C O N T E N T S Anna Fresco Cecilia Perillo Joanna Carter

C O N T E N T S
Comunicazione
interculturale 2, 3
Teaching cultural studies 5
Intercultural approach
Apprendimento
8
del lessico in L2 13
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
LANG
matters
The European Union have designated the year
2008 as the ‘European Year Of Intercultural dialogue’, “an open and respectful
exchange of views between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures
that leads to a deeper understanding of the other’s global perception.” (White
Paper on Intercultural Dialogue). In acknowledgment of the European Union’s
decision this is the first of two editions of LANG matters dedicated to the theme
of intercultural dialogue.
An effective dialogue encourages the respectful sharing of ideas and its objective
is to enable us to live together peacefully in a multicultural world made up of individuals
equipped with different (long live our differences!) patterns of thinking and
feeling which have been acquired in ‘lifelong and lifewide learning’. It is the collective
programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group from
another, and Paolo Balboni, in our opening article, suggests that Hofstede’s “software
of the mind” can help us to observe intercultural communication and avoid
cultural misunderstandings: dialogare, si… ma attenti ai fischi per fiaschi.
Donata Bazato and Fiona Dalziel stress the fact that “fostering intercultural dialogue
through cultural studies” provides an ideal opportunity to work on themes
such as globalization, migratory flows and multicultural society and present stimulating
ways in which students can gain a deeper understanding of these phenomena.
Well, fasten your seatbelts to the world and watch out for the different behavioural
norms you may encounter in other countries. Even minor cultural differences can
become major barriers to communication and cooperation and therefore Angela
Vanni talks about “consapevolezza interculturale: una chiave per l’incontro e il
dialogo fra culture diverse”. The project aims to demystify these cultural differences,
and “put the idea in the minds of students that it is useful and fun to learn
about different cultures.”
An intercultural approach to the teaching of civilization can be achieved through
creative and stimulating lessons as shown in Aldo Magagnino’s article, ‘An
Experience in Multiculturalism and Inclusion’. Through surfing the net, drawings,
posters, songs to aid children with visual disabilities, etching techniques and a
musician who can play the didgeridoo, a class of wonderful students at the Istituto
Comprensivo Polo 2 in Gallipoli now know what ‘Waltzing Matilda’ is all about.
In addition, in this issue Anila Scott-Monkhouse offers an extensive range of
challenging and interesting activities and continues the theme of revision and recycling
language through ‘parole, parole, parole’ suggesting that Neuro-Lingusitic
Programming (NLP) and the Multiple Intelligence theory are both useful for vocabulary
retention and revision.
We would like to thank you, the readers, for supporting this magazine through letters
and constant feedback. Our Methodology Section is much appreciated and
we hope you find the articles informative and useful. Please continue to write to us
as we feel it is important to hear your points of view!
Anna Fresco Cecilia Perillo
LANG Editorial Director Joanna Carter
Scuola secondaria di I grado Editors LANG Matters
Scuola superiore
IN CASO DI MANCATO RECAPITO INVIARE AL CMP/CPO DI STRADA CEBROSA, 5 SETTIMO T.SE
PER LA RESTITUZIONE AL MITTENTE PREVIO PAGAMENTO RESI

Fostering intercultural dialogue
through through
cultural studies
The decision of the European Commission to
designate 2008 as the European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue is proof that cultural diversity is now a fact of
life on this continent. Migration trends have been
influenced both by the enlargement of Europe and by
globalization, and the result is that multiculturalism is
on the rise. Such changes could be advantageous and
enriching for European society as citizens have the
chance to learn about new cultures, yet they also pose
challenges concerning integration. Clearly educators
have the responsibility to ensure that the young
people of today who are growing up in multicultural
Europe are as well-prepared as possible to meet these
challenges. The teaching of cultural studies,
a component of foreign language teaching in Italian
schools, also has a role to play in facilitating
intercultural dialogue. Firstly, by learning about and
reflecting on the similarities and differences between
one’s own cultural heritage and that of the target
nation(s), students can become more aware of how
the society we come from shapes our attitudes and
indeed our identity, and, of course that difference
should not in any way be equated with inferiority.
Cultural studies teaching also provides an ideal
opportunity to introduce themes such as globalization,
migratory flows and multicultural society. In this way,
students can gain a deeper understanding of these
phenomena and of the difficulties faced by people who
have to integrate into a new society with unfamiliar
cultural traditions.
In Around the Globe, a cultural studies textbook
aimed at students at Scuola Superiore, such themes
are presented from different perspectives. There
follows a number of examples taken from the book.
