The paper aims to illustrate some textual learning activities developed for an L2 Italian initial-literacy classroom, and, in particular, for illiterate plurilinguals (mostly unaccompanied foreign minors). The activities in question belong to an experimental proposal that consists of a specific textual teaching module integrated with a second-language initial literacy course employing the communicative/affective-humanistic teaching approach. Textual activities are normally proposed to intermediate and advanced level literacy learners in second-language classrooms, in order to fully develop reading and writing abilities (i.e. functional literacy). However, based on the importance of learners' plurilingualism, oral ability, and everyday needs, the specific textual activities proposed in the initial literacy classroom have produced significant results, also with important effects on learners' motivation.

This paper aims at investigating the semantic value of the verb καίλνκαη "to rage, to be furious" in Homeric Greek, in order to clarify the striking semantic relationship between the common "irrational" meaning of the verb and the original "rational" meaning of the Indo-European root *men-"to think", to which the verb traces back. The corresponding words for καίλνκαη in other Indo-European languages (e.g. OInd. mányatē; Av. mainyeite; OIr. (do)moiniur; OCS mъnjo; Lit. miniu) can be translated as "to think", thus showing an opposite meaning. From a textual analysis of all the occurrences of καίλνκαη in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the study aims at finding semantic traces of the original meaning "to think" belonging to the Indo-European root *men-, in order to account for the apparently impossible semantic relationship between the verb and the original root. Textual data show a significant polysemy of καίλνκαη, which refers to particular psychosomatic dynamics and which can be explained by taking into account the Homeric "body-mind" association and the role of the heart as the crucial organ which supervises all the vital functions, including the psychic and the cognitive ones.

The paper aims at analyzing the paradigmatic relationship between the verbs ἔρχομαι and ἦλθον in Homeric Greek. Both verbs convey the idea of going within a Homeric suppletive paradigm. Although suppletivism between ἔρχομαι, εἶμι, ἐλεύσομαι (future), ἦλθον (aorist), εἰλήλουθα (perfect) is generally accepted, there is still uncertainty on both etymology and semantic features involving inherent actionality, with particular reference to ἔρχομαι. Therefore, the actional status of ἔρχομαι and its relationship with ἦλθον need further investigation. A textual analysis of the Homeric occurrences of both ἔρχομαι and ἦλθον, focusing on the semantic-syntactic discourse context, has shed light on their mutual suppletive relationship and proved that it is ultimately based on their inherently actional opposition within the paradigm.

The paper aims at investigating the syntax treatment in late Antiquity through the analysis of the description of prepositions within Donatus’s Artes. As far as an organic and dedicated description of syntax is concerned, the Roman tradition of grammatical studies in late Antiquity shows an overall gap. However, reflections on syntax emerge from the parts of speech descriptions made by grammarians. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to understand if, and to what extent, traces of emerging thought on syntax can be found in Donatus’s description of prepositions. These are regarded as a syntactic object of study by the modern linguistic theory. To that end, the paper focuses on the textual analysis of the de praepositione sections included in both Donatus’s Ars maior and minor, with particular reference to metalinguistic terminology. The analysis highlights some emerging traces of Donatus’s reflection on syntax, although his concept of syntax is distant from the modern one, particularly in reference to a double perspective that concerns his description of the relation between praepositio and casus.

Acquiring the language spoken in the host country is crucial for social inclusion of migrants. From this perspective, illiteracy represents a social problem since it has repercussions on second-language acquisition/learning process. In order to investigate the role of illiteracy in L2 Italian acquisition, the paper aims at analyzing the oral productions of L2 Italian learners with equal L1 but a different level of education, i.e., low educated vs. non-educated. The learners' productions are collected through semi-structured video interviews. From the perspective of the conversational analysis, the interviews are transcribed and studied taking into account also non-verbal aspects of the oral interactions. The learners belong to the specific category of the "unaccompanied foreign minors". These minors are characterized by a particular sociolinguistic profile as they are often plurilinguals with a low, very low, or zero level of education. The lack of previous schooling limits the competence in languages (including L1) to oral competence alone, and this has repercussions on second-language acquisition and, therefore, on social inclusion. In fact, a certain competence in writing and reading has an important impact on mental processes. The low or zero familiarity with written texts has inevitable consequences in the second-language acquisition process, in terms of lack of meta-textual and meta-linguistic reflection. From the comparison of the interviews, the characteristics of the learners' interlanguages show that the learners deal with the non-inflectional initial phase of the second-language acquisition process: Their linguistic varieties are certainly basic varieties. Actually, data show significant differences in the learners' performance depending on (il)literacy, which is the only parameter differentiating the learners' profile. In particular, literacy, namely a certain, albeit low, level of education and proficiency in writing skills, has positive repercussions on the performance in terms of a greater awareness of verb and verbal categories, greater skill in oral interaction, greater communicative efficacy, greater accuracy and fluency. In addition, as part of communicative competence, textual competence has also important implications both on second-language learning and on improving read-write skills. Within a literacy pathway, working on texts is normally destined to the advanced literacy class. Actually, some specific textual activities can be successfully proposed in the initial literacy class, in order to immediately accustom learners to some types of text. The results of these textual activities are also illustrated.