TRAINING CLIL TEACHERS: AN ITALIAN EXPERIENCE

In March 2010, the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research officially introduced CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) to the Italian school system as part of a larger reform of the upper secondary education. Defined as “a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language” (EuroCLIC 1994), CLIL aims principally to improve foreign language competences with the teaching of non-linguistic disciplines in a foreign language. In order to meet the need for competent CLIL school teachers, the Ministry has promoted the language and methodological training of pre-service and in-service subject area teachers. This paper will report on the author’s recent experience as a CLIL teacher trainer of ESP for Secondary School teachers of Law and Economics during the training course organized by the University of Tuscia for USR Lazio (the School Office for the Lazio Region). The design and results of the training module will also be summarized in this report.