The IBI / BEI Project in primary schools:

Summary of Monitoring Report INTRODUCTION The Directorate General for School Ordinances and Autonomy, in partnership with the British Council Italy and the Regional School Office of Lombardy, launched the IBI /BEI project (Insegnamento Bilingue Italia/ Bilingual Education Italy), which involved six primary schools in Lombardy. This took place in 2012-2011. The project was initiated with the backdrop of the latest research related to bilingual education. This has shown that children can gain clear advantages in terms of language, cultural, social, cognitive and personal development, without any loss in their mother tongue or in the learning of key subjects. However, this all depends on essential organizational / teaching conditions being present, such as the collaboration of adequately qualified classroom teachers and the continuity of learning over the years. For these reasons, precise criteria for joining the project were defined, which include:

1. teachers with proficiency in English of at least B2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the Council of Europe;

2. school principals and teachers to participate in planning meetings, language and methodology training courses (face-to-face and online), seminars and conferences;

3. the involvement of at least 50% of the classes in the first year of primary school; 4. the guarantee of continuity for the entire five-year period to children who begin bilingual

education in the first year of primary school; 5. a minimum amount of hours for English. This is equal to 25% of a weekly timetable; 6. the presence of English assistants in the school.

The project was launched in February 2010, starting with testing the language skills of teachers from 6 schools in Lombardy. The schools were selected from 42 that had applied to take part in the project. In this start-up phase various preparatory training activities were organized for school principals and teachers. The Memorandum of Understanding signed on 25 February 2010 by the Directorate General for School Ordinances and Autonomy, the British Council Italy and the Regional School Office of Lombardy provided for the establishment of the following bodies:

a) the Executive Committee, made up of the following members: - a representative of USR Lombardy, appointed by the Director General of the Regional School

Office of Lombardy: Technical Supervisor Dr. Gisella Langé; - a representative of the Ministry of Education, University and Research appointed by the

Director General for School Ordinances and Autonomy Italy, Dr. Carmela Palumbo: Dr. Letizia Cinganotto;

- a representative of the British Council Italy, appointed by the Deputy Director of the British Council Italy: Mr. Frank Fitzpatrick;

- a representative of the Bilingual Education Project, Spain appointed by the Director of the British Council: Mr. Simon Creasey;

b) the Operations Team, composed of the following members: - a Development Officer designated by USR Lombardy: Ms. Roberta Pugliese; - a representative of the British Council Italy, appointed by the Director of the British Council

Italy: Ms. Catherine Shaw.

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The Executive Committee and the Operations Team were supported by a Working Group set up by USR Lombardy, made up of Dr. Francesca Costa, Ms. Enrica Dozio and Ms. Roberta Pugliese, coordinated by the Technical Supervisor Dr. Gisella Langé. Areas of operation of this group included: organisation of information / training activities for school principals and teachers, supporting schools in planning the bilingual curriculum, the preparation of materials and the recruitment of language assistants. In order to assess the progress of the activities, the Executive Committee entrusted the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia with the monitoring of the project. The ensuing report was presented on 15 April 2014 during a Seminar entitled "The IBI /BEI project (Insegnamento Bilingue Italia/ Bilingual Education Italy): Monitoring and Future Prospects ", at the Hall of Communications of the Ministry of Education (MIUR). The data in the monitoring report confirms the initial hypothesis of the bilingual education project: children are able to learn English easily, without experiencing any difficulties in their mother tongue, nor in their effectiveness to learn subject content. Special thanks goes to all those involved (school principals, teachers, parents, students) who have taken part in this trial and to the experts who have guided the planning and the training. In the wake of these encouraging results, this Summary Monitoring Report, which is also available in a complete version with full data and analysis, should not be taken as the point of arrival of the project but rather as the real starting point, with a view to expanding to other regions and to "vertically" extending across to middle schools. It should not be considered as a "special project" but as a resource available to all schools that wish to adopt it. DIRECTOR GENERAL DIRECTOR DIRECTOR GENERAL Directorate General for British Council Italy Regional School Office School Ordinances and of Lombardy Autonomy MIUR Carmela Paulmbo Christine Melia Francesco De Sanctis Rome, 15th April 2014

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Linguistics and Cultural Studies

