TRANSLANGUAGING AS A PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN A CLASSROOM OF ITALIAN L2 FOR NEWLY ARRIVED STUDENTS

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy in a classroom of Italian as a second language for newly arrived migrant students and observe the impact of this pedagogical practice on the students’ attitude towards linguistic diversity and the perception of their plurilingual repertoires. The research data were collected over a period of two months, namely during the researcher’s internship as teacher of Italian L2 in a language course for newly arrived students. Therefore, the research may be referred to as both classroom research and action research. The first chapter provides an overview about the presence of foreign students in Italian schools, as well as the educational policies which aim at promoting the foreign students’ integration and valuing linguistic diversity in schools, both at Italian and European level. The second chapter presents a theoretical framework on translanguaging, in terms of both the theoretical assumptions and the educational practices centered on this theory. The third chapter illustrates the translanguaging strategies and activities which were implemented during our lessons, whereas the fourth chapter describes the methodology of our research project. Finally, the fifth chapter analyses the results of the data collection and describes the research results, identifying the limitations of the study and the potential areas for further research.