Abstract
This study presents a web-based sentence comprehension test aimed at identifying high school students who are at risk for a language delay. By assessing linguistic skills on a sample of high school students with Italian as an L2 and their monolingual peers, attending a vocational school, we were able to identify a subgroup of L2 students with consistent difficulties in sentence comprehension, though their reading skills were within the average range. The same subgroup revealed to experience a lack of support within the school context, suggesting that poor L2 skills might be a critical variable to consider in order to identify students at risk for school exclusion. Regarding the test, accuracy to the on-line sentence comprehension task was significantly predicted by reading abilities and vocabulary skills, thus indicating that this test might represent a rapid but efficient way to assess linguistic abilities at school. We recommend that establishing a valid and practical procedure for the evaluation of linguistic skills in bilingual students who struggle with their L2 is the first step toward promoting social inclusion in the multilingual classroom, in order to increase their ability to actively participate in school and social activities.
Highlights
The Italian educational system is currently undergoing a significant change toward promoting inclusion of students coming from the most diverse backgrounds
The lack of empirical studies on the language and learning profile of Italian L2 teenagers has made it difficult to clarify whether this population might be effectively considered at risk for school exclusion, as national reports seem to indicate (ISTAT, 2016)
To shed light on the nature of the problems that might characterize L2 adolescents, their learning profile as well as their language ability, the present study compared a group of L2 participants with a group of L1 peers that attended the same vocational school
Summary
The Italian educational system is currently undergoing a significant change toward promoting inclusion of students coming from the most diverse backgrounds. To this aim, in the last few years, a tremendous transformation took place in terms of digital technology enhancement in the classroom. Moving from the assumption that, in the digital classroom, teachers must be equipped with online instruments able to identify those students who might show a learning or linguistic problem that might prevent their full integration within the classroom, we present a web-based tool that allows discriminating those students that belong to a population at potential risk for a language problem, and for school exclusion: teenagers speaking Italian as an L2 ( L2 students). In the very same years, the rapid growth in the number of students with learning difficulties of the most heterogeneous nature (e.g., specific learning disorders; atypical language acquisition; language or cultural deprivation) had a critical impact on the schooling system making it difficult to foresee educational programs able to integrate and include the greatest number of pupils and in particular those at risk of school exclusion (Contini, 2013).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