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The IBI/BEI project in the primary school: Summary of Monitoring Report Planning, implementation, data analysis and production of the Report by the " IBI / BEI Project Monitoring Group " (Department of Linguistics and Cultural Studies, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) composed by: Marina Bondi, Silvia Cavalieri Franca Poppi, Anna Stermieri With the advice of Gisella Langé (MIUR) and Catherine Shaw (British Council Italy)

1. The IBI/BEI Project: the background The IBI / BEI project (Insegnamento Bilingue Italia/ Bilingual Education Italy) is a pilot project of bilingual education for primary school arising from an agreement between the Ministry of Education (MIUR) - Directorate General for School Ordinances and Autonomy, the Regional School Office of Lombardy and the British Council Italy. The project involved six Primary School classes in Lombardy for a five year period from 2010-11 to 2014-15: - Istituto Comprensivo Corni Lora Lipomo, (Como), - Istituto Comprensivo Fermi (Villasanta, Monza Brianza), - Istituto Comprensivo Ciresola (Milano), - Istituto Comprensivo Diaz (Milano), - Istituto Comprensivo via Cialdini Meda (Meda, Monza Brianza), - Istituto Comprensivo Copernico (Corsico, Milano). In bilingual education a significant amount of the programme is taught in a foreign language, which is learnt in an "immersion" programme. The pilot project proposed 25% of the school programme to be taught in English, or at least two subjects (from Art, Science and Geography) to be taught in English. The weekly amount of hours of subjects taught in English varies from 6 to 7 hours.

2. Monitoring: objectives and instruments The main objective of the monitoring exercise is to provide a framework for reflection on the project and, more broadly, on bilingual education as part of a school programme and mode of operation. The monitoring stage included all the parties involved: principals, teachers, parents and children. These were the areas of investigation:

a) Motivation and attitude of pupils, staff and parents; b) Identification of good practice; c) Acquisition of skills by the students.

Several means were used to collect information: a) a questionnaire to all teachers involved in the project on: motivation, planning modes,

implementation modes, the impact of the IBI / BEI project, training needs of the teacher1; b) semi-structured interviews / focus groups with school principals and a representative sample

of teachers, children and parents in order to explore the motivation and perceptions present in the six schools involved;

c) An analysis of a task given to all pupils, to gain an initial impression of the results achieved in English.

1 The questionnaire was based on one produced by the Ministry of Education, University and Research - Directorate

General for School Ordinances and Autonomy for the monitoring of the introduction of CLIL in secondary linguistic schools. The questionnaire developed by the Monitoring the introduction of CLIL in secondary schools Working Group was adapted to the context of the IBI / BEI project and integrated with more open-ended responses, given the limited number of people answering.

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The data for the sample analysed are summarized in Table 1. TABLE 1

Analysed sample

Questionnaire respondents

46 teachers

Interviews/focus group 6 principals 38 parents 17 teachers 46 children

TASK 1 Oral productive skills

“Picture description” (guided) with a specific objective: Describing a picture of a process: the water cycle, for example.

60 (10 per school)

TASK 2 Written productive skills

Written production: Image with questions on mountains, their origins and the environment.

120 (20 per school)

3. Monitoring Data 3.1 The decision to take part in the project: initial concerns and motivation The monitoring data clearly shows the strong motivation of families. The majority of parents chose to enrol their children in a school involved in the IBI / BEI project to provide their children with the opportunity to come into contact with a second foreign language at an early stage in their life . This is considered fundamental nowadays. The families also wanted to encourage greater open-mindedness in their children. Almost all of the teachers interviewed cited their main reason for joining the project as the opportunity for their pupils to experience English at a young age. Another key reason was to work with innovative methodology. Yet another strong motivational factor that arose during the interviews was the personal and professional development that this project has given teachers, including those close to retirement. Teachers' initial concerns focused also on their fear of not being competent enough in the language. They were concerned about how this, in turn, could have a negative impact in the classroom when giving explanations on the subjects. The different types of data collected clearly show that the project has overcome - in most contexts - initial resistance, mistrust and fears related to the learning outcomes in the IBI / BEI classrooms. Progress in the various subjects is - according to principals, teachers and parents (many of whom were able to compare the different paths of their other children in schools not part of the BEI project) -comparable to those of non IBI/BEI classes. The initial fear of some parents that the Italian language skills of their children could be affected seems to have been allayed. However, as reported by teachers and principals, there remain doubts

