European language education policy seen through the local lens: the changing face of reading skills (from Chaucer to Power Point).

This study investigates EU language policy, as embodied in the Bologna Process, as far as it is being realized in Italian educational institutions, at secondary and university levels. In particular, reading skills and foreign language literacy are examined as they are implemented in curricula, syllabuses and materials. A linguistic analysis and verification of notions of “difficulty” and “appropriateness” allow us to place the selection and grading of suitable and efficacious English reading programmes on a more principled and scientific footing.