Raccontare storie ai bambini in italiano L2

[Autom. eng. transl.] The paper aims to illustrate the role that narration can play in language teaching to child learners, with a focus on teaching Italian as a second language (L2), in order to provide theoretical-methodological reflections and operational proposals. Over the last decades, language education has evolved significantly and, in order to achieve the model of a multilingual learner proposed in the Complementary Volume of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, it is necessary to identify and take into account the needs of new audiences of learners. Among them, child learners require particular attention from language teachers. Today, in fact, there is a wide diffusion of initiatives for language learning to children, thanks to the influence of the policies of the Council of Europe, and numerous studies are dedicated to language education in school and pre-school age. Childhood glottodidactics, responding to the needs of contemporary society, has identified the profile of the child learner, characterized by a notable cerebral plasticity and a natural predisposition to linguistic acquisition, and has outlined specific approaches and methods for this type of learner. Among the lines of research dedicated to teaching languages to children, this study focuses on the theme of narration: the story becomes the common thread for teaching Italian and for promoting a plurilingual and intercultural education. Written and oral fables, illustrated books and silent books are configured as effective tools for involving children in stories and for providing significant and motivating communicative experiences. In this study, after having outlined the advantages of using narration for language learning, the contents of a training and refresher course for teachers of Italian abroad are illustrated. Subsequently, examples of activities and teaching paths for child learners of Italian LS focused on narration are presented. In the final part of the work, the results of an interview with some teachers on their perception of the formative effectiveness of narration in teaching Italian to child learners abroad are commented on.