, le commissioni, di cui all'art. 5 comma 4 del citato Accordo Quadro , fermo restando il quadro normativo di riferimento, predispongono, nell'ambito della loro autonomia, prove integrative/suppletive definite in modo da consentire lo svolgimento della prova relativa all'interazione in altre modalità in ogni caso coerenti con le specifiche indicazioni contenute nel Vademecum del 2010.”
With this good news, the CPIAs can provide the A2 test for illiterate students by introducing a special oral demonstration that substitutes the writing and reading evaluations. This point is crucial for my research, as it is important to include material in the textbook that may prepare candidates in passing this test.
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illiterates in 2014. The procedure works as follows:
PHASE 1: The coordinator of the session must detect candidates who are not literate. For
this purpose, before the test takes place, everybody must fill a chart (Im. 1) with their name and other personal information and carry out some simple exercises;
PHASE 2: The candidates who are not able to fill the chart are declared illiterate by the
examination board and must sign the “autocertificazione di analfabetismo”. The candidates, after the listening comprehension test, move to another room where the supplementary test is provided. The examiners start the A2 level oral test (according to the Vademecum of 2010);
PHASE 3: The examiner makes an evaluation, using the references of the Sillabo8:
Attività Punteggio Tempo
Presentazione:
Viene chiesto al candidato di presentarsi e fornire informazioni personali, anche con l’aiuto di domande da parte del commissario
Fino a 15 punti 2/3 minuti
Al candidato vengono posti, in forma orale, 3 dei 6 quesiti presenti nella prova di lettura, a scelta del commissario (Im. 2). A questi tre quesiti il candidato dà tre risposte in forma aperta. Per ogni risposta comprensibile vengono attribuiti 5 punti
Fino a 15 punti 1 minuto
Al candidato vengono successivamente poste le tre domande presenti nei tre sms di una prova precedente (Im. 3). Questo per rendere la prova del candidato svincolato da una precedente lettura preparatoria.
Fino a 15 punti 1 minuto
Al candidato viene chiesto di trattare in forma orale,. A scelta, uno dei due temi contenuti nella prova scritta. Durante questa prova l’esaminatore non deve guidare il candidato con domande in quanto si tratta di una prova in forma di monologo.
Fino a 25 punti 1/2 minuti
Max 70 punti 5/7 minuti
8 Sillabo di riferimento per la definizione dei livelli soglia del QCER, approvato dagli Enti Certificatori
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17
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Image 1:
The chart used to attest the state of illiteracy.
Image 2:
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Image 3:
Writing (1 part)
The total points must then be summed with the points of the listening comprehension (max. 30), for a total maximum of 100.
1.2.3 A2 oral level for the Accordo di Integrazione
The Vademecum mentioned above refers to the test for immigrants seeking a permanent permit of stay and who already obtained residency in the Italian territory. But to fulfill the legal requirements set by the Accordo, it is sufficient to pass the A2 oral level of the QCER. The Accordo Quadro of 2012 which implements the law in question, states that (art. 5, comma 4):
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“Il Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca si impegna a definire […] ulteriori criteri per lo svolgimento del test di lingua italiana A2 orale e il test di cultura e civiltà, ivi comprese le relative modalità di valutazione.”
This commitment has been realized, as far as the Italian oral language is concerned, with the nota n.451 del 3 Aprile 20149, which illustrates the competences, the contents of the
test, its structure and its duration. In the introduction of the Linee Guida we read:
Il test è teso ad accertare la conoscenza della lingua italiana a livello A2 (solo lingua parlata) tramite una prova di interazione orale. Il <Sillabo di riferimento per i livelli di competenza in italiano L2: livello A2>, a cura degli Enti Certificatori, presenta i seguenti descrittori per l’interazione orale di livello A2: “Riesce a comunicare in ambiti semplici e di routine che richiedono solo uno scambio di informazioni su argomenti e attività consuete. Partecipa a brevi conversazioni, anche se di solito non capisce abbastanza per riuscire a sostenere la conversazione.” (pag. 12)
The Linee Guida attached in the note contains, as in the Vademecum, all the contents and objectives for the A2 test. In the first part all the competences and abilities are listed. They correspond to the description of the A2 competences of the Sillabo:
INTERAZIONE ORALE: È in grado di interagire con ragionevole disinvoltura in situazioni strutturate e conversazioni brevi, a condizione che, se necessario, l’interlocutore collabori. Fa fronte senza troppo sforzo a semplici scambi di routine; risponde a domande semplici e ne pone di analoghe e scambia idee e informazioni su argomenti familiari in situazioni quotidiane prevedibili.
