The museums become the spaces and tools for learning or improving a foreign language (FL), through integrated content and language learning, with the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) method, which is now a regular feature of Italian schooling.

The CLIL experiences in our museums are specifically geared to this learning function and authentic use of the foreign language, with a range of activities supported by specially designed teaching materials, conducted by staff highly skilled in this methodology.

Activities:

• for Italian-speaking students (or at any rate non-English speakers) a foreign language activity or FL English means activities in English on given topics relating to the museum context.
• for non-Italian speakers (for instance, young immigrants, but also other groups interested for various reasons in this experience), an activity in Italian as a “second language” (L2), instead comprises activities aimed as an introduction to the language and to the culture of Italy.

In each case, however, the museums stand out as formidable “talking” and “facilitating” structures.
Below are the activities proposed. The Duration of all the activities is 2 hours.

The CLIL activities in English and in Italian must be booked online, as with all the MUVE activities.

English

Secondary school (pupils aged 11/18)

Looking for the Right Words
Ca’ Pesaro – Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna

Differently modulated for first and second grade secondary schools, the CLIL activities in English (LS), conducted by highly specialised staff, take the form of interactive conversations which, with the help of support materials that then remain with the students, focus on the works, the spaces, the impressions and the emotions they generate.
Target: 1st grade (last year) and 2nd grade secondary schools
Duration: 2h

Exploring the lagoon
Natural History Museum of Venice Giancarlo Ligabue

A visit held in English (FL) to deepen one’s knowledge of the multiplicity of habitats and organisms that characterise the Venetian lagoon. The workshop includes the observation of finds, the use of cartography and some small experiments, flanked by listening and conversation activities to facilitate the learning of a specialised vocabulary.
Target: 1st grade (last year) and 2nd grade secondary schools
Duration: 2h

Italian

Primary and secondary schools (pupils aged 7/18)

Il Linguaggio delle immagini e delle cose
Ca’ Rezzonico – Venice Eighteen Century Venice Museum
Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo
Ca’ Pesaro – Galleria Internazionale d’Arte MOderna

The museums selected for this activity in Italian L2 are particularly suitable for this kind of experience, thanks to the language of the images, the architecture and the various cultural “objects” displayed, and offer an extraordinary and immediate instrument for cultural exchange, thanks to the specially designed approach. The activities can be targeted not only to whole classes but also to groups of people of different backgrounds and ages. It is also possible to construct personalised approaches based on special needs (for this, please contact education@fmcvenezia.it).
Target: Primary and secondary schools
Duration: 2h

The language of nature
Natural History Museum of Venice Giancarlo Ligabue

An Italian L2 visit intended for non-Italians in the exhibition rooms of the museum, which, with their appealing and engaging layout, allow a multisensory voyage of discovery of the natural world. To facilitate language learning, the visit is enriched with images and finds, interactive maps and sheets that act as back-ups for the listening and conversational activities, offering a first-hand initial experience of the Italian language and culture.
Target: Primary and secondary schools
Duration: 2h