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amongst non- IBI / BEI teachers about the possible loss of authority of traditional teaching methodology or the possible lack of vocabulary the children may have. It is, therefore, important to sensitize the entire teaching staff to these findings, possibly in the context of a broader reflection on innovation and evaluation of educational experiences. Initial parents’ concerns about:

a) the lack of vocabulary learning of the subject in Italian, thereby resulting in less content learned;

b) the difficulties encountered in the learning of the subject taught in a foreign language; c) the problem of helping their children in the IBI/BEI subjects; d) the adequacy of the Italian teachers’ English pronunciation (who may pass on inaccurate

pronunciation, which could then be difficult to correct); have been dispelled but they have been replaced by some new concerns. Some parents have brought to light some doubts related to the lack of:

a) an explicit approach towards grammar that, in their opinion, could possibly make understanding Italian grammar harder;

b) a systematic study of such subjects as required in middle school; c) textbooks; d) a systematic approach towards the acquisition of vocabulary in Italian.

Finally, all parents are worried about how the learning path of their children in middle school will progress, following this project. In general, the attitude of parents towards the project is extremely positive and the concerns are largely balanced out by the encouraging results they notice in their children. Nevertheless, the fear remains that the results obtained at primary school level will be lost as they move on to middle school. 3.2 The IBI / BEI experience: didactic planning and implementation methods Didactic planning is conducted mainly through planning meetings organised within the school (59%), while planning at a regional level is more limited (14%). With regards to lesson materials, in most cases they are teacher-produced materials (25%) or adapted by the teachers from pre-existing materials (23%). A smaller percentage of teachers prepare materials with their peers (18%), or adapt pre-existing ones together with their school colleagues (18%). The use of prepared (7%) or adapted (7%) materials at regional project group-level is rarer. Finally, sharing materials between teachers from different schools is not common (2%). Significant personal time and effort from teachers in the preparation of teaching materials, whether they are adapted or prepared, is very much in evidence. Having a language assistant in the school is generally highly regarded by both principals and teachers, since it represents a significant contribution to the implementation of the project. While the majority of teachers cited close cooperation and significant support provided by the foreign language assistant, 2 teachers were not fully convinced by their presence. The most commonly used methods of teaching / learning are the following: a) story-telling (76%); b) role play (65%) and c) group work (63%). See Figure 1 for a complete breakdown of the activities.

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FIGURE 1 Activities typically used in the different subjects are shown in Table 2. TABLE 2

Science Observation - formulation of hypothesis and verification through experiments - model building (e.g. scale models) - description of processes

Geography Environmental observations - research - map reading and orientation - analysing and drawing spaces – designing posters

Art Creativity - manipulation - construction - use of different graphic and painting techniques - learning and appreciation of various forms of art – reading/ interpreting images.

FIGURE 2

Modes of learning/teaching

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38%

23%

23%

14%

2%

More developed linguistic skills

Oral production Listening

Oral interaction Reading

Writing

According to the teachers, the children have more highly developed oral skills, which is essential for listening and interaction. As regards the preparation of materials, all teachers state they prepare materials tailored to the children’s particular needs, perhaps simplifying them from a linguistic point of view, but not simplifying the content. Some teachers use materials produced in British schools, thanks to personal contacts with teachers in the UK. With regards to homework, pupils and parents have confirmed that the children are generally autonomous and that they only ask for help from parents "who can speak English" when encountering problems. If they have difficulties with the language, they use both online resources (M. says, "I look for the words’ meaning on Dad’s iPad") and dictionaries. The final point highlighted in the interviews with school principals, teachers and parents regards prospects of and concerns towards the future development of the project. All the teachers involved stated that their main concern was about the future of the children in the transition to middle school. This is because a lack of continuity in the use of English for the subjects of the project could lead to a regression in the learning of the foreign language. Another concern expressed by two teachers regarded having to return to the ‘traditional’ way of teaching once the project has ended.

