The use of stratification in a mixed abilities class to facilitate note-taking in Italian L2 during Geography lessons: A case study conducted in an after-school laboratory for migrant students.

Abstract

This thesis aims at investigating some strategies useful for learning how to take notes in Italian as a second language during Geography lessons. This research project was conducted within a Mixed Abilities Class, with first-generation migrant students with low levels of language proficiency, enrolled in the third year of Middle School. In order to operate in such a scenario, stratification was employed as a major strategy. This thesis is composed of two parts: The first part provides a theoretical framework about the phenomenon of migration, language facilitation, the two language dimensions of BICS and CALP and strategies for studying in a second language. The second part presents our case study. The first chapter presents the reference framework, namely the migratory situation in Italy and in Venice, and the FAMI VOCI Project. The second chapter deals with the concepts of mixed abilities class, linguistic facilitation and linguistic facilitator. The third chapter provides an overview of the concepts of BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) and presents some strategies for studying in Italian as a second language, focussing on note-taking; furthermore, it deals with simplification and facilitation, differentiation and stratification. The fourth chapter presents the case study, describing the method employed, the participants and the data collection tools. The fifth and sixth chapter provide respectively the data analysis and discussion. Finally, the seventh chapter provides some proposals of learning units to learn note-taking in Italian L2 when studying Geography.