WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:20.000 We have had so many initiatives during the past years that it's so difficult to summarize them, yet I think that two major projects and a reform law actually developed a new concept of language teaching in our country. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:24.500 The main project was Progetto Lingue Duemise, 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:29.500 that is a project for foreign languages, for the development of foreign languages, 00:00:29.500 --> 00:00:36.280 called 2000, which developed in 1999 and lasted until 00:00:36.274 --> 00:00:43.594 2003 and this project completely changed the paradigm in language learning and 00:00:43.594 --> 00:00:50.494 teaching in our country. Teachers were asked to develop more oral skills, 00:00:50.494 --> 00:00:57.934 speaking and listening, and to evaluate and assess their students' competencies 00:00:57.934 --> 00:01:04.514 using external certifications. Challenges are many because numbers are 00:01:04.514 --> 00:01:08.674 and having high numbers is not so easy to deal with. 00:01:08.674 --> 00:01:12.554 So the major challenge was first of all 00:01:12.547 --> 00:01:28.387 to create the regulations and the guidelines both for school curricula and also for teacher training and initial teacher training particularly. 00:01:28.387 --> 00:01:37.387 There was also a total revision of the national system for assessing and evaluating the school system. 00:01:37.387 --> 00:01:48.827 And these are, I would say, the main initiatives that have somehow changed the paradigm of teaching in our country. 00:01:48.821 --> 00:01:52.981 of a subject in a foreign language which has been mandatory 00:01:52.981 --> 00:01:57.001 in all upper secondary schools in their 00:01:57.001 --> 00:02:00.981 final year. Keep in mind that English is being taught 00:02:00.981 --> 00:02:05.061 from the age of 6 until the age of 19 for 13 years 00:02:05.061 --> 00:02:08.701 in our country. And the last year 00:02:08.701 --> 00:02:12.341 is now defined as the clear 00:02:12.341 --> 00:02:16.501 year for one subject. The big 00:02:16.501 --> 00:02:21.501 I think the big challenge is how to prepare these teachers 00:02:21.501 --> 00:02:25.101 and how to develop programs that can satisfy 00:02:25.094 --> 00:02:32.094 satisfy the needs. What we have been doing is really a great effort, first of all, in 00:02:32.094 --> 00:02:41.394 identifying the future CLIL teachers' language competencies. And we have had a very good 00:02:41.394 --> 00:02:49.054 response from the teachers. High numbers answered a particular circular letter where they were 00:02:49.054 --> 00:02:55.694 asked whether they were interesting and which was their self-declared level of language competence. 00:02:56.574 --> 00:03:01.374 What is really very, very important is the fact that they have also 00:03:01.368 --> 00:03:09.408 change their mindset. They are really developing a new way of teaching and they are acquiring 00:03:09.408 --> 00:03:17.028 new methodologies that have never been part of their professional competence. And what 00:03:17.028 --> 00:03:22.708 is really new in our country is the fact that teachers of other subjects and teachers of 00:03:22.708 --> 00:03:28.828 languages really dialogue together, really work together and are really giving a new 00:03:28.828 --> 00:03:32.788 way of offering classes to our students.