THE PROBLEM OF BILINGUALISM IN THE LIGHT OF THE LINGUISTIC SITUATION OF FOREIGN STUDENTS IN ITALY

The article is devoted to the issue of bilingualism in the Italian educational environment. An analysis of the phenomenon of bilingualism as a social product includes a series of social, as well as historical, cultural, demographic and didactic factors. The specific role of bilingualism in the contemporary context is analyzed on the example of Italian society. A particular attention is paid to the issue of effective teaching of bilingual students.The analysis of PISA survey data and other statistical materials (Eurydice, Eurostat), leads us to the conclusion that the need for teaching Italian language has grown strongly in recent years, while the level of the educational offer is still insufficient. The growth of these phenomena is often caused by external conditions of social nature, as well as by the vertical position of bilingualism, which often recognizes the value of the local language, at the expense of the first language.

bilingual students, Italian educational environment, socio-cultural profile of the foreign student, vertical bilingualism