Intercultural and Inter-linguistic Models in disadvantaged migration contexts

This chapter illustrates the research projects carried out by a team working atthe Università per Stranieri Siena which began in 2005 and, in 2008, obtained the recognitionof the European Label. The project was further carried through additional actionsfinanced by the Region of Tuscany (2009 and 2012). This action research examines thepopulation of detention centres where, in recent years, a consistent growing number offoreign inmates has been registered, with consequent modifications of communicationrituals spontaneously created by the new multilingual and multicultural context. Indeed,there have recently been relevant communication problems not only among inmates butalso between inmates and prison personnel and teachers who work inside the centres.This research analysed the modalities of interaction between foreign inmates and prisonpersonnel and has gone as far as to propose modalities of intervention through masterclasses in didactics for instructors of Italian as L2 and intercultural communication foroperators and for educational linguists. Curricular models and customized methods forreaching the A2 level have been developed according to the concept of partial abilityillustrated by the CEFR, a specific manual for foreign inmates, and finally, sectorialsyllabi for the B2 level (again partial) usable at a more general level for language andprofessional training of immigrants.