Bilingualism, Bilingual Education and Translanguaging in Italy and in the United States of America: a Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of my dissertation is to examine differences and similarities of bilingualism, bilingual education and translanguaging in two different contexts, Italy and the United States of America, through a comparative analysis. Many aspects are considered in this research: firstly, theories of bilingualism, bilingual education in Italy and in the United States, including their legislation on linguistic policies, socio-political and economic contexts, besides the history and the data analysis on the inclusivity of bilingual students in the two countries. Secondly, data on Italian and American translanguaging projects are analysed, particularly those regarding L’AltRoparlante and CUNY-NYSIEB projects. Thirdly, a comparative analysis follows the description of the projects, including differences and similarities in the context of bilingualism and bilingual education where Italy and the United States operate. Therefore, the comparison will highlight differences and similarities between the application of the two projects considering their settings and it will reveal whether their contexts and methodologies are coherent with the translanguaging approach. Finally, a theoretical translanguaging application is presented with a focus on two learning units based on the data on translanguaging and bilingualism collected throughout my research.