Children's interethnic relationships in multiethnic primary school: results of an inclusive language learning intervention on children with native and immigrant background in Italy

The increasing multicultural character of European society and the growing presence of children from immigrant families in European schools represent a key issue to understand the development of positive social behavior and intergroup relations in the education context. In this paper, we assessed the outcomes of a school intervention program aimed at improving interethnic relations among primary school children in Italy, through foreign language (i.e., English) learning activities, based on the narrative format model. Children who took part in the intervention program were compared to a control group, following a pre-post design (N = 129; age range 7–9 years old). Results confirmed our expectations, indicating a reduced tendency of Italian pupils to reject their immigrant schoolmates, after the intervention. An opposite pattern emerged in the control group, where no specific intervention was implemented. In terms of foreign language learning outcomes, results show that children who participated to the narrative format intervention have a higher production of English words, both new and repeated. The theoretical and practical implications of the study for what it concerns the improvement of linguistic achievement and the promotion of positive social climates in multiethnic educational contexts are discussed.