Immediately after this section, chart 1 shows the types of discussions the candidate must be able to hold. The discussions refer to “comprensione/discussione di un parlante nativo”, “discussione formale/informale”, “discussione finalizzata ad ottenere servizi e beni”.
Chart 2 shows the fields and contents the discussion must deal with. Chart 3 also shows a list of terms to use for each field.
The test lasts a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 5, and it is passed if the
9
Ai sensi dell’art. 5, comma 4 dell’Accordo Quadro Ministero dell’Interno – Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca 7 Agosto 2012, relativa all’art. 6 del DPR 179 2011. Criteri per lo svolgimento del test di conoscenza della lingua italiana a livello A2 parlato (artt. 5 e 6, D.P.R. 179/2011).
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candidate understands the questions of the examiner and if he/she answers properly with a correct grammar.
1.2.4 Planning of the courses for the A2 level in the CPIAs
With the Circolare n. 666 of 13/03/2012, the Allegato C10 presents a plan for the
organization of the A2 level courses in the CPIAs referring to the duties of the Accordo di Integrazione. These guidelines have been created by a group of experts in the field of education, including teachers of the CTP/CPIA, researchers, PHDs, directors of the MIUR and of INVALSI. In the preamble, the Circolare describes the difficulty of educating adults given our societal structure. The authors underline that the changes in society within the past decades, most of all the increasing phenomenon of immigration, led to the necessity of re-thinking the formative programs for integrating foreign adults. Compared with other learners, adults have to face a different range of problems related to their personal sphere: psychological, pedagogical and cultural mostly. Those obstacles, if not surpassed, can cause loss of motivation and the insufficient attendance of learning programs. The articulation of a didactic program must take into consideration these issues. A modular course structure, for example, is demonstrated to be efficient in the case of adults because it prevents school dispersion (typical among adults). Anyway, the authors also say that the Linee Guida have been thought as general indications and not as compulsive directions. The objective of the CPIA is to help gather information on how to increase the educational offer. In fact, “Le presenti Linee guida non si pongono come un prescrittivo “programma ministeriale”, ma vogliono costituire un sostegno all’autonomia dei CTP per un’efficace organizzazione del curricolo e un’adeguata definizione del piano dell’offerta formativa”.
Articulation of the hours and courses
The courses are articulated as follow:
· 20 ore di accoglienza e orientamento, comprensive anche delle 10 ore di formazione
civica da svolgersi nel periodo iniziale di attivazione dei corsi (par 1.3);
10
Linee guida progettazione dei percorsi di alfabetizzazione e apprendimento della lingua italiana, diramate con nota n. 666 del 13 marzo 2012 del Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (Dipartimento per l’Istruzione – Direzione Generale per l’istruzione e formazione tecnica superiore). Allegato 3.
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· 100 ore di insegnamento necessarie al raggiungimento del livello A1 di conoscenza
della lingua italiana;
· 80 ore di attività didattica finalizzate al raggiungimento del livello A2 di conoscenza
della lingua italiana.
The 100 hours of the A1 level are then sub-divided into 20 hours that must be dedicated to a specific ability (listening, reading, oral production, written production, written and oral comprehension). The same with the 80 hours of A2 level divided in 15 each.
Again, I believe that this time could be sufficient for students who are already literate but not for those who have never been to school in their life. Additional courses, however, can be held by the CPIA.
1.3 The “Sessione di formazione civica e informazione”
Moving on to the other points of art. 2, comma 4 of the DPR n.179/2011, we discover that knowledge of the Italian language is not enough to earn a residence permit. The law imposes a further requirement. Namely:
“Art. 2, comma 4:
[…] b) acquisire una sufficiente conoscenza dei principi fondamentali della Costituzione della Repubblica e dell’organizzazione e funzionamento delle istituzioni pubbliche in Italia; c) acquisire una sufficiente conoscenza della vita civile in Italia, con particolare riferimento ai settori della sanità, della scuola, dei servizi sociali, del lavoro e agli obblighi fiscali; d) garantire l’adempimento dell’obbligo di istruzione da parte dei figli minori.”
