Ferrara «How do you say “je suis” in Italian? And “j’ai, je veux, je peux, je dois”?”. Apparently trivial questions, but from which the complex process of integration of those arriving from a begins French-speaking country, like from any other place in the world. He has been trying to answer these linguistic doubts for 15 years “Italian School” of Cittadini del Mondo, which during the school period, in the historic headquarters in via Kennedy, organizes free courses every day of the week, from 5pm to 6.30pm, to learn our language, but also how to manage basic needs such as accessing health services , at the police station, at the post office, at the supermarket and all the other most important daily activities. The teachers are all volunteers who choose to dedicate their time to the inclusion of foreigners.
«This year – says the tireless coordinator Carola Peverati – our students were 160, in each lesson we have from 20 to 30, with an average age of 25 to 30 years. Every year there is a prevailing nationality, this year it is Moroccan, out of a total of 32 countries of origin, among which there are Pakistanis, Nigerians, but also Europeans.” To gain access, no documents or personal details are asked, because the aim is not to identify people, but to provide them with information. fundamental tools to settle into the city. As in the case of Aïcha, 27 years old, from Ivory Coastwho started attending school in 2022 and doesn’t plan on stopping.
«I keep coming because I am a native French speaker and I still have so much to learn. At the beginning it was difficult, but here they looked after me a lot, they not only gave me a linguistic education, but also a social one.” She has now graduated from middle school and is taking a course as a social health worker, a profession that is desperately needed in the city. «When I arrived in Ferrara from Palermo, I found great calmI would like to be able to stay and live and work here.”
The story Her classmate also speaks French Aminata Kinda, 20 years old, which arrived only a few months ago from Burkina Faso. «At first I studied alone, then they told me about this school and I started taking the lessons. To review, when I got home I did live shows on my profile TikTok where I re-presented the words learned in class, in a simple and direct way by translating some recurring terms from my language into Italian, or by listening to famous songs”. Attractive and stylish graphics easy understanding, friendly smile, easy manner and remarkable command of languages: with these qualities Aminata has won one million followers all over the world. «They often write to me for ask for advice and translations: I am happy to be able to be useful to others like me.”
Her teachers Olfa Guizani and Emanuela Zucchini observe her with pride. Olfa was born in Tunisia, she speaks four languages, a Tunisian and an Italian degree, and she is a cultural mediator and support teacher. «I started here with an internship, then I liked the experience so much that I decided to stay». Emanuela is a retired teacher. «Everyone here is highly motivated. It’s not easy having to adapt the lessons every time, but the satisfaction of their results makes up for everything.”
