1. 1 The new pilot project in Lombardy for adult migrant newcomers: Certify your Italian. A language for knowing and making yourself known Certifica il tuo Italiano. La lingua per conoscere e farsi conoscere Direzione Generale Famiglia e Solidarietà Sociale Regione Lombardia - ITALY Ministero della Solidarietà Sociale Direzione generale sullimmigrazione Strasbourg, 26-27 June 2008 THE LINGUISTIC INTEGRATION OF ADULT MIGRANTS INTERGOVERNMENTAL SEMINAR

2. 2 Linguistic learning and migrants integration Basing on these assumptions, the Lombardy Region, through decree n° VIII/001519 of December 22, 2005, adhered to a programme enacted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies meant to promote Italian language learning actions through the experimentation project called …

3. 3 … CERTIFY YOUR ITALIAN. A language for knowing and making yourself known Free Italian courses for foreigners Aimed at preparing them to get the Italian Certification as a second Language (Certificazione Italiano L2) Certifica il tuo italiano. La lingua per conoscere e farsi conoscere

4. 4 The project The project is a set of integrated actions among different institutions, which deal with immigration and foreign citizenssocial and cultural integration. To carry out this project, and in order to regulate implementing the foreseen activities by specifying their purposes, the Lombardy Region (Family and Social Solidarity Department) signed a preliminary protocol with: Osservatorio Regionale della Lombardia per lintegrazione e la multiethincità Fondazione Ismu Ufficio Scolastico per la Lombardia

5. 5 Main objectives 1) Improvement of Italian language skills for lately immigrated young and adults (in view of their full social and professional integration); 2) Spreading of the Italian Certification practice, according to the reference standards provided by the Common European Language Framework (in view of an improvement and enhancement of acquired skills); 3) increasing the number of issued certifications on a regional scale, and strengthening partnership and mutual cooperation among the institutions dealing with immigration.

6. 6 The projects main actions Project promotion among migrants Teachers training courses (general and specific training on certification procedures) Implementation of free courses of Italian language for adult beginners with flexible and modular Implementation of the international certification (treshold levels) quantitative and qualitative monitoring 20 interviews (students, 4 focus groups (teachers), 169 questionaries (teachers), 664 questionnaires (students)

7. Progetto Certifica il tuo Italiano La lingua per conoscere e farsi conoscere INTEGRATED ACTIONS 125 schools, associations 270 courses 3.100 new migrant adults involved 1800 CILS, IT, PLIDA certificates issued 350 school teachers and volonteers 117 teachers of the project courses Albanian Arab Brasilian Chinese French Hindi English Romanian Russian Spanish Tagalog Interviews focus groups questinoaries for teachers and students Database migrant students and teachers Dati del monitoraggio quantitativo ISMU 2007 Ministero della Solidarietà Sociale Direzione generale sullimmigrazione

8. The project network: different organizations network includes 122 members (local authorities, schools, territorial training centres, and other associations) The high number of different organizations that have adhered to network agreements is an evidence of the high visibility of this project Fulfilment of the objective to enlarging the territorial cooperation network among local authorities, school and private social organizations 8

9. 9 Collected data Preliminary analyses on collected data underline that the project reached 3.100 new migrants: Women 69% Men 31% Women employed in the elderly assistance, young unemployed, emarginated adult migrants involved: a network of 120 schools and institutions 350 teachers in special training

10. Progetto Certifica il tuo Italiano La lingua per conoscere e farsi conoscere Certification courses Italian L2 Felexible and modular duration: 20 – 30 – 40 hours Chance to take the final examination after 20 hours as well after 80 hours, in 1 month as well in 18 months School time: in the morning in the afternoon in the evening 125 schools and different associations Società Dante Alighieri PLIDA Certification Università Roma 3 IT Certification Università per Stranieri di Siena CILS Certification Positive action for adult new migrants Dati del monitoraggio quantitativo ISMU 2007 Ministero della Solidarietà Sociale Direzione generale sullimmigrazione

11. 11 Positive feedback from students questionaries I have appreciated a lot Italian conversation at school, because outside I do not speak Italian. I do not have Italian friends Their best motivations on attending these courses are the following: 1° For my job 2° To feel myself more confident 3° To go on my studies 4° To live better in Italy

12. 12 Conclusion: some students final comment Just yesterday night, I dreamt in Italian. This morning I told my husband: «Do you know that I have dreamt in Italian for the first time in my life? » Writing a letter in Italian to express my gratefulness to those who helped me gave me a great satisfaction Regione Lombardia - Direzione Generale Famiglia e Solidarietà Sociale For more info write at clara_demarchi@regione.lombardia.it

13. For information about projcet Certifica il tuo italiano For more info on this project write at : clara_demarchi@regione.lombardia.it e.rinaldi@ismu.org.rinaldi@ismu.org nella.papa@alice.it Regione Lombardia Direzione Generale Famiglia e Solidarietà Sociale www.famiglia.regione.lombardia.it Ministero del Lavoro, della Salute e delle Politiche Sociali Direzione Generale dellImmigrazione www.solidarietasociale.gov.it