Points b) and c) speak of acknowledgments that we may informally call acknowledgements of “civil education”, as they contain notions about the functioning of Italian political institutions, public school and health, welfare, job rights and tax laws. These include notions that may not be easy to understand for strangers with a low educational background but that the Italian State considers essential for integration. It is, in fact, of fundamental importance in a democracy that everybody, to be equal in front of the law, was capable of defending their own rights. This is particularly true for those who come from non-democratic countries or countries where democracy is not fully established. When an immigrant takes part of local society, he or she must be able to live
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within the country while being conscious of their own rights and duties, not just to “survive” but also to fully participate in social decisions, events and changes. This is what it means to effectively “be a citizen”, and this is one of the fundamental elements for transforming a society from multicultural to intercultural11. These themes are worth
studying and warrant further discussion, though we will not do so here. We now concentrate on the law and its intricacies.
It is for the above reasons that immigrants are asked by the government to participate in a course and be examined on the subject of civil rights. This is mandatory for obtaining any type of permit. The official name of the course is “Sessione di formazione e informazione”.
In this paragraph, we will first see what the “Sessione di formazione e informazione” (from now simply Sessione Civica) consists of and how immigrants are prepared in view of the final test. We will look at the materials that the government has prepared for the CPIAs (which are responsible for conducting the course) and we will comment upon them. Finally, we will explain the structure of the test, including the parameters of evaluation.
1.3.1 Contents and courses
The State (art. 2, comma 6 of Accordo) explains how the relevant notions have to be acquired. It guarantees immigrants access to a course on the mentioned topics:
“Art 2, comma 6:
Con l’accordo, lo Stato si impegna a sostenere il processo di integrazione dello straniero […], assicura allo straniero la partecipazione ad una sessione di formazione civica e di informazione sulla vita in Italia secondo le modalità di cui all’articolo 3.”
Article 3 provides only general indications on how the Sessione Civica works. The course is completely free and it should last at least five hours and a maximum of ten. It is mandatory and it must be followed within three months from the drafting of the Accordo. It refers to “materials” made in different languages (that the immigrant can choose) as instruments for studying the required content:
11 The term multicultural describes a factual situation in which people of many cultures live together; the
term intercultural indicates the relation and dynamics that undergo between people of different ethnic groups. (Caon, 2015)
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“Art. 3, comma 1:
Lo straniero partecipa gratuitamente alla sessione di formazione civica e di informazione sulla vita civile in Italia di cui all’articolo 2, comma 6, entro i tre mesi successivi a quello di stipula dell’accordo. La sessione ha una durata non inferiore a cinque e non superiore a dieci ore e prevede l’utilizzo di materiali e sussidi tradotti nella lingua indicata dallo straniero o se ciò non è possibile, inglese, francese, spagnola, araba, cinese, albanese, russa o filippina, secondo la preferenza indicata dall’interessato.”
Accordo Quadro 2012
We had to wait about a year to obtain more details about how the courses should be organized, who offers them, where they take place, and by which modalities.
All these specifications are part of the “Accordo Quadro” of 07/08/201212, which gives
directions on what is specified in art. 3 of DPR n.179/2011. The Accordo Quadro gives directions on how to organize the courses for the Sessione Civica and corresponding testing methods, along with specifications on how to assign respective credits. The most salient points of the Accordo Quadro are summed up as follows:
- The sessions and the tests must be held in the CPIA (art. 4, comma 1).
- The session lasts ten hours and it can be divided into more slots (art.4 comma 4); - The school institution in question must designate two teachers that take care of
the administering of the course (art. 4 comma 5). The teachers must prepare the test, give a valuation and examine the candidate;
- The school institution can use the material prepared by the Ministry of Education for the courses (art. 4 comma 6)(par. 1.3.2);
- The CPIA are in charge of the identification of the foreigner, that must be communicate to the Prefettura (art. 4 comma 7);
- The ones who have followed with success the course for the “Licenzia media” furnished by the CPIA are exonerate to follow the session (art.6, comma 1).