The need to define guidelines for the transition to middle school was brought up constantly by school principals. Different proposals made were specific to the individual institutions. They included ways of improving teaching English, for instance through extra-curricular activities. This, for example, could be done both with children from the IBI / BEI project and also non IBI/BEI children with adequate language skills. The opportunity to continue with curricular or modular courses in middle school was a further suggestion. In order to answer the families’ questions, it is felt that the USR, along with school principals, should devise possible solutions to respond to this clear and emerging need. The skills developed so far should be continuously developed. This may not happen should the pupils go to mainstream institutions/ contexts

where it is not possible to do so. 3.3 Teacher profiles The profile of the IBI / BEI teacher, based on 46 questionnaires, reveals that experienced teachers took part in the project. Table 3 also illustrates the most salient features of the teachers involved, with a high percentage of them being graduates. A significant proportion (76%) have language certificates, with a considerable amount at Advanced levels (C1 and C2). Figure 3 illustrates the breakdown of the certified language skills. TABLE 3

Average age 46-55 years old (46%)

Average length of service 21-30 years (24%)

Average level of education Degree (54%) Degree in Foreign Languages (20%)

Language skills certification Yes (76%)

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Level of certified language skills B1/B2 (75%) C1/C2 (25%)

Continuity in classes from the beginning of the project

Yes (67%)

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4

Among the respondents, there are 21 teachers that have been part of the IBI / BEI project since the start. The number of teachers with a single class has dropped, from an initial peak of 63% to 46%. All other teachers teach in two or more classes. Figure 4 illustrates the framework of the subjects involved in the project.

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3.4. The role of training: evaluation The training of IBI / BEI teachers was also examined in the questionnaire, in interviews with school principals and in focus groups with teachers. The educational path developed in the framework of the project emerges as a key element for the professional development of IBI / BEI teachers. In the analysis of questionnaire feedback, teachers’ reflections on the training path developed by the Executive Committee, the Operations Team and the USR Group of project of Lombardy are very positive. In particular, teachers particularly enjoyed courses with a practical emphasis, language support and opportunities for contact between schools both in Italy and abroad (see Figure 5). FIGURE 5

Focus groups covered training needs too. With regards to the adequacy of the training received to start the project, only two specialised teachers expressed the need to have more methodological support on IBI / BEI teaching. The majority of teachers (10 out of 17) indicated that it is important to provide language training that focuses on useful language for classroom management and training regarding the emotional aspects of the relationship between pupils and teachers. It should be noted, for example, the need to manage, in English, the relationships with and between children, in different situations such as quarrels or moments of discomfort. Other proposals concern the opportunity to have intensive language training, whereby participants are divided according to their level of language competence. It is clear from the focus groups that the majority of teachers highly rated training that included practical activities with materials to be used in class (10 out of 17 teachers) and also training where materials were shared. Teachers also enjoyed "micro-teaching" activities, when they could do role-plays and experience how their students feel. Job shadowing in schools abroad is considered a useful means to integrate both language training and methodology. As far as the continuation of the project is concerned, the needs highlighted by teachers working on this project are the following:

a) Language training, both in the teaching of a specific subject (48%) and in IBI / BEI classroom management (37%);

b) Training in monitoring and evaluation (17%);

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c) Training in materials design (15%). Teaching skills were developed during the project but the need for language training, including classroom management, still remains today. 3.5. Impact of the project on methodological skills and teaching styles With regards to any changes in teaching methodology, all the teachers involved stated that they have changed their teaching methodology, favouring a more practical and communicative approach in their subjects ("Learning by doing"). This is achieved in class by doing experiments in science and in other subjects through question / answer activities, the use of graphic organisers, posters making and power point presentations. One teacher stressed that, thanks to the use of resources from abroad, the content of lessons has become even richer, and not more limited, as feared at the beginning of the project. In order to feel more supported and encouraged, teachers would like more “class observations" and greater coordination between the schools involved. This is so that they can share advice and information on lesson content and teaching methodology. 3.6. The IBI / BEI pupils: awareness and skills 3.6.1. The teachers’ perspective Teachers were asked to express their opinion, based on their experience, regarding differences between students who have followed a traditional learning path and IBI/BEI pupils. The differences identified by teachers were predominantly qualitative (67% of the answers in the questionnaires). The areas where the most significant differences emerge regard a greater openness towards other cultures and more active learning (42% of the answers). Focus groups with teachers also show that some believe that the IBI / BEI classes are more flexible and characterized by a type of learning more able to promote the transference of knowledge and skills. From a quantitative point of view, however, teachers recognize that IBI / BEI pupils have a better overall understanding of L2 and better use of all language skills (written and oral production and reception), in equal measure. 3.6.2. The children’s perspective Questions in the focus groups with children included questions such as:

a) Do you know that your class is part of a project called IBI /BEI? Do you know what that means?

b) Describe the activities you do in class. Imagine that I do not know anything about what you do. Can you tell me? Can you give me any examples of activities that you do in class?

c) Think of the subjects you study in English: tell me three things that you learned to do in English in geography / science / arts?

d) Can you also tell me three things that you learned to do in Italian in other subjects? e) What activities do you like in the subjects that you study in English? Everyone think of at least

three. f) What activities don’t you like in English? Everyone think of at least two.

