This contribution is meant to give an insight into the topic of L2 acquisition
and teaching in the case of low-literate adult learners. To the aim, two applied
researches will be presented, both focusing on L2 Italian: one investigates the oral
skills of Senegalese learners with different educational backgrounds in the country
of origin; the other concerns the assessment of L2 writing skills in a multilingual
group of refugees and asylum seekers. The results of both studies contribute to look
at this peculiar target of learners from an unusual perspective, unveiling skills that
can often be “invisible” to L2 literacy teachers.
