Becoming bilingual in a multilingual context

In this contribution we present the results of an extensive linguistic and psycho-social survey we conducted on a representative sample of Italian and German-speaking high school pupils in multilingual South Tyrol (Italy). The aim of the project was to describe their L2 competences (Italian/German) according to the CEFR levels and to find out extra-linguistic factors that exercise an influence on the L2 competence levels of the students. In this article, we focus in particular on L2 motivation and orientations, explaining the role they play in this peculiar context. Furthermore, we comment on the results of the language tests in the light of these extra-linguistic findings, trying to point out some key elements that might help to promote bilingualism in South Tyrol.