Example 1: Variety is the spice of life
As is well known, the United Kingdom is one of the
most striking examples of multicultural society in
Europe; London and other major cities have a very
high proportion of inhabitants belonging to ethnic
minority groups. An English language teacher cannot
avoid dealing with this topic if students are to acquire
understanding of modern British society. The following
extracts, taken from a Home Office handbook for
immigrants applying for British citizenship, are an
excellent way of introducing the historical background
to the UK’s adopted model of racial integration, often
described using the term mosaic. By means of the
comprehension questions which accompany the
passage, students should realize that the UK model,
dating back over 50 years, has always tried to favour
integration while maintaining cultural diversity. The
three short extracts highlight the advantages of this
model which is in line with the approach promoted by
the European Commission. The activity is challenging:
instead of being given a straightforward explicatory
text explaining the British model, students have to
by Donata Banzato and Fiona Dalziel
compare the statements, interpret them and draw
their own conclusions. In this way, the activity
becomes both more motivating and more memorable.
In Around the Globe, this reading activity is
accompanied by many others touching on various
aspects of multicultural society, which give a fuller
picture of the British experience.
Variety is the spice of life
“ Integration does not mean the loss by immigrants of
their own national characteristics and culture. I do not
think we need in this country a “melting pot”. I define
integration not as a flattening process of assimilation,
but an equal opportunity, accompanied by cultural
diversity in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance. (Roy
“
Jenkins, Home Secretary, 1966)
To be British does not mean assimilation into a common
culture so that original identities are lost. There is no
reason why loss of a distinctive identity within a wider
British identity should occur from immigrants from the
new Commonwealth or from elsewhere. There is
wisdom in the old saying “variety is the spice of life”.
(Home Secretary Report, 2003)
“
To be British seems to us mean that we respect the law,
the democratic political structures, traditional values of
mutual tolerance, respect for equal rights and mutual
concern and that we give our allegiance to the state in
return for its protection. (Home Secretary Report, 2003)
Glossary
allegiance fedeltà
to flatten appiattire
Home Secretary ministro degli interni
loss perdita
melting pot crogiolo (di popoli)
wisdom saggezza
Reading
The Home Office is the British Government Department
responsible for national security and immigration
policies. Read the passage and then answer the
questions.
1. Have attitudes towards integration changed in the
UK in the last 40 years?
2. What are the advantages of integration?
3. What are the risks of a melting pot?
4. What must British citizens of any race respect?
5. Can you understand why British multicultural society
is called a mosaic?
6. What do you think about the concept of
multiculturalism expressed in these statements?
LANG matters 3

SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO E SCUOLA SUPERIORE
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
Example 2: Globalization
If the teacher wishes to place the phenomena of
migration and multiculturalism in a wider perspective
and to help students express themselves more easily
on these complex but highly relevant topics, the
following two activities can be used. The first is a
listing task and serves as an initial brainstorming
activity. Given the complexity of globalization, it may
be difficult to distinguish clearly between its cause and
4 LANG matters
GLOBAL PROBLEMS
Globalization is a very complex phenomenon, determined
by the growing integration of economic, political, social
and cultural systems across the world. It influences
everybody’s lives, from the food we eat and the clothes we
wear to the jobs we do.
Four causes and six effects of globalization are listed
below, in scrambled order. Divide the items into two
columns, and then compare your results with those of your classmates:
integration of financial markets, economic growth, cheaper products, improvements in transport and
communication, growing economic disparity between countries, new job opportunities, technological
innovation, outsourcing, poor working conditions, standardization of lifestyles.
Causes of globalization Effects of globalization
.................................................... ....................................................
.................................................... ....................................................
.................................................... ....................................................
.................................................... ....................................................
.................................................... ....................................................
SPEAKING
LISTING
Consider the items which you and your classmates have
chosen as effects. Which ones can be considered positive
and which ones can be considered negative, and why?
Example 3: The legacy of 9/11
Although the study of multiculturalism aims to
highlight the positive aspects of diversity, it cannot be
ignored that integration is not always a smooth
process. Even in those countries, such as the UK or
the USA, where multiculturalism is well established,
the peaceful co-existence of different ethnic groups
cannot be taken for granted. This has been proved by
the reaction to the events of 11 th September, 2001,
which led to an increase in mistrust of Muslim
effects, but the important thing is for students to start
reflecting on a process which has such an immense
influence on 21 st century life. The speaking activity
may give rise to a class discussion, from which the
contradictory nature of globalization should emerge.
The fact that in both activities different answers are
possible and personal opinions can be expressed
encourages students to reason about different points
of view.
communities around the world. This is the focus of the
following passage and tasks, which can be used to
conclude a series of activities related to the terrorist
attacks of 9/11. The final speaking task requires
students to relate all they have learned so far to their
own country, in the hope that this will help them to
approach such issues with an open mind, relying on
knowledge of the facts rather than hearsay and purely
emotional responses.

Multiculturalism
in danger
Since 9/11, the peaceful co-existence of different
racial groups has become more difficult
to achieve. The terrorist attacks caused a wave
of islamophobia in America and in Europe, even
though US Muslim organizations publicly condemned
the attacks and offered support for the victims and their
families. The negative perception of Islam in the UK
was reinforced by the act of terrorism which occurred
in London on 7 th July 2007. At 8.50 a.m. bombs
exploded on three underground trains, and one hour
later, at 9.47, a fourth bomb exploded on a bus.
