Interculture in Italy. A bibliographic review
(C. Sirna, A. Rosetto Aiello, I. Orlando, R.G. Romano, A.M. Passaseo)

This volume gathers a collection of sources available within the Italian literature (mostly books, articles and bibliographies) related to both intercultural education in school and likely experiences in the social context. The issue also contains four essays on suggested readings with respect to core issues in the field of interculture:

• theoretical and epistemological aspects of intercultural pedagogy;
• complex and multifaceted interaction among different cultures: problems in translation and communication;
• analysis of legislative provisions related to inclusion of foreign children in the Italian school system;
• training of teachers and educators: current methodological approaches and strategies.

Speaking Italian: language and immigration
(M. Vedovelli, A.Villarini, M. Barni, E.Fragai, G.M. Interlando)

This issue is devoted to issues of linguistics and migration, particularly in relation to immigration in Italy and migration of Italians abroad.
By collecting specialised materials in a suggested bibliography and gathering the findings of theoretic-descriptive works, M. Vedovelli gives a broad overview of linguistic scholarly research dealing with immigrants in Italy. The background assumption in Vedovelli's interpretation is the specificity of "linguistic contacts" with regard to foreigners who are immigrants in a host country: on the one hand, it is underlined the relevance of social and cultural factors in the learning process; on the other hand, it is stressed how the general glottological model applied to foreigners as a whole is inappropriate in the case of immigrants as, for the former, the motivation in learning the Italian language is basically driven by a cultural interest. Vedovelli highlights the complexity of problems against reductionism and too simplistic theories, therefore endorsing a more specific and specialist approach. As a matter of fact, the presence of adult immigrants and their children has given impetus to a new debate on innovative models and strategies of language teaching, both at the level of relevant institutions and NGOs.

A. Villarini's work adds to the bibliography the identification of the main lines of the reflections and of the interventions of linguistic formation for immigrant adults and children, seeing in such groups the key element that has given a new twist to the discussion on models and methods of language management in the educational system, whether institutional or run by volunteer agencies.
M. Barni draws from her experience as a teacher at the University of Siena, where there is a specific programme to obtain the certificate of Italian as a second language (CILS). The Author highlights the communicative potential of immigrants and underlines the ongoing process of restructuring of the Italian language. She also points out how the situation is now rather different from the past, considering that up to recent years the push factor has been represented almost only by the high-level intellectual tradition of the Italian language. Finally, she deals with theoretical models of learning of the second language and explores what the outcomes are when applied to different target groups.
E. Fragai presents the results of a research project on immigrant children and adolescents enrolled in the elementary and high schools of the Municipality of Cortona (Arezzo). The attention shifts from adult immigrants (the first and most studied target group) to their children, born in Italy or arrived in the country by virtue of family reunion. The Author suggests that it should be adopted the same approach already experimented in linguistic education at school: to start from the perceived needs of learners and identify customised objectives and educational paths.
G. Interlandi focuses on language and Italian emigrants abroad, as to warn that the focus on immigration in Italy should not obscure further investigation on this. The findings of a research on Italians in Germany show the changing linguistic behaviour in the process of language contamination; the concept of "meta-linguistic" space is introduced, in order to define the social and cultural environment in which the process of language learning and speaking occurs.
The issue is completed by a review of conferences and training programmes for teachers working with immigrant adults and children in the Italian school.