Connecting English Wor(l)ds and Classroom Practices

This paper stems from a project realized in three primary schools in Italy. One of the project’s aims was to raise pupils’ awareness of the presence of English in their out-of-school environment, and of the plurality into which it has developed, not least in connection to their first-hand experiences in multicultural classes and of ELF in their daily life. The project developed into several steps, including experiences of internationally-oriented communication via ELF in exchanges with other European classes. Primary teachers’ awareness of their pupils’ contacts with English in the outside-school environment and of attitudes towards the inclusion of Englishes in pedagogic practices were also explored in a follow-up phase. The paper deals with the activities aimed at fostering awareness of English in the linguistic environment, of the plurality of English(es) and of its lingua franca role, and explores how this approach can be applied to other educational contexts. Implications for syllabus and curriculum design and teacher education are also discussed.