12
Accordo-Quadro sottoscritto il 7 Agosto 2012 dal Ministero dell’interno (Dipartimento per le Libertà civili e l’immigrazione – Direzione Centrale per le Politiche dell’Immigrazione e dell’Asilo – Ufficio I - Pianificazione delle Politiche dell’Immigrazione e dell’Asilo) e dal Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (Dipartimento per l’Istruzione) per dare applicazione a quanto previsto dal decreto del Presidente della Repubblica n. 179/2011, in particolare riferimento alle sessioni di formazione civica e di informazione, di cui all’articolo 3 e 5. http://www.edscuola.eu/wordpress/?wpfb_dl=1144 per accedere alla legge.
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It is worth opening a parenthesis to underline that the Government entrusts the school institutions, and not the Ministry of the Interior, not only with the organization and preparation of the courses and the test, but also with the evaluation of the immigrants. This law has been interpreted by many scholars, including Rocca, as a positive message as it confers to the national instruction system full competences on the whole process of education. As Rocca affirms (2010: 119):
l’Accordo Quadro fra Ministero dell’Interno e Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca assegna agli stessi CPIA non solo il ruolo di somministratori, ma anche quello di item writers, esaminatori e valutatori.
Certamente, l’aver evitato che il test venisse somministrato in Questura e corretto da personale amministrativo costituisce motivo di soddisfazione ovvero, meglio, di sollievo. Parallelamente, intravedere la presenza di un filo rosso teso a collegare i momenti della formazione e della verifica rappresenta una nitida affermazione dell’auspicato legame tra insegnamento e valutazione.
Linee Guida 2013
The contents of the Sessione Civica are finally described in the Linee guida per la
progettazione della sessione di formazione civica e di informazione, diffused with the note
988 of 04/07/201313. They are actually clear indications that fully explicate the notions
of art. 2 comma 4 point b) and c), and art. 3 comma 2 of DPR 179/2011.
The topics written in the Linee guida are the following, divided by the themes declared in the articles above:
- Principi fondamentali della Costituzione
SEZIONE A Art. 2, comma 4, point b - Organizzazione e funzionamento delle istituzioni
pubbliche in Italia - Sanità
SEZIONE B Art. 2 comma 4, point c - Scuola
- Servizi Sociali - Lavoro
13 Linee guida per la progettazione della sessione di formazione civica e di informazione, di cui all’art. 3 del
DPR 179/2011, diramate con nota n. 988 del 4 luglio 2013 .
http://www.istruzione.lombardia.gov.it/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/Linee_guida_per_la_formazione_ci vica.pdf per accedere all’intero documento.
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- Obblighi fiscali
- Doveri dei genitori verso i figli secondo l'ordinamento giuridico italiano, anche con riferimento all'obbligo di istruzione
SEZIONE C Art. 2 comma 4, point d - Facoltà e obblighi inerenti al soggiorno
Art. 3, comma 2 - Diritti e dei doveri reciproci dei coniugi
- Diritti e doveri degli stranieri in Italia
- Principali iniziative a sostegno del processo di integrazione degli stranieri a cui egli può accedere nel territorio della provincia di residenza e sulla normativa di riferimento in materia di salute e sicurezza sul lavoro
The Linee Guida also dedicate a chapter to Elements for planning. In this part there is a list of suggestions on how to conduct the course. In particular it refers to:
How to ensure class quality:
- Support the engagement of participants to let them use the theme, which is discussed; - Use a plurality of communication channels (videos, images, verbal interaction…); - Develop an intercultural debate;
- Implement the themes discussed with concrete examples such as realia, resumes, charts, or specific materials.
Instruments, materials, equipment:
- Prepare a small folder with documents in multiple languages, which students may use as course notes, memos, or for consultation (contents may include addresses, telephone number, maps, charts, bibliographies…)
- Ask the students to bring documents that may be useful to explain some important issues (ID, permesso di soggiorno, codice fiscale…);
- Support the bibliographic narration, starting from the experience of migration, with the aid of a cultural mediator.