The bombings killed 56 people, injured 700
and caused severe disruption of the city’s transport
system. 7/7 was the deadliest bombing of the city
since the Second World War. Al-Qaeda officially
claimed responsibility for the bombings as a response
to the British involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
and the invasion of Afghanistan.
On 11 th March 2004, Madrid’s transport system was hit by a
series of bombings, which caused the death of 191 people.
The official investigation determined that the attacks were
directed by an Al-Qaeda inspired terrorist group. In 2005,
11 th March was established as the European Day for the
Victims of Terrorism.
The US and international military response to
9/11 has not stopped acts of terrorism. This problem
has been on the agenda of the United Nations for
decades, and in the last few years countries around
the world have been trying to find a common strategy
to fight it. Plans include strengthening the role of the
United Nations in combating terrorism, finding
diplomatic solutions to the problems which have
caused conflicts and ensuring respect for human rights.
Efforts are being made to promote peaceful
co-existence in multicultural societies.
PRE-READING
1. What do you remember about the ethnic
composition of the USA and the UK?
2. What do you remember about their different
models of racial integration?
READING
Read the passage and answer the questions.
1. What are the challenges for multicultural societies?
2. Which terrorist event took place in the UK some
years ago?
3. Who claimed responsibility for this event?
4. Why have 9/11 and 7/7 weakened multiculturalism?
5. What is the United Nations Organization trying to do?
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Answer the questions.
1. Could your country be defined a multiracial society?
2. How does your country encourage racial
integration (information in different languages, free
access to schools and hospitals, respect for religious
beliefs, etc.)?
3. Are there prejudices against people from other
countries?
4. Is the fear of terrorism widespread?
Donata Banzato is a teacher of English at scuola secondaria di primo grado in Padova. Her work experience also includes
teacher training.
Fiona Dalziel is a university English researcher at the University of Padova, where she co-ordinates the piloting of the
European Language Portfolio for the Language Centre.
Donata Banzato and Fiona Dalziel have collaborated for many years in the field of language teaching and on the design of
civiltà materials. They are authors of Culture Lab (2005), a course for scuola secondaria di primo grado, and Around the
Globe (2008), a course for scuola secondaria di secondo grado. Both textbooks are published by LANG.
donatabanzato@virgilio.it; fdalziel@libero.it
LANG matters 5

SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO E SCUOLA SUPERIORE
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
Consape Consapevvolezza
olezza
interculturale:
interculturale:
una chiave per l’incontro e il dialogo fra culture diverse
“Today, travelling has become necessary
and accessible to more and more people.
This increased mobility exposes millions
of travellers every day to new cultures, customs
and languages. Without education, dialogue
can be difficult and misunderstandings can arise.
You can get yourself in all sorts of trouble in other
countries by not having an understanding of their
cultural language. Much of our behaviour can
mean other things in other countries, some
of it amusing, some of it extremely offensive.
One gesture, or movement, or expression, may
have many different meanings, just as our verbal
language has words which may have different
meanings. […]
Some people, when travelling to new countries,
may forget to consider the different behavioural
norms they are likely to encounter and behave
exactly as they do at home. In such circumstances,
even minor cultural differences can become major
barriers to communication and cooperation.
This project aims to demystify these cultural
differences and encourage visitors to embrace
them.”
La citazione non è tratta da un ponderoso volume
per addetti ai lavori sugli aspetti socioculturali
e interculturali della competenza comunicativa,
ma dalla presentazione del progetto Fasten your
Seatbelts to the World, ideato e realizzato dalla
European Commission’s Socrates-Lingua department
in collaborazione con Fortis Bank & Insurance.
Le clips che spiegano Do’s & Don’ts in diversi paesi
europei e quelle che presentano 20 lingue europee
sono accessibili ai viaggiatori all’aeroporto di
Bruxelles e sugli aerei di alcune compagnie.
“The beauty of Europe lies in the fact that even
though there is a firm movement towards
standardisation for the sake of efficiency, there
is a strong will to cultivate and to promote the
diversity of languages and cultures of the different
states. With our project we would like to
contribute to this important philosophy.
More generally, and perhaps a little less
pretentiously, we would simply like to put the idea
in the minds of the passengers that it is useful
and fun to learn about cultural differences.”
6 LANG matters
di Angela Vanni
Abbiamo tradotto questi concetti in proposte
didattiche nella recente esperienza di scrittura di un
corso di lingua tedesca per la scuola superiore,
Deutsch Sprint, per sviluppare la consapevolezza
interculturale in senso alto, ma anche, più
semplicemente, “to put the idea in the minds of the
[students] that it is useful and fun to learn about
cultural differences.”
