A guide for teachers and schools to using foreign languages in content teaching Maria Pavesi Daniela Bertocchi Marie Hofmannová Monika Kazianka General editor: Gisella Langé T E A C H I N G T H R O U G H A F O R E I G N L A N G U A G E Teaching through a foreign language
I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity to write a prefatory note for this publication. I am particularly pleased to do so in my present role as the Minister of Education of a country belonging to the European Union and the European Council. The Union and the Council have repeatedly insisted on the great importance of the learning of foreign languages along with the national language, for different reasons such as achieving good academic standards, but also for the reinforcement of positive relationships between peoples, and specifically among the peoples of the European Union. Italy, after years of uncertainty, has started to pursue this goal, first through extensive ministerial pilot programmes, and then by deciding to introduce a first foreign language in the first year of primary school, and a second foreign language in the fifth. It was also decided that one of these two languages should be English, but without it being necessarily the first one. Consequently, I am also pleased to be given this opportunity to set down on record the decision taken by Italy, the country of which I am
