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Physical education, especially in the context of primary school, represents for the child the first and, in some cases, even the only structured setting in which to experiment with motor experiences that have semantic and logical connections with other learnings. It contributes significantly to promote the educational process through the perception of the bodily self, the learning of motor skills, the increase of opportunities to implement motor sequences. in which the child can be fully involved not only on the physical-motor level but also on the cognitive, emotional, and social level. In this context, the aim of this paper is to highlight how, through a conscious pedagogical action oriented towards the proposal of significant motor experiences and the acquisition of new skills, it is possible to promote an adequate didactic planning capable of attributing the right value to motor action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the transition from kindergarten to primary school, children are confronted for the first time with new learning, such as reading, writing and arithmetic. In order for this to happen in the best possible way, it is important that the child possesses a series of prerequisites that involve not only the linguistic sphere, but also the motor sphere. In the first years of life, children explore and learn about the world around them through their bodies and movements. Through motor experiences, the child develops not only his physical skills, but also cognitive skills. Promoting the acquisition of didactic and educational skills through physical activity, becomes essential to be able to exert concrete help especially towards those children who have school difficulties or special educational needs. This paper aims to recognize the value of kindergarten in relation to the learning processes of basic skills of reading, writing, arithmetic, socialization, and cooperation. In particular, the purpose is to demonstrate the positive influence of physical activity on school prerequisites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motor/sports approach offers the possibility of transferring knowledge using the body as a learning tool, allowing students to acquire skills in a practical and engaging way. The aim of this paper is to underline the importance of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in school contexts as a tool to foster inclusion through the teaching of Physical Education. The UDL approach applied to the motor-sports context makes it possible to promote inclusion in training by designing interventions that take into account the different abilities and needs of students. The performance of different activities during the hour of Physical Education tends to encourage the active participation of students, favoring the development of motor skills and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions play a fundamental role in classroom interaction. In particular, in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classrooms the strategic use of questions can strongly influence the learning process regarding both language and content. This paper emphasizes the interplay between questions, classroom discourse, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in CLIL contexts. It categorizes questions as procedural, display, or referential, looking into their implications and potential in terms of providing occasions for scaffolding in classroom interaction and fostering both language and content processing and learning. Moreover, it underscores the pivotal role of well-crafted prompts in guiding generative AI to aid educators in fostering critical thinking, knowledge construction, and language development among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulty to effectively communicate somehow influences an individual’s life in all its stages. In fact, disabled subjects with Complex Communication Needs (CCN) may deal with significant barriers when communicating with others. Therefore, it becomes necessary to strengthen the existing modes of communication, supplementing them with tools to overcome the communication impairment. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools may come to aid us. AAC “lends” a voice to people with impairments communication issues, supporting them in everyday life by means of symbol or image systems, technologies and digital tools specifically adapted for them. In this paper, we propose a didactic method for learning a foreign language by means of Augmentative and Alternative Communication and with the support of pictograms, for low-functioning ASD students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasing importance of digitalization in all levels of education, it is crucial to focus on innovative methodologies that leverage digital tools to enhance the learning process. To this end, this contribution proposes a strategy centered on establishing student-faculty partnerships. This approach provides students with the opportunity to actively contribute to their own learning journey and become more engaged in the process, thanks to the personalized attention given to their educational needs and interests by teachers and the wider school environment. The focus of the specific cooperation described in this paper is to define a digital framework for classroom activities. In addition to the numerous benefits that can arise from this partnership, it is also essential to establish a connection between secondary schools and higher education institutions, which are increasingly sensitive to student engagement, as students can leverage the skills and knowledge acquired at earlier stages of their education to successfully navigate their future career paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocabulary acquisition supports learners’ decoding of linguistic input and the production of linguistic output. While vocabulary pedagogy rests traditionally on the intentional teaching of lexis, whereby learners deliberately memorise vocabulary items, learners can also acquire lexis unconsciously through their exposure to the target language, thus activating implicit processes of incidental vocabulary acquisition. As the role of incidental vocabulary learning is the topic of extensive research in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), this paper provides an overview of some empirical studies which demonstrate its effectiveness and explores some possible implications for L2 vocabulary teaching along with some suggestions for language teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In foreign language teaching, the study of place names provides an opportunity for cooperation of several branches of knowledge and can tell us much about major socio-cultural influences on communities of speakers. Introducing placenames in language teaching can give students tools for thinking about how places get named, following a cross-disciplinary approach. This paper concentrates on English language toponymy, due to the world-wide presence of English-speaking communities. Starting with a brief presentation of the relevant terminology, it illustrates the main historical factors shaping English toponymy and offers a series of suggestions for cross-disciplinary projects and activities in English language and culture teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illustrates some teaching activities for introducing hedging in argumentative writing within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) upper secondary school classes. After introducing the concepts of metadiscourse and hedging, we give a short overview of studies on the use of hedges in EFL students’ writing. Although many hedge words are introduced early on in EFL syllabi, these structures are particularly hard to master given their pragmatic nature and the lack of systematic form-meaning correspondences. For this reason, we propose a set of awareness-raising activities to be implemented with intermediate and upper-intermediate students based on common hedges per CEFR level1 and on the illustration-interaction-induction teaching method². [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) in education have a long history, but their frequency, heterogeneity and order of magnitude have changed over the years. No matter what education systems may look like in the future, these tools are here to stay and will likely be applied in new countries. Two factors have favoured the expansion of ILSAs: the growing emphasis on educational accountability and the importance of evidence-based research. This growth has led to increased visibility and debates over interpretations and the implications of the results. Although there is widespread recognition that these surveys can provide invaluable information, researchers have little consensus about what types of comparisons are the most meaningful and what could be done to assure more sound interpretation. This paper aims to explore and analyse the arguments about the uses and consequences of ILSAs, highlighting, in particular, their rationales, strengths, limitations, and complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]