The discussion was started with questions (in Italian) and continued by asking students to write down examples that they had thought of. This gave an opportunity to assess both the children’s written and spoken English.

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Focus groups show that ALL students are aware of being part of a pilot project and are excited to have this experience in English: they feel "lucky and privileged" compared to the children who are not doing the IBI / BEI (S. says "If I continue to do so, at the age of 16 I'll be bilingual."). The children naturally described the activities done in class and enjoyed this opportunity to share their experience. The types of activities that children consider the most memorable/enjoyable are the following:

a) science: experiments, designing posters in groups, songs (a group of children sang the song "the photosynthesis");

b) literacy: storytelling, reading booklets, explanations of grammar (which is perceived as useful for " constructing sentences "); use of hands on activities such as "matching cards", acrostics, "songs to learn pronunciation ";

c) geography: explanations given with power point, description of maps; d) arts: drawings, power point/posters about the lives of and techniques used by painters.

The discussion with the children showed their extraordinary motivation and their clear ability to identify examples of acquired skills and classroom activities. They described them both in English and in Italian, moving with ease from one language to the other. There were also moments when, in describing his experiences, a child switched spontaneously to the use of English. 3.6.3. Proficiency levels of students To analyse the language level proficiency of the students involved in IBI / BEI classes, it was decided that a standard task would be set for ALL students attending the fourth year of primary school in the six schools. The task was designed with representative teachers of the schools taking part in the pilot project. The aim was to collect:

a) Written pieces of work in order to form a sample of 20 written pieces per school; b) Recordings of students doing a "picture description" activity. This activity would have a

specific goal, for example to describe a process. 10 recordings per school were collected. The topic of "mountains" was chosen for the written test. An image was used as the starting point for the written task , which was then broken down into several parts by asking pupils some questions. Figure 6 illustrates the activity used. FIGURE 6

For the oral test an image was chosen that would allow children to describe a process, rather than one that would simply have the children give a list of terms and definitions. For this reason, the image shown in Figure 7 was selected, which would enable the children to describe water sources connected to mountains, the related climate, the water cycle, etc..

Written Task Look at the picture and describe what you see. For example, you can write about: - the origins of mountains - the types of mountains you know - any special type of mountain - the animals and plants you can find in the mountains

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FIGURE 7

The aim of the monitoring was to gauge the children’s average level of competence, including peaks of excellence and weakness. The test was given to all children in the fourth year of primary school. Teachers in each school selected 20 written tests and 10 recordings of oral descriptions. The choice of tests to be sent away was usually made by the teachers and their classes, taking into account the pupils’ willingness for their work to be analysed. This process also took into account the policy of inclusion that has characterized the project and therefore the tests monitored included pupils with special educational needs (SEN). In some cases, as noted by several teachers, the written test was seen as a 'challenge' by the students, given that the children were more used to guided written tasks. Many children were writing autonomously for the first time and doing so without making a draft. The analysis of the pupils' work, based on the descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, shows that more than 50% of the samples demonstrated the students’ ability to communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine topics. Some personal notes were also included. Any formal errors did not normally affect the understanding of the message. The quality, therefore, of the writing fully positions the students at A2 level (Elementary / Waystage), according to the Common European Framework of Reference global scale. With reference to the goals for skills development identified by the National Guidelines for the curriculum of kindergarten and first cycle of education of 2012, the written work analysed in the sample seems to lie at a higher level than usual for the fifth year of primary school. The samples seem to be more in line with the goals identified at the end of the lower secondary school level. More detailed comments follow below, with some examples. 3.6.3.1. Strengths and weaknesses of the pupils based on the sample Written production Strengths An important element of the written pieces analysed was the presence of personalisation in the description of the image and the process illustrated. This is an item that falls within the higher end of A2 level descriptors. The tendency for students to use visual aids, not purely for decorative purposes, but to better demonstrate their knowledge, was also noted. This was done, for example, when summarizing (Figure 8) or exemplifying a process (Figure 9). FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9

Spoken Task Look at the picture and describe what you see. For example, you can talk about: - where the water you can see in the picture comes from - where it goes - the important role this water plays in our daily lives