Typology of people that can assist the teachers and support the mediation: - Teachers with special linguistic and communicative competences
- Cultural mediators - Other school assistants
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In this section we remind the reader that if the immigrant does not attend the course for the Sessione Civica, they automatically lose 15 out of the 16 credits received at the start of the Accordo:
“Art.3, comma 3:
La mancata partecipazione alla sessione di formazione civica e di informazione di cui al comma 1 da luogo alla perdita di quindici dei sedici crediti assegnati all’atto della sottoscrizione dell’accordo.”
It is worth noting how the law places importance on the attendance of these courses, and not just on passing the exams to obtain the certifications. This means that the legislator is conscious of the fact that the integration of foreigners occurs through their participation in social contexts and not just through general evaluation (Di Dio: 2014).
1.3.2 Ministry indications on the materials. The Ministry videos
The Linee Guida of 2013 implement what is written in art. 4 comma 6 of the Accordo
Quadro seen above, which states that: “Per lo svolgimento della sessione, […] le
istituzioni scolastiche […] utilizzano, nell’ambito della loro autonomia, i sussidi predisposti dal Ministero dell’interno, dal Ministero dell’istruzione e/o altro materiale predisposto dai CPIA”. The Linee Guida therefore indicate what materials the CPIA may use to prepare students for the Sessione Civica, namely:
1) Supporting material provided by the Ministry of the Interior (see below); 2) “Linee guida per la progettazione di percorsi di alfabetizzazione e di
apprendimento in lingua italiana” (1.2.2);
3) Supporting materials created by the Ministry of Education, which can be viewed online at www.initalia.rai.it and www.indire.it/cittadinanza;
4) Every material created ad hoc by the CPIAs.
1) The supporting materials consist of five videos on the five main topics of the course.
Collectively these videos are about five hours long, one hour each, so they represent half of the total available hours. These videos were produced by the Ministry of the Interior in 2013, and the CPIA received them through the Prefetture. They are recorded in 19
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different languages that immigrants can choose from. The videos are available on the Internet, on the Eda site, with password protection given by the CPIA14.
These videos, which the CPIAs are obligated to hand out to the foreigners, are not entirely welcome by both teachers and students. They are lengthy, non-stimulating, and the contents are difficult to understand. Many CPIAs integrate these videos with lessons and they group the immigrants based on the language chosen. When possible, a cultural mediator is there to assist and help students understand the most complicated issues. However, this service is not provided by all CPIAs, as it is not possible to show a five hour set of videos in 19 languages. As a consequence, many people are forced to move to different CPIAs where their session of preference is held. The law states that “the hours can be divided into multiple sessions” at the discretion of the CPIA. They can also choose to use other materials to increase the educational content. The fact that the videos are divided into topics allows for a modular course. This allows people to recover or repeat a module they were not able to follow or attend. The modular subdivision of content is also recommended for the Italian courses, as we have seen in the Preambolo of the Accordo Quadro of 2012 (1.2.2). I have analysed the videos in order to make an informed judgment on their validity. I attempted to establish the advantages and disadvantages of these tools in order to understand how useful they could be for the purpose they are meant to achieve. I started from the premise that, in general, the best instrument one can provide students with is also the most economic one: it ought to allow the student to reach the best results in the least amount of time. This is particularly true in this case, since the available time is very short (ten hours).
The following is a list of issues that, I believe, make the provided materials extremely inappropriate for A2 level students:
· The sound is not clean;
· Everything, for the whole five-hour videos, is set in a fixed (low lit) room, with only two people, a man and a woman, speaking directly at the camera. The script was written, in part, as a dialogue between the two, but it becomes a series of monologues;
· The two speak at different speeds. The woman speaks very fast, and does not always articulate properly. The man speaks slower and in an artificial manner;
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· There are few images that could help guide comprehension, and those that are present are not very clear;
· There is a TV screen to the woman’s side that displays some of the sentences spoken by her. This tool is ineffective, as the support is too small to read. When text appears in full-screen, it lasts only a few seconds. This is not enough time to read every sentence, at least for a foreigner.
· The monologues are very discursive. They are rich in information and examples, and this may not help in expressing the most salient facts. The language used is for advanced speakers. It contains difficult expressions such as “cogliendo l’occasione”, “suddetto”, “coloro i quali” and they also use the passato remoto, which is a verbal tense that belongs to at least B2 level (PLIDA).
