Insegnare italiano come lingua straniera

Abstract

This paper presents a brief history of language teaching and the different approaches and methods for teaching foreign languages starting from its origins to the present day: from Bloomfield (1942) to the structuralistic approach, to the communicative approach, to the humanistic-affective approach and finally to the current one, the integrated approach. We talk about teaching Italian as a second language and the way in which a foreign language is acquired. The bimodality of the human brain implies language teaching choices that aim at acquisition and not simple learning. Krashen then identifies three principles for producing acquisition. The importance of creating motivation, creating affective involvement, involving the student in experiential and interactive activities by working in pairs or small groups on authentic texts and dedicating the same time to reception and production is underlined. This last reflection is important: the student's ability to understand must be cared for in the same way as his ability to express himself.