Che la consapevolezza interculturale costituisca una
chiave per l’incontro e il dialogo fra culture diverse
e uno dei pilastri dell’apprendimento linguistico
è affermato chiaramente anche nel Quadro europeo
di riferimento per le lingue in cui si legge che,
apprendendo una lingua, i discenti non acquisiscono
semplicemente due modi diversi, non collegati fra loro
di agire e comunicare, ma diventano plurilingui
e sviluppano interculturalità. Le competenze
linguistiche e culturali in una lingua modificano quelle
nell’altra, sviluppando così consapevolezza
interculturale, strategie di comunicazione e sapere
procedurale costituito da abilità pratiche e
interculturali. La consapevolezza interculturale è,
in senso lato, alla base dell’incontro e del dialogo
fra persone con culture di riferimento diverse perché
la comunicazione si orienta alla situazione in cui si
realizza, o meglio alla sua interpretazione, e alle
regole di comunicazione condivise dalle persone che
comunicano all’interno di tale situazione. La capacità
di interpretare una situazione e la conoscenza delle
regole di comunicazione in culture diverse da quella
di origine sono aspetti interculturali che è opportuno
inserire nel processo di apprendimento-insegnamento
non perché costituiscano un tema della
comunicazione, ma perché ne costituiscono la
condizione.
In questo senso l’apprendimento linguistico può
contribuire all’apprendimento interculturale che
significa non solo imparare con gli altri e dagli altri in
classi con bambini e ragazzi di origine, lingua, cultura,
religione e abitudini diverse, ma anche imparare a
praticare l’apertura di fronte all’uguale e al diverso da
sé, sia all’interno della propria cultura di riferimento,
sia all’esterno, come ospite in terra straniera.
In questa seconda accezione l’apprendimento
interculturale rappresenta un ampliamento del
proprio orizzonte necessario per includere e
riconoscere il diverso da sé, apprezzandolo così
com’è, come si vorrebbe che fosse apprezzata la

nostra cultura di appartenenza, invece di costringerlo
dentro schemi interpretativi rigidi.
Deutsch Sprint accoglie le istanze poste dal
Referenzrahmen e dedica ampio spazio agli aspetti
interculturali, sociolinguistici e pragmatici.
Multi-Kulti è il titolo delle sezioni dedicate, in ogni
unità, alla dimensione socioculturale della lingua e
allo sviluppo della consapevolezza interculturale. Fra
gli aspetti interculturali proposti l’interesse principale
è rivolto alla riflessione sul significato di elementi
lessicali, non dal punto di vista linguistico, ma dal
punto di vista delle differenze all’interno del sistema
di concetti e dell’organizzazione del significato tipici
di ogni lingua e di ogni cultura (A) e agli aspetti che
possono ostacolare o bloccare la comunicazione
intesa come unità di elementi linguistici, non
linguistici (sguardo, espressione del volto, gesti,
postura del corpo, distanza) (B) e socioculturali
(registro, gergo, modo di comportarsi, usi, costumi,
convenzioni) (C). Le attività proposte consistono di
solito in una serie di brevi testi da abbinare a
AA
BB
1 Ulrich Häussermann, Hans Piepho, Aufgaben-Handbuch –
Deutsch als Fremdsprache – Abriss einer Aufgaben und
Übungstypologie, 1996, Iudicium Verlag, München, p. 399.
CC
situazioni o immagini che possono anche in un primo
momento disorientare, ma hanno lo scopo di favorire
un processo di Hineindenken individuale,
necessariamente lento e differenziato da soggetto a
soggetto, e di Sinnherstellen collettivo. Partendo dal
presupposto che „Die Fähigkeit, den anderen, auch
den Fremden anzuerkennen, ist an die Fähigkeit
gebunden, zunächst sich selbst zu erkennen“ 1 ,
molte attività della sezione Multi-Kulti si concludono
con una riflessione sulla realtà italiana.
La rubrica Vorsicht Fettnäpfchen!, posta spesso a
conclusione della sezione, costituisce una specie di
manuale di sopravvivenza che ha lo scopo di fornire
consigli operativi e nozioni elementari per evitare
gaffes, fraintendimenti e problemi dovuti a
interferenze socioculturali.
Il lavoro agli aspetti interculturali può essere
introdotto con l’analisi e la descrizione in italiano
delle immagini, dando spazio ad eventuali esperienze
personali degli studenti o narrando episodi della
propria esperienza personale che possano aiutare gli
studenti a inquadrare il fenomeno preso in esame.
Bibliografia
1) www.fastenseatbelts.eu
2) Gemeinsamer europäischer Referenzrahmen für
Sprache: Lernen, lehren, beurteilen
3) Häussermann, U., Piepho, H., Aufgaben-Handbuch –
Deutsch als Fremdsprache – Abriss einer Aufgaben –
und Übungstypologie, München, Iudicium Verlag, 1996,
pp. 399-400.
4) Fremdsprache Deutsch, Heft 28 “Europa erleben”,
2003, herausgegeben vom Vorstand des Goethe-Instituts
und Hans-Jürgen Krumm und Gerhard Neuner, Klett
Edition Deutsch. München
5) Vanni, A., Delor, R., Deutsch Sprint – Deutsche
Sprache und Kultur für junge Leute, Torino, Lang
Edizioni, 2007.
