(August 25, 2016) Second national meeting of middle schools and junior high Italian teachers at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI), scheduled Friday 9 and Saturday 10 September at the Lugano campus. “The ‘Italiamo’ conference, organized in collaboration with the Swiss Association of Professors of Italian (Aspi-Vsi), is a meeting place for teachers of Italian from all over Switzerland – as stated on the Italian Institute of Culture in Zurich website – During the conference the teachers will be able to update each other on the teaching of Italian in Switzerland, known teachers of Italian Switzerland (L1 and L2), get informed about the existing activities for promoting the Italian language (exchange, stays, projects) and to increase dialogue with the attending institutions (the Federal Office of culture, the forum for the Italian, high schools, universities, radio and television). ” As for the conference program some of the events of the previous edition that have proved most interesting and profitable will be replicated, including the “exhibition space” that in this second edition will have two dedicated moments on Friday, when participating teachers will discuss the respective school systems and learn about existing projects for promoting the Italian language; and on Saturday, when it will be possible to know the teachers of Italian Switzerland and visit the stand of the publishing house Casagrande. In this edition, through workshops (Friday), and a speed-date (Saturday, during the “exhibition space”), the spaces for reflection between teachers have been increased. The “Italiamo” conference also intends to open the discussion on the latest news on the subject of promotion of Italian language in Switzerland; in particular it will be presented the “Message on culture 2016-2020” (approved by Parliament June 19, 2015) which provides, on the one hand, the increase in the supply of bilingual maturity in the German and French-speaking Switzerland, and the other hand a greater investment in support of cultural events aimed at promoting the Italian language. (Red)
