Innovation in Language Learning

E-Twinning is a free online community for schools in Europe which allows teachers to find partners and collaborate on projects within a secure network and platform.
The many functionalities of the platform allow for the implementation of interdisciplinary activities and virtual collaborations among students of different countries, along with innumerable opportunities of training and professional development for teachers.
Thanks to these features eTwinning is an incredibly useful tool for CLIL-based pathways, allowing to explore and put into practice the many potentiality of the methodology.
The paper outlines the experience realized in an Italian lower secondary school within a project called “Welcome to my place! Let’s know each other by using English”, highlighting the effectiveness of the tool in the achievement of subject-related and transversal objectives.
In particular it is described how CLIL and eTwinning help to realize a competence based teaching and learning, provide opportunities of authentic communication and support the acquisition of a “glocal” awareness by the students.
The role of technology and scaffolding strategies (necessary for the inclusivity of the lessons) are also reported and reflected upon, together with results of preliminary and final questionnaires administered to the students who took part in the project.

Keywords: CLIL, eTwinning, language learning, competence-based learning;