Angela Vanni è insegnante di tedesco dal 1986 e si
occupa di editoria scolastica in lingua tedesca.
angela.vanni.12@alice.it
LANG matters 7

SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO E SCUOLA SUPERIORE
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
Teaching culture and civilization can be an exciting
and enriching experience for the teacher and it
creates a happy and highly motivating environment
for language learning in the classroom. An
intercultural approach to the teaching of civilization
(beyond teaching traditions and customs, a few
notions of the history and geography of the countries
associated with the target language) provides a bridge
to overcome the barriers and the gaps caused by the
tyranny of distance (language distance, space
distance, mere latitude, etc.) and for the
establishment of real communication between
peoples. American writer Ralph Ellison is reported
to have said that “Education is all a matter of building
bridges”. Of course, when you teach students whose
age range is between 11 and 13, you need to create
teaching situations as real and concrete as possible
to stimulate their curiosity and make good use
of the innate creativity.
As a teacher of English in an Istituto Comprensivo
(Scuola Secondaria I Grado), I love to ask visiting
English speaking friends to come and give a lecture
to my young students. Last year, it was Paul
Sherman’s turn, an Australian poet and actor. Paul is
a former teacher in his early seventies, but still works
as a voluntary teacher with young Torres Strait
Aboriginal students. He loves staging Shakespeare
and recently toured Queensland with his students,
performing King Lear. Paul’s visit was announced a
few months in advance and the kids in my class were
really excited about the idea. Because of its history,
Australia is a multicultural society and meeting an
Australian poet and teacher was a unique opportunity
for my students to explore the cross-fertilizing effects
of interrelating cultures.
In preparation for the visit, we discussed what a
proper welcome could be and the kids suggested a
song. They listened to various Australian songs and
chose “Waltzing Matilda”. We surfed the net for the
lyrics and we found several sites containing them, but
we selected the Wikipedia text, because it was closer
to the particular version of the song we had.
Moreover, Wikipedia provided hypertext links that
helped clarify the meaning of several words, which
would have been quite obscure for my young second
year students. The kids studied the song and
illustrated the various events described with drawings
and pictures.
Songs are also a magnificent opportunity to include
8 LANG matters
An Experience
in Multiculturalism
and Inclusion
Meeting the Australian poet Paul Sherman and sharing his poems (and much more)
children with visual disabilities in normal activities.
In fact, Gabriella, a visually impaired girl, enjoyed not
only learning and singing the song, but also
participating in all the other activities, in which she
gave a fundamental contribution.
Waltzing Matilda*
by Aldo Magagnino
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited ‘til his billy boiled
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?”
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
And he sang as he watched and waited ‘til his billy boiled,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”.
Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up got the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”.
Down came the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Up came the troopers, one, two, three,
“Where’s that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?”
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”.
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”
“Who’s that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?”,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”.
Up got the swaggy and jumped into the billabong,
“You’ll never catch me alive,” said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you passed by that billabong,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?”
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you passed by that billabong,
“You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?”
*To listen to the tune of Waltzing Matilda you can click here:
http://www.ausinternet.com/ettamogah/waltzing.htm

A list of keywords was produced, using the links
provided by the text and by looking them up in the
dictionary.
I would ask my students: “So, what is a swagman.”
Several suggestions would be made.
“A man.”
“A man with a swag.”
“And what is a swag?”
“It’s a bag.”
“It’s a bag made with a blanket to wrap things in.”
Then, the various suggestions were collated to obtain
a shared definition.
Here’s the list and the definitions collegially obtained:
Swagman/swaggy: someone who lives on the open
road and travels with a “swag”, a bundle made using
a canvas or a blanket, containing the person’s
belongings.
Billabong: a stagnant pool of water, left by a river
when it changes its course. The word is derived from
two Aboriginal words, “billa”, meaning “river”, and
“bong”, meaning “dead”.
Coolibah Tree (or Coolabah): a variety of
eucalyptus growing near rivers or “billabongs”.
Billy: a billy is a can and a traditional Australian
utensil for boiling water for tea or for boiling
something liquid.
A-Waltzing Matilda: to travel with a swag; Matilda
was probably also the name used by German
immigrants to Australia for the blanket which they
wrapped their belongings in.
Jumback: an Australian word for sheep.
Grab: take.
Glee: joy.
Tucker bag: a bag to keep food in. “Tucker” is an
Australian word for food.
Jolly: nice.
Squatter: a person who occupies a place or a tract of
land, initially without legal rights.
Thoroughbred: a purebred horse.
Trooper: a policeman.
The children learned the song to sing their welcome
to the poet, but we also exploited the text to develop
reading and writing comprehension. For example,
I provided the following text for them to fill in.
One day a swagman ................... by a billabong.
While he .......... ................. for his billy to boil, he saw
a ...................... that had come to ............... at the
billabong. He ................ it with glee and put it into
his ................... ......... But the ................... and .......
.................... arrived and asked the swagman whose
.................. it was. The swagman ............. into the
billabong saying “You’ll never .............. me alive.”