The virtues, on the contrary:
· They explain all the topics in detail.
· They can be used as input in class to present a new topic as they are suitable to be “didattizzati” (to be readapted to an educational context).
Having said that, I believe the Ministry videos are more useful if presented throughout a longer period of time and in the context of a broader Italian course. This feature is actually provided in the Linee guida per la progettazione dei percorsi di alfabetizzazione e
di apprendimento della lingua italiana, which include the 10+10 hours from the Sessione Civica in a larger course of 200 hours. We recall, however, that those hours are to be
concluded “within three months from the drafting of the Accordo”. This is the reason why many CPIAs prefer to conclude the Sessione Civica as soon as possible, often showing the videos all at once.
2) The “Linee guida per la progettazione di percorsi di alfabetizzazione e di apprendimento in lingua italiana” do not specify the materials for the Sessione, but they
do provide a detailed description of the competences to be developed. These are subdivided into various abilities (listening, reading, writing, interaction) of both A1 and A2 levels, in reference to the field of “Educazione Civica”. I include here, as an example, only the listening competences of the A1 and A2 levels:
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Image 4: A1 listening abilities
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As we can see, the lexicon contains words that refer to the topics required also by the
Linee Guida of 2013. Expected abilities are an understanding of texts that refer to
personal information, of instructions when filling out forms and documents, of general sentences about civil life, work environment, medical contexts and cultural events. The underlined sections are the ones that refer to the Sessione Civica.
3) The sites are not available anymore.15
4)Every CPIA has the autonomy to create the proper material in support of the videos.
The CPIAs are generally moving together to share material between them, as well as to provide some degree of homogeneity to the documents. From a commercial point of view, there is not much literature on this specific subject given how recent the contents of the law are. A book that is very often used or consulted is “Educazione Civica”16 of
Nina Edizioni, which has also been taken into consideration for the structure of the textbook.
The information above gives us an idea of the range of tools that teachers have at their disposal to conduct the Sessione Civica. Because the literature is poor and fragmented, new and more efficient tools are highly welcome.
1.3.3 The test for “Cultura e Civiltà”
We recall here art. 5, comma 4 of the Accordo Quadro 2012, which not only referred to the Italian oral test but also to the test on “Cultura e Civilità” involving the contents of the Sessione Civica: «il Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca si impegna a definire […] ulteriori criteri per lo svolgimento del test di lingua italiana A2 orale e il test di cultura e civiltà, ivi comprese le relative modalità di valutazione». These missing “ulteriori criteri” have been transmitted with the nota 451 del 3 Aprile 2014 from MIUR. Attached in the nota we find:
- Linee Guida with «Criteri per lo svolgimento del test di conoscenza della lingua italiana a livello A2 parlato» (that we have seen in par. 1.2);
15 The materials contained there were not possible to retrieve.
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- Linee Guida with «Criteri per lo svolgimento del test di conoscenza della lingua italiana a livello B1”; (that are out of our interest)
- Linee Guida with «Criteri per lo svolgimento del test di conoscenza della cultura civica e della vita civile in Italia». (that we are going to analyse below).
Another communication by the Government, the nota n. 1211 del 08/10/2014, further specifies how the test has to be administered. In summary, this last note states:
· The test to assign credits based on the student's knowledge of Italian language and of Italian culture and institutions must be held at the CPIAs;
· In order to verify the level of the above, the “commissioni esaminatrici” prepare the test of “Cultura e Civiltà” according to the Linee Guida created by the Ministry and its linked offices. In particular, they organize:
- The first part of the test, concerning the knowledge of the Italian language at A2 level, according to the Vademecum contenente indicazioni tecnico-operative per la
definizione dei contenuti delle prove che compongono il test, criteri di assegnazione del punteggio e durata del test transmitted in CM 28/12/2010 (see par. 1.2).
- The second part of the exam, concerning the knowledge of Italian culture and institutions, which has to consider the Linee guida transmitted in the nota n. 451
of 03/04/2014.
· The candidates who reach sufficiency (“sufficienza”) on the test for Cultura e Civiltà automatically receive the certification for the A2 oral level of Italian language according to the QCER;
· CPIA courses starting from 01/09/2014, if attended and successfully passed, provide valid documentation for the passing of the Italian test.
