Hello

Muskan, Tommaso, Alessandro, Alessio, Catalin, Florin, Haroun,  Gianluca, Matteo, Oswaldo, Geraldine, Andre, Nicola, Fiorisa, 

first  we started welcoming everybody with all the possible languages spoken by students that is Arabic, Russian, Spanish, French, Albanian, Hurdu, Chinese, Italian and we tried to employ all of them to communicate. 

We wrote large papers to share expressions and translate them in English.  Beautiful writings, to be trusted since comprehension is possible only by those who know the language. 

That's why something different from usual  happened: no matter how difficult or unknown the languages were, we started to act, behave, so to share common goals.

Sure, that of these classes at ITIS G. Galilei Livorno was to acquire English, but how can you do that with students having such a variety of knowledge, being in Italy for a very short time with the whole communicative hardware to be reset including Italian?  

Wondering how they will be able to become tomorrow's citizens, the point of common languages to share is fundamental. Instead of being a problem, it might be transformed in the opportunity to widen our horizons, and exploiting these opportunities, becoming all of us citizens of the world, so improving us too who welcome them. 

Definetly, the point of offering these students, who are becoming more and more numerous  every day in our schools due to immigration, a proper place in our schools, is a priority. You can't spend mornings at school, attending classes, being taught subjects in a language you don't know. So Italian and English can be strictly intertwinned, emphasising and reinforcing each other. 

We tried to optimize the occasion given to all of us with such a PON 1953 Program, focusing on general comprehension, involving visitors to listen to to speak about welcoming people, either cruise passengers or any other, creating a bond with Livorno, highlighting the role of music and cinema. 

The photographs show Christian, Federico, Jordan, David sharing activities with students, all invited through fresh and dynamic English to produce ideas and play roles such as talking with tourists, singing songs, inventing and writing screen-plays. 

Worksheets were given and returned corrected. The exibition with paintings by Modigliani was visited, two questionnaires given to both students and families, experiences shared, first that one of communicating from the bottom of our intelligent hearths.  

We also had breaks with food; students engaged themselves in producing their favourite dishes, and as a happy ending of this demanding committment, we watched astimjulating film, to encourage students to take decisions all the times waiting to be taken, to improve the quality of everybody's life. Take the lead, meaning this is what you can do every day, involving the others with determination and care. 

Muskan, Tommaso, Alessandro, Alessio, Catalin, Florin, Haroun,  Gianluca, Matteo, Oswaldo, Geraldine, Andre, Nicola, Fiorisa, write your comment about this adventure. Did you like it, and if so, why? 

Anna - Coordinator

Photos taken with all students' parents' written permission