And even today, if you ............ by the billabong,
you can hear his ............. saying “........’ ...... come
a-................... ...................... ......... .....
Of course, the song can be exploited in many
different ways. A group of children can sing the song
in chorus while the others interpret, in turn, the
various characters, including the “jumback”. In most
cases, a mere suggestion is needed to trigger the
students’ creativity.
But Paul Sherman, the poet, had a surprise in store
for us. A couple of weeks before his arrival a letter
came with one of his poems, particularly suited for
kids of 12. The poem was The Mangrove Man
Crocodile File. It allowed a further exploration of
Australian culture and folklore through a variety of
activities. The poem was read by the teacher a few
times, stressing the musicality of the text, and using
mime and a “mysterious” tone of voice. A global
comprehension was thus achieved.
For a full comprehension and clarification of the text,
and in order to enjoy the wide lexis and richness of
imagery, the class was divided into groups and each
translated a quatrain. They also had to preserve, as far
as possible, the musicality of the verses. They could
operate slight modifications, but not modify the
general sense. It a was a joyous experience.
A few of the students also produced some large fine
colour posters illustrating the text. Gabriella produced
a wonderful etching of a crocodile, with sharp teeth,
scales and “lashing tail”, using a special plastic sheet
and a worn out pen. To give her an idea of a crocodile,
her schoolmates had brought her a couple of plastic
crocodiles, which she caressed for some time before
starting her etching. The result was astonishing.
A swagman.
LANG matters 9

SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO E SCUOLA SUPERIORE
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
THE MANGROVE MAN CROCODILE FILE
by Paul Sherman
Stay away from the creek when the moon is full
And the high tide fills the deep salt pool
Stay away from the creek, or you might see
The mangrove man step out of his tree.
Mangrove leaves in his matted hair
Mouth gaped wide in a grisly grin
Don’t trust that grin – beware, beware
The Mangrove Man with his stinking skin.
Beware his step, beware his smile
As he guides Shoo Ko the Crocodile.
Shoo Ko the Crocodile big and strong
From tooth to tail he’s many feet long.
More cunning and crafty you’d never find
But Shoo Ko the Crocodile, he’s blind.
He lost his eyes in a deadly fight
When a rival Crocodile challenged his right
To share the depth of the deep salt pool
Where Shoo Ko swims when the moon is full.
Ever since he was first full-grown
He’d kept that pool as his very own.
Long and hard in the mangrove jungle
Those crocs were locked in a deadly struggle
With no holds barred and never a pause
Of those lashing tails and clashing jaws.
But though Shoo Ko was winner of the fight
He paid for his win by losing his sight.
His eyes were mangled so, since that day,
Wherever he goes he must smell his way.
But he made a mate of the Mangrove Man
And he follows him wherever he can.
The Mangrove Man, a big lantern he holds
As he plods through the muddy folds.
So on full moon nights, if you hear a scream
That wakes you out of your sleep or dream
Stay away from the creek, or else you’ll see
The Mangrove Man slide out of his tree.
In his hairy hands his lantern he holds
As he plods along through the muddy folds
Of the Mangrove Creek, mile after mile
Guiding Shoo Ko, the Crocodile.
10 LANG matters
Gabriella’s etching.
The Mangrove Man and
Shoo Ko could be the
Aboriginal equivalent of the
“bogey-man”. In the past
mothers would tell their
children not to go near
“billabongs” or rivers, especially
at night, to avoid being
attacked by crocodiles.
But, also, simply to keep them
away from treacherous waters.
What’s bogey-man in Italian?
......................................................
......................................................
......................................................
A mangrove tree.

The following is the translation obtained by putting together the quatrains translated by the various groups. All
the translations were read in a plenary session and approved after a happy discussion, during which changes
were proposed, and suggestions and corrections were made. We laughed a lot in the process.
IL RACCONTO DEL COCCODRILLO E DELL’UOMO MANGROVIA
di Paul Sherman
Al ruscello non ti avvicinare
Se l’alta marea sta per avanzare
Poiché riempie le pozze salate ad una ad una
Non appena è piena la luna
Al ruscello non ti avvicinare
L’uomo Mangrovia potresti incontrare.
Ha foglie nei capelli e bocca spaventosa
Il ghigno feroce terrorizza ogni cosa.
Non fidarti di lui, non fidarti per niente
Lui è l’Uomo Mangrovia dalla pelle puzzolente.
Attenti al suo sorriso ed al suo passo
Mentre guida il coccodrillo grasso
Grande e forte è il coccodrillo Shoo Ko
Dai denti alla coda molti piedi è lungo.
Più astuto e ingegnoso non lo troverai
Ma Shoo Ko il Coccodrillo non vedrà mai
Perché perse gli occhi in un combattimento mortale
Quando sfidò per il suo diritto il coccodrillo rivale
Di condividere le profondità delle pozze profonde e salate
Dove Shoo Ko nuota a bracciate.
Da quando era diventato grande
Considerava sue quelle lande.
