Inter-Action: Interculture, Second Language And Non-formal Education

“Within the word we find two dimensions, reflection and action, in such radical interaction that if one is sacrificed—even in part—the other immediately suffers […] When a word is deprived of its dimension of action, reflection automatically suffers as well; and the word is changed into idle chatter, into verbalism, into an alienated and alienating "blah." It becomes an empty word, one which cannot denounce the world, for denunciation is impossible without a commitment to transform, and there is no transformation without action” (Freire, 2005, p. 87). As reported in the words of the Brazilian pedagogue, one cannot separate the word/language from the transformative effect it can have on the world. Awareness of this link is foundational, for example, in second language learning pathways aimed at migrants, where the main effect of this failed partnership can result in the debacle of the integration pathway. For those who make a migration, language becomes a significant element to relate to the new reality, to respond to social, communicative and normative needs (Presidential Decree 179/11). In addition, a foundational element of human relations is interaction, a concept that in itself designates the need for prospects of coexistence to be built together (Pinto Minerva, 2002). Despite this, the encounter between individuals from different countries, each carrying different languages, values, religions, and modes of thought and behavior, often leads to the emergence of misunderstandings and conflicts in the field of relationships (Portera, 2019). For these reasons there has been a growing awareness over time that pathways to learning the language of the country of immigration cannot be based solely on the acquisition of purely linguistic skills. In fact, learning SL in the classroom is often accompanied by a whole series of activities that can only be defined as intercultural as they aim at social inclusion, cross-cultural relations and the creation of shared experiences between natives and immigrants. Intercultural activities, therefore, could embody the aspect of action indicated by Paulo Freire, since they have as a prerequisite a transformative action on the world and on the perception of otherness. Based on these assumptions, between October 2021 and September 2022, a qualitative research was conducted in the city of Rome aimed at gathering information on non-formal SL services and the intercultural activities they carry out alongside the language teaching pursued in the classroom. A total of 60 semistructured interviews were conducted targeting both enrolled migrants (35) and teachers (25), who reported on the intercultural activities, the aspects that positively connote this type of experience and, at the same time, the still critical elements that limit its potential