75 Years of Foreign Language Policy in Italian Schools: The Role of ANILS

Abstract

During the Fascist regime, foreign language teaching was prohibited. After the war, one of the main factors – both symbolic and factual – of Italy opening up to the world was the renovated role of foreign languages in the Italian School system. ANILS, the National Association of Foreign Language Teachers, has been active in Italy since 1947, and this article deals with its role in defining the main lines of linguistic policy in the Italian school system for the last 75 years. The authors, both former presidents of the Association, claim that ANILS gave a relevant contribution to moist of the innovative ideas that changed the role and the teaching of foreign languages of Italian as a Second and Foreign Language in Italy.