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The written samples also reveal elements of linguistic creativity, which is shown, for instance, in the creation of words made by removing the final vowel of the corresponding Italian word: for example, versant for the Italian "versante." These forms of creativity are fundamental in the process of acquisition / learning of a language. In general, all pupils, (including the weakest), were able to produce a written text with elements of cohesion. This was done through the use of simple connectors and by dividing the text thematically . As far as the learning of subject content is concerned, it should be highlighted that the students’ written work displayed a good mastery of geography, the subject the written test was designed for. Weaknesses During the analysis of the pupils’ written work, the following phenomena were highlighted:

a) generalization, such as the tendency to adopt a single verb form for all persons and the consequent omission of the 's' for the third-person singular of the Present Simple. For example, The magma push up;

b) overcorrection, such as overcorrecting their English, which in the sample was usually expressed by the presence of the 's' with plural subjects or in the base form of the verb. For example, Inside this there is magma that can erupts on the earth’s crust called lava);

c) Deviations in spelling influenced by the English phonetic sounds. Despite these weakness, it should be underlined that in all cases these are signs of positive processing of linguistic data that the students have been exposed to. Oral production Regarding their oral production, the pupils demonstrated their ability to use a series of phrases and sentences to describe, in simple words or with more technical terms, the image shown. They can, therefore, clearly "describe familiar places and processes using words and phrases already encountered when listening and / or reading” (taken from the proposed targets for the end of secondary school in the National Guidelines). Some teachers carried out the oral test in an interactive manner, while others asked students to give a monologue. The interactive samples also showed how the children responded to the interlocutor’s interventions. During the oral tests it was noted that very often the content already described in the written test was rearticulated again in the oral. Strengths In general, students pronounced the English sounds in a correct and accurate way.

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Their oral production was mostly characterized by a significant degree of fluency and by the use of terms and phrases appropriate to the situation. In general, fluency prevailed over accuracy: the third person singular morpheme, for example, was sometimes omitted. Children with special educational needs (SEN) also took part and were able to express themselves clearly, describing briefly the image used as a stimulus. All pupils were able to display a good mastery of the subject content. Weaknesses In the oral samples repetitiveness was more frequent than in the written tests, with limited attempts at personalising. In the samples chosen to exemplify the weakest students, oral production appeared to be rather 'mechanical', as if the result of "recited repetition" of previously memorised content. 3.6.4. Overall The analysis carried out on the sample of oral and written work has resulted in the following considerations.

a) It is important to reflect on how to integrate fluency and the ease in presenting something with greater accuracy. This includes elements of awareness and meta-linguistic reflection, with particular reference to the structuring of sentences.

b) The written work tends to be ambitious, with descriptive elements, and the children’s pronunciation is of a very high standard. In general, according to most of the samples analysed, the oral and written production was at A2 level. This can be considered a very positive achievement, given that the targets for the development of skills at the end of primary school are A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the Council of Europe.

7. Conclusion

Regarding the project and its’ impact, according of the school principals and teachers interviewed, the project has had:

a) a positive effect, particularly on the students' language skills; b) a direct influence on the way teachers teach, improving classroom practice.

The IBI / BEI experience and monitoring has revealed highly commendable results in the level of language skills acquired by children. These often came out at levels significantly higher than those normally attained by primary schools. This was achieved without any loss in knowledge of subject content. The reflections shared by school principals and teachers have also highlighted some innovative aspects of the learning / teaching process, including:

a) the preparation of classroom activities in teams; b) new teaching methods and techniques.

The production of work plans and materials are another important result of the project. Among the strengths of the experience, it should be noted that the project was able to:

c) enhance schooling and offer a choice to families; d) stimulate planning.

To conclude, it can be said that the project is not only changing the planning, teaching practices and materials used in the classes involved, but it is also encouraging a rethinking of the entire offer of the schools involved. Some critical issues have also emerged:

a) the difficulty for teachers in finding materials which are suitable for their classes; b) the constant need to develop teachers’ linguistic and communicative skills; c) the need to not abandon but continue the learning path gained by pupils in the transition to

middle school. Two points are essential for the sustainability of the project and its’ extension:

1) to give continuity to the experience in a vertical curriculum, in order for the children not to lose their skills acquired;

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2) to value the teachers’ skills, at the same time supporting their professional development. In order to guarantee success of the project, it is important to recognize teachers’ existing skills and support their professional development in the field of bilingual education.