LESLLA Country Overview: Italy

Abstract

The paper gives an overview of the context, policies, and educational provisions for LESLLA migrants in Italy. It highlights the shift in Italy’s demography, with the transition from a country of emigrants to one of immigrants and a notable increase in the migrant population starting from the turn of the century. It discusses the difficulty in obtaining statistical data about LESLLA migrants. The second section presents the legislative framework governing the residency and citizenship language requirements for migrants and their impact on vulnerable groups, such as LESLLA learners. It also provides an explanation of the terms used in Italy to refer to LESLLA learners and learning. The third part focuses on the role of public educational institutions, particularly the CPIA (Centri Provinciali per l’Istruzione degli Adulti), in providing literacy and language education to LESLLA learners. It notes the historical ambiguity in distinguishing the educational needs of LESLLA learners from Italian non-/low- literate adults and other migrant profiles, as well as the evolving recognition of their specific needs. The role of voluntary associations and NGOs in supplementing public education efforts is also highlighted, along with the importance of advocacy by teachers, scholars, and third-sector organisations in shaping policies and practices.The last section examines the teaching approaches adopted for LESLLA learners, noting the decreasing adoption of methods prioritising technical literacy acquisition and the increasing success of action-oriented approaches aligned with the CEFR model and empowerment stances. It underscores the need for specialised training for LESLLA teachers and the positive impact of institutional support and collaboration with universities and research centres. Despite the progress, the document calls for more stable and inclusive legislative measures to ensure the sustainability of literacy and language courses for LESLLA learners in Italy.