The role of credibility in language teaching and learning.

With specific reference to the Italian education system, the paper outlines strengths and weaknesses in the language training of primary teachers, who, once they have fulfilled the current statutory requirement to complete a five-year master’s degree course, are licensed to teach all the subjects on the primary school curriculum, including Italian as children’s mother tongue (L1) or second language (L2) and English as a foreign language (FL). In examining the training needs of students entering primary education teacher’s degree courses, I bring to light and illustrate critical issues that can undermine the credibility of “language teachers”’ work and role, given that language, as well as requiring to be taught in its own right, is both a medium of communication and a vehicle for knowledge contents from other disciplines.