INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION AND LEARNING ENGLISH AT PRIMARY SCHOOL IN TUSCANY: CREATIVE PERSPECTIVES, CURRENT CHALLENGES, AND POSSIBLE APPROACHES

This paper considers important contributions from language teaching and learning literature, so as to identify current challenges and issues related to initial teacher education in the preparation of trainee Primary School teachers to teach English in Primary School in Italy. It then examines the role of the English Language Learning-Teaching Methodology Workshops in initial teacher education in the context of the recently instituted five-year Degree Course in Primary Education at the University of Florence (2011). This is followed by a brief account of the English Language Learning and Teaching Methodology Workshop for the initial cohorts (aa. 2011-2016), and the use of reference documents and tools (Council of Europe and National Guidelines) for language teachers as a starting-point for the development of the methodology curriculum within the degree-course. The initial English Language teacher-training gaps and a possible way to address the issues follow. The results of the study identify possible future directions and issues which, at least in the University of Florence context, appear to be of major importance. Said issues also have a profound impact on teaching-learning contexts, and, most likely, demand meaningful actions if they are to be resolved in a productive way both for pre- and inservice teachers as well as their learners.