Nella giungla di mangrovia a lungo e furiosamente
Quei coccodrilli si impegnarono mortalmente.
Di colpi bassi ne sferrarono tanti
Con le code e le mascelle saettanti.
Ma anche se Shoo Ko la posta conquista
Paga la sua vittoria con la vista.
Ebbe gli occhi stritolati
E dovunque vada da quel giorno
Deve annusare la strada tutto intorno.
Ma con l’Uomo Mangrovia ha fatto conoscenza
E della sua compagnia non può più far senza.
L’Uomo Mangrovia regge una lanterna grande
Mentre avanza tra le fangose lande.
Così se un grido nella notte ti sveglia forte
E dal sogno al mondo ti riporta
Se dal ruscello lontano starai
L’Uomo Mangrovia non vedrai.
L’Uomo Mangrovia con la mano pelosa
Regge una lanterna luminosa,
Mentre avanza nelle fangose lande
miglio dopo miglio guidando Shoo Ko il Coccodrillo.
Andrea playing the didgeridoo.
In his hairy hands his lantern he
holds As he plods along through the
muddy folds Of the Mangrove
Creek, mile after mile Guiding Shoo
Ko, the Crocodile (drawing by
Federica Nazaro).
A poster was produced to announce the coming of the poet and a young local musician who can play the
didgeridoo was invited. On the fixed day, Paul Sherman came. The students were so proud to recite “The
Mangrove Man Crocodile File” in front of the poet, miming and dramatizing it to the sound of the didgeridoo.
Then the students asked Paul to recite his poem himself. He delivered an exciting performance and a lesson in
the use of voice, which provided hints for later classroom usage.
Paul is also very fond of Aboriginal culture, poems and “Dreaming” stories. As a parting gift, he recited a famous
Aboriginal poem, “The Ballad of the Totems”, by the Aboriginal poet Kath Walker, who later changed her name
to Oodgeroo Noonuccal, in accordance to her family tribal descent. Paul used the scarf of one of the girls to
mime a carpet snake, Noonuccal’s father’s totem. The students were thrilled and mesmerized by the
slithering of the snake and the high pitched voice of Noonuccal’s mother! Paul even wrote down the poem for us.
LANG matters 11

SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO E SCUOLA SUPERIORE
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
BALLAD OF THE TOTEMS
by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
My Father was Noonuccal man and kept old tribal way
His totem was the Carpet snake, whom none must ever slay.
But mother was of Peewee tribe, and loudly she professed
Her daring view that carpet snakes were nothing but a pest.
Now, one lived right inside with us, in full immunity
For no one dared to interfere with father’s stern decree:
A mighty fellow, ten feet long, and as we lay in bed,
We kids could watch him round a beam, not far above our head.
Only the dog was scared of him, we’d hear his whines and growls,
But mother fiercely hated him, because he took her fowls.
You should have heard her diatribes that flowed in angry torrents
With words you’d never see in print (except in D.H. Lawrence).
“I kill that monster,” she would scream, fierce as a spotted cat.
“You see that bulge inside of him? My speckly hen made that.”
But father’s loud and strict command made even mother quake.
I think he’d sooner kill a man than kill a carpet snake.
That reptile was a greedy guts, and as each bulge digested
He’d come down on the hunt at night as appetite suggested.
We heard his stealthy slithering sound across the earthen floor
While the dog gave a startled yelp and bolted out the door.
Then, over the chicken yard hysterical fowls gave tongue:
Loud angry squawks accompanied by the barking of the mung
Until at last the racket passed and then, to solve the riddle,
Next morning he was back up there with a new bulge in the middle.
When father died we wailed and cried, our grief was deep and sore
And, strange to say, from that sad day the snake was seen no more.
The wise old men explained to us, “It was his tribal brother
And that is why it done a guy.” But some looked hard on mother.
She seemed to wear a secret smile, her eyes were smug and wary,
She looked as innocent as the cat that ate the pet canary.
We never knew, but, anyhow (to end this tragic rhyme),
I think we all had snake for tea, one day about that time.
Of course, in the end we all sang “Waltzing Matilda”
together and, of course, Paul took back with him to
Australia the kids’ drawings and the etched crocodile.
Keywords
Speckly: speckled
Squawks: squeals
Mung: mongrel dog
Done a guy: slipped secretly away
Acknowledgements
Thanks must be expressed to the Headmaster of
the Istituto Comprensivo Polo 2 “Borgo” in Gallipoli
(LE), Dott. Renzo Costantini, the School Staff and
all the students of Class IIB (School Year
2006/2007), Andrea Presa and, of course, the poet
Paul Sherman.
12 LANG matters
Aldo Magagnino has been teaching English for three
decades at the Istituto Comprensivo Polo 2 “Borgo” in
Gallipoli (Lecce), where he also acts as secretary for the
local City and Guilds centre. He has been working as a
professional literary translator for more than 15 years. His
latest translation, Wild Amazement a novel by the
Australian writer Michael Wilding, is due to appear early
in Spring 2008 under the Italian title of Con Folle Stupore
(Edizioni Controluce, Nardò 2008).
magaldo2@alice.it
Paul Sherman performing the
“Ballad of the Totems”.
