UNIVERSITY FOR FOREIGNERS OF PERUGIA: 2012
PROGRAM AND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS, BY LEVEL OF STUDY
CERTIFICATES
This document includes a full description of each of the levels for the study of Italian, from A1 to C2.
Level C1 includes two options, a general program or one focused on economics and business (C1+). At
the end is information on the certificates provided.
FIRST LEVEL BEGINNER'S COURSE [A1]
Objectives
The objective of the course is to provide students with the abilities and skills required for simple and
essential conversation in the most common and familiar situations. Special attention is given to
pronunciation and writing. The 1st Level Beginners Course provides students with linguistic
competences equivalent to the CELI Beginners Certificate.
Duration
The 1-month course calls for 20 classroom hours per week.
Admission
This course leads up to the 2nd Level Beginners Course (A2) and is for students whose native
languages are very distant from Italian. Access to the course is by interview.
Weekly subjects
Subjects
Italian Language
Speaking Practice
Writing Practice
Pronunciation and Orthography Practice
Total classroom hours per week
[A1]
Hours
12
6
2
20
Intensive
Hours
12
9
4
2
27
SECOND LEVEL BEGINNERS COURSE [A2]
Objectives
The objective of the course is to train students to understand and form frequently used sentences and
expressions commonly used (for example - basic information on people, families, study and work), to
be capable of communicating in routine situations by forming simple descriptions relating to their
personal experience and environment. The 2nd Level Beginners Course provides students with
linguistic competences equivalent to the CELI 1 Certificate.
Duration
The 3-month basic course calls for 20 classroom hours per week. The supplementary course has a
duration of one or two months.
Admission
All students who have never studied Italian before or who have only a vague knowledge of Italian may
enter the 2nd Level Beginners Course after a placement interview.
Weekly subjects
Subjects
Italian Language
Speaking Practice
Writing Practice
Pronunciation and Orthography Practice
Total classroom hours per week
[A2]
Hours
12
6
2
20
Intensive
Hours
12
9
4
2
27
FIRST LEVEL INTERMEDIATE COURSE [B1]
Objectives
The objective of the course is to create the conditions for students to begin, maintain and conclude
short conversations, to easily understand simple routine exchanges, to make themselves understood
and to exchange ideas and information on familiar topics, to describe experiences, to give reasons and
to express opinions, projects and intentions. The 1st Level Intermediate Course provides students with
linguistic competences equivalent to the CELI 2 Certificate.
Duration
The basic course lasts three months and calls for 20 classroom hours per week. The supplementary
course has a duration of one or two months.
Admission
Admission to the 1st Level Intermediate Course is granted to:



Students who have attended the 2nd Level Beginners Course
Students who have been admitted to the 1st Level Intermediate Course by the entrance exam.
Students who have a CELI 1 or equivalent Italian Language Certificate issued by another institution
similar to the University for Foreigners Perugia.
Weekly subjects
Subjects
[B1]
Hours
Intensive
Hours
Italian Language
12
12
Speaking Practice
6
9
Writing Practice
-
4
Pronunciation and Orthography Practice
2
2
Total classroom hours per week
20
27
SECOND LEVEL INTERMEDIATE COURSE [B2]
Objectives
The objective of the course is to allow students to interact with a native speaker without great
difficulty in formal and informal situations and to understand the fundamental ideas of complex texts
in concrete and abstract, as well as technical and literary topics. They must be able to write clear
articles on several topics and express their opinions on current events, indicating the advantages and
disadvantages of the various options. The 2nd Level Intermediate Course provides students with
linguistic competences equivalent to the CELI 3 Certificate.
Duration
The basic course lasts three months and calls for 20 classroom hours per week. The supplementary
course has a duration of one or two months.
Admission
Admission to the 2nd Level Intermediate Course is granted to:


Students who have attended the 1st Level Intermediate Course.
Students who have been assigned to the 2nd Level Intermediate Course by the entrance exam.