The Linee guida on «Criteri per lo svolgimento del test di conoscenza della cultura civica e della vita civile in Italia» are divided into two parts, the contents of the test and the structure / duration of the test. In the introduction of the document, the authors state:
“Attesa la particolarità dell’utenza, riconducibile anche ad un profilo basico di competenza della lingua italiana, il test è strutturato in forma orale. La scelta di tale approccio è dettata dalla considerazione socio-linguistica che pone l’oralità come dimensione comunicativa preponderante nell’interazione sociale come esplicitato nel Sillabo di riferimento per i livelli di competenza in italiano L2: livello A2 a cura degli Enti Certificatori (di cui al D.M. 4 giugno 2010).
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La metodologia presuppone l’adozione – da parte delle Commissioni – di strategie specifiche per l’interazione orale, secondo protocolli di conduzione e procedure comportamentali come da letteratura di settore.”
Therefore, the test is only an oral one, and this is predictable considering that we have a high percentage of illiterates among foreigners; it would be counterproductive to hand out a written text. Also, by the Accordo di Integrazione it is sufficient to pass the oral A2 level in order to receive the required credits. It would be illogical to assign another kind of test on top of the oral one.
Furthermore, the authors explain that the indications they give are not mandatory (as for other Linee Guida we have seen), but must be taken as support for the creation of new tests based on the different realities of the CPIA. For this reason, the Contents are prone to be ameliorated in the future, engaging the help of all the educational institutions.
Contents
The contents are divided into three sections that correspond to the three main topics of art. 4, points b), c), d) of DPR 179/2011, and fully explained in the later Linee guida per
la progettazione della sessione di formazione civica e di informazione, along with note 988
of 04/07/2013. We have already seen all the topics in the chart in 1.3.1, but now we develop the contents further:
SEZIONE A 1- Principi fondamentali della Costituzione (artt. 1-12):
· La forma di governo dell’Italia: la Repubblica (art. 1).
· Garanzia dei diritti inviolabili dell’uomo e doveri di solidarietà (art.2). · Pari dignità sociale e eguaglianza di fronte alla legge (art. 3).
· Diritto al lavoro (art. 4). · Libertà di religione (art. 8).
· Condizione giuridica dello straniero (art. 10). · La bandiera italiana (art. 12).
2- Organizzazione e funzionamento delle istituzioni pubbliche in Italia:
· Organi e poteri dello Stato.
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SEZIONE B · Sanità: Diritto alla salute (art. 32). · Scuola: Scuola (artt. 33 e 34).
· Servizi sociali: Sistema integrato di interventi e servizi sociali (Legge
Quadro 8 novembre 2000, n. 328).
· Lavoro: Diritto al lavoro e diritti del lavoro (artt. 35-40). · Obblighi fiscali: Obblighi fiscali (art. 53).
SEZIONE C · Diritti e doveri degli stranieri in Italia. · Facoltà e obblighi inerenti al soggiorno. · Diritti e dei doveri reciproci dei coniugi.
· Doveri dei genitori verso i figli secondo l'ordinamento giuridico
italiano, anche con riferimentoall'obbligo di istruzione.
· Principali iniziative a sostegno del processo di integrazione degli
stranieri a cui egli può accedere nel territorio della provincia e sulla normativa di riferimento in materia di salute e sicurezza sul lavoro.
Structure and duration
The test is completely oral. The candidate must be alone. The commission is composed of two people, the examiner with which the candidate actually speaks and a “silent” teacher who serves the role of observer (with whom the candidate cannot speak). The test lasts a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 10 minutes, including the time for the evaluation. 1) The first part of the test is dedicated to understanding whether the candidates have acquired the A2 oral level of Italian language (2/3 minutes). The candidate introduces him/herself under the guidance of the examiner.
2) The second part is explicitly dedicated to the test on “Cultura e Civiltà” (5/7 minutes). It involves the discussion on one of the three sessions (A, B or C according to the examiner's choice), which must start from an input of any kind.