Noonuccal’s father’s totem: all
Aborigines have a totem
animal. It’s their “dream”, the
ancestor who started their
descent in the beginning of the
“dreaming”, the mythical time
of the creation of the world,
when, according to the
Aborigines, animals could still
transform into humans and
humans into animals. The
dreaming continues to this day.
That is why, for the Aborigines,
it is so important to preserve
their traditions.

SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO E SCUOLA SUPERIORE
16
MARCH 2008
YEAR SEVEN – ISSUE SIXTEEN
l) La tabella
Un possibile modo per registrare le parole nuove in maniera completa può essere uno schema che comprenda il maggior
numero di informazioni possibili.
Parola Grammatica Significato Esempio Note
felice agg. masch. e femm.
Questa notizia mi ha reso davvero infelice, triste
felice.
Felice Anno Nuovo!
Era felice come una Pasqua. plur. felici
☺
automobile sost. femm. macchina Sto risparmiando per comprare
un’auto nuova.
dito sost. masch. parte della mano Mi sono appena tagliato un dito!
Ha la fede al dito.
Fai da te!
Ecco infine alcuni spunti di riflessione e idee che
l’insegnante può suggerire agli studenti perché si rendano
indipendenti nell’ampliare il proprio bagaglio lessicale in
una lingua straniera.
1. Scegliere le parole che si vogliono/devono memorizzare e
ricordare solo le parole che occorrono. È importante saper
distinguere fra il lessico attivo (le parole che effettivamente
si usano) e il lessico passivo (le parole che si riconoscono e
comprendono): il lessico passivo è sempre più vasto del
lessico attivo, anche nella propria lingua madre, e quindi
non è indispensabile costringersi a memorizzare ogni
singola nuova parola che si incontra, né tanto meno bisogna
abbattersi se una parola già vista continua a sfuggire.
2. Cercare di ricordare le parole in un contesto è molto più
facile che non cercare di ricordare la singola parola: le frasi
si ricordano meglio degli elenchi.
3. Usare quanto più possibile la L2 nella compilazione del
proprio quaderno.
4. Per quanto è possibile, negli appunti cercare di staccarsi
dal meccanismo della traduzione, privilegiando altre
strategie; tentare di usare più approcci a seconda delle
preferenze personali e della parola in questione.
5. Essere curiosi, e non limitarsi solo alle parole incontrate
in classe.
6. Leggere e ascoltare di tutto, perché questo facilita la
memorizzazione di “blocchi di parole” pronti per l’uso.
7. Scegliere un argomento e sviscerarne il lessico, anche
attraverso associazioni personali (es. un hobby, un
interesse, un libro letto, un personaggio di un film, ecc.).
8. Risolvere cruciverba o giochi di parole, anche se semplici
(es. per bambini, nei fumetti) perché aiutano a rendere più
elastica la memoria e a prendere dimestichezza con le
definizioni in L2.
Contributors to this issue
Paolo E. Balboni
Donata Banzato
Fiona Dalziel
Aldo Magagnino
Anila Scott-Monkhouse
Angela Vanni
Editor
Cecilia Perillo
Assistant Editor
Joanna Carter
Project coordinator
Michela Melchiori
Barbara Piola
Design
Silvia Razzini
Photo editor
Laura Urbani
Photographic sources
Archivio Pearson Paravia
Bruno Mondadori
State Library of Victoria
abbr. auto
un’auto
le auto
plur. irr. Æ dita
9. In classe scambiare idee con i compagni su come
appuntarsi e ricordare parole nuove, o in generale
migliorare il proprio apprendimento della lingua straniera.
10. Riguardare il quaderno dove si appuntano le parole
nuove: il solo fatto di avere trascritto una parola non è
garanzia di averla appresa.
Bibliografia
1) Bareggi, C., “Proper words in proper places”, in LANG Matters,
13, September 2006.
2) Gibbon, D., “In a word”, in LANG Matters, 13, September 2006.
3) Lowes, R., Target, F., Helping students to learn, Richmond
Publishing (1998).
4) Smith, S., Smith, J., WordFlo, Longman (1998).
5) Spratt, M., Pulverness, A., Williams, M., The TKT Course,
CUP (2005).
6) Word Routes Inglese-Italiano, CUP (1995).
Seminari e workshops
– “How to create competent users of English”, Virginia Evans
(Recanati, 9 gennaio 2005).
– “Core elements in language teaching. What to teach and what
not to teach”, Rachel Clark
(Cambridge Days, Bologna, 3 febbraio 2005).
– “Is the way we learnt the best way to teach?”, Gabriella
Spadaro (Bologna, 11 novembre 2006).
Anila Scott Monkhouse insegna all’università di Parma e
si occupa della preparazione degli insegnanti di inglese
nella scuola primaria. Fa parte della commissione
d’esame per KET, PET, FCE e IELTS.
anila@unipr.it
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