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THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Foreword
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
now Minister of Education.
Allow me to comment on the wisdom of introducing more than one
foreign language by the fifth year. It is based on the recognition of the
world-wide role of English as a lingua franca and language of
international scientific and technical communication. But this
recognition is also extended to the existence of other languages, the