Teaching techniques and learner perspectives: a comparison between Italian High Schools and Wall Street English.

The current research compares teaching techniques and the teaching of English as an L2 in Italian high schools and Wall Street English courses by taking into consideration learner perceived effectiveness. The paper aims at exploring methodological differences between the two contexts, namely a more traditional and grammatical approach on one side and a more communicative and practical approach on the other, and at understanding how these methodologies influence the learners’ perspective. It is a mixed-methods study; quantitative and qualitative questionnaires are employed, administered to students who have experience in both settings. The data indicate a clear preference for the more interactive and practically communicative Wall Street English method. On the contrary, the traditional Italian high school approach, based principally on grammar and translation, was found to be less engaging and less applicable in real-life situations. However, the importance of a solid grammatical space emerges which can then be supplemented with more practical approaches to achieve comprehensive and balanced learning. This study presents a contribution to the debate about methodologies for teaching in the Italian context through the proposal of a hybrid model that gathers strengths from traditional and communicative methods, capable of better satisfying the needs of an educational methodology for a globalized and connected society.