The Linee Guida also specifies that:
- The discussion between the candidate and the examiner must be colloquial and not interrogation-like. The examiner's turn cannot exceed twenty words;
- The inputs for the discussion can be images, objects or sentences that refer to everyday life. The selection of the input (which should be done before the test) should take into consideration what emerges from the candidate's introduction, in order to direct the conversation towards areas that they may already have lived or experienced.
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- The examiner must let the candidate feel at ease, calling them by name, using a standard spelling and the Lei form. The questions can be repeated only twice.
We will speak of valuation in 1.3.3.2.
1.3.3.1 The items of the test
The firsts examples of how the exam should look have been produced by the CPIAs during the first year of examination, with the aim of creating a sort of standard exam that could be valid throughout all the national territory. A specific module of the MASTER ITALS that I completed was dedicated to producing an example of an ideal test Cultura e Civiltà.17
Professor Rocca has created a document (26/03/2015), named Linee guida per
conduzione test verifica conoscenze di cultura civica e della vita civile in Italia, on how to
prepare and conduct the test for the immigrants. The document is divided in two parts, one referring to the contents of the test, and the second to the evaluation. The first part, entitled “Premessa/modus operandi in fase di somministrazione”, Rocca gives directions on how to prepare the inputs. They consist of Images (IM) or Objects (OG) for each section (A, B and C). A list of three questions is written for each input, of different difficulties. The silent examiner chooses one input and the other goes on as described in 1.3.3.2. I provide some examples of each section from the Rocca document:
SEZIONE A
Input: IM of various people doing different jobs
1. Nella Costituzione c’è scritto ch l’Italia è una Repubblica democratica fondata sul lavoro. Che cosa significa secondo Lei fondata sul Lavoro?
2. Quali lavori ha fatto nella sua vita?
3. Può raccontarci la Sua giornata di lavoro di oggi? Input: OG Italian flag
1. Lei sa che cos’è questa?
2. Quali sono i colori della bandiera Italiana? 3. Quali sono i colori della bandiera del Suo Paese?
17 Master Itals I livello, XV ciclo anno 2013/2014 Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia. Il modulo in questione è
35
SEZIONE B
Input: IM hospital
1. La Costituzione italiana parla di un diritto molto importante: il diritto alla salute. Che cosa significa secondo Lei avere diritto alla salute?
2. Lei è mai stato ricoverato in un ospedale italiano? Quando? Dove? 3. Per favore, può raccontarci che cosa era successo?
Input: OG Tessera Sanitaria
1. Che cos’è questa? A che cosa serve?
2. Lei ha la tessera sanitaria? Può raccontarci che cosa ha fatto per avere la tessera sanitaria? Dove è andato, quali documenti ha dovuto portare?
3. Può raccontarmi l’ultima volta che Le è servita la tessera sanitaria?
SEZIONE C
Input: IM Immigrant Office
1. Che cosa vedi nell’immagine? In che modo secondo Lei lo Stato italiano aiuta il cittadino straniero a integrarsi?
2. Pensi alla Sua esperienza di vita in Italia: può raccontarci quali servizi per lo straniero ha conosciuto? Le sono stati utili?
3. Lei sa chi sono I mediatori culturali? Conosce qualche mediatore culturale? Può raccontarci in che modo il mediatore è riuscito ad aiutarla?
Input: OG Accordo di Integrazione
1. Riconosce questo foglio? Che cos’è? Che cosa significa second Lei Accordo di integrazione?
2. Lo sa che Lei oggi è qui proprio perché ha firmato questo documento? Secondo Lei è una cosa giusta obbligare i cittadini straneri a fare test di lingua italiana e di conoscenza della società?
3. Si ricorda dove e quando ha firmato l’Accordo di integrazione? Può raccontarci che cosa è successo quel giorno?
1.3.3.2 The evaluation
The evaluation can be: sufficient, good, or excellent. Each level is worth 6, 9 or 12 credits, respectively. "Sufficient" automatically implies the attribution of level A2 oral language proficiency. The parameters for assigning the mark have been set according to the indications of the “Sillabo di riferimento per i livelli di competenza in italiano L2: livello A2
a cura degli Enti Certificatori” (di cui al D.M. 4 giugno 2010), in particular chapter four,
second paragraph. The observing examiner helps with the evaluation by providing their own input, based on notes taken during the test. In the Premessa/modus operandi in fase