Students who have a CELI 2 or equivalent Italian Language Certificate issued by another institution
similar to the University for Foreigners Perugia.
Weekly subjects (*)
Subjects
[B2]
Hours
Intensive
Hours
Italian Language
9
12
Aspects of Italian Culture
3
6
Speaking Practice
6
9
Pronunciation
2
2
Total classroom hours per week
20
29
(*) 2nd Level Intermediate Course students can choose one of the following subjects from the 1st Level
Advanced Course syllabus (3 hours per week) and sit for the exam: History of the Cinema, History of Music,
History of the Theatre and Art Terminology and Techniques.
FIRST LEVEL ADVANCED COURSE [C1]
Objectives
The objective of the course is to train students to speak and write the language in a natural manner.
They must be able to make themselves easily understood, to have good mastery of a broad lexical
repertory in different areas sufficient to allow them to understand specialised articles in newspapers
and magazines. In terms of communication they must be able to choose the most suitable language
functions in order to speak and hold a conversation, to express their points of view using the language
in an appropriate and efficient manner. They must be able to write clear and well structured texts,
even on complicated topics. The 1st Level Advanced Course provides students with linguistic
competences equivalent to the CELI 4 Certificate.
Duration
The basic course lasts three months and calls for 24 classroom hours per week. Supplementary
courses are held in the summer (July, August, and September).
Admission
Admission to the 1st Level Advanced Course is granted to:



Students who have obtained the Italian Language Certificate of the 2nd Level Intermediate Course or
have passed the written Italian language examination.
Students who have been admitted to the 1st Level Advanced Course by the entrance exam.
Students who have a CELI 3 or equivalent Italian Language Certificate issued by another institution
similar to the University for Foreigners Perugia.
Weekly subjects
The 1st Level Advanced Course consists of 3 study courses:



Language
Culture
Technical/Business
Apart from the mandatory subjects, students must also choose one subjects common to all three
study courses, or one of the mandatory subjects of the other study course.
Mandatory Subjects
Language
Hours
Culture
Hours
Technical/
Business
Hours
Italian Language
9
9
9
Italian Language Exercises
3
3
3
Phonetics and Phonology of the Italian
Language
3
3
3
Translation Exercises (*)
or free-choice subjet
3
Contemporary Italian Literature
3
Italian History
3
3
Business Terms and Business
Correspondence
3
Industrial and Commercial Technique
3
Free-choice subject
3
3
3
Total classroom hours per week
24
24
24
(*) Translation is compulsory for the native speakers of the common languages established by the
University and optional for students who wish to attend one of the languages available (at least 5 students
must be registered).
Free-choice subjects
The free-choice subjects are common to all study courses and include three classroom hours per
week. Not all subjects listed above are held every term.

History of Italian Cinema





History of Italian Music
History of Italian Theatre
History of Italian Art
Italian Literature
Art Terminology and Techniques
Supplementary course [C1]
1st level one-month supplementary advanced courses may be held in the summer months (*).
Apart from the mandatory subjects, students must also choose two subjects from among the other
subjects of the basic course for a total of 24 hours per week. Students who attend the supplementary
courses for two months of the C1 level may automatically enrol in the third month of the basic course
of the same level and sit the final exam.
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Italian Language
9
Italian Language Exercises
6
Phonetics and Phonology of the Italian Language
3
Free-choice subjects
6
Total classroom hours per week
24
(*) There must be at least 5 students registered for supplementary course C1 to be held.
Intensive course [C1]
One-month intensive courses are held in the summer months. Apart from the mandatory subjects,
students must take three free-choice subjects for a total of 30 hours per week.
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Italian Language
12
Italian Language Exercises
6
Phonetic Exercises
3
Free-choice subjects
9
Total classroom hours per week
30
Free-choice Subjects
Hours
Introduction to Italian Literature
3
Introduction to Italian History
3
Introduction to Italian Art History
3
Economics and Business Correspondence
2ND LEVEL ADVANCED COURSE BUSINESS-ORIENTED [C1+]
Objectives
The 2nd Level Advanced Business-oriented (C1+) is the natural progression of the 1st Level Advanced
Technical/Business Course C1.
The course seeks to give students linguistic competence in economic sciences and as well as acquaint
them with the historical, legal and operative facets of the economy.
The course is aimed at foreign students who work, or intend to work, in those sectors of the economy
or commerce that handle communications and exchanges with Italian companies and institutions and
who want to feel secure with a wide vocabulary and thorough understanding of the technical aspects
of the Italian economy.
The 2nd Level Advanced Business-oriented Course (C1+) provides students with linguistic
competences equivalent to the CIC Certificate.
Duration
The course lasts three months and calls for 26 classroom hours per week. It consists of mandatory
subjects for a total of 23 hours per week and free-choice subjects for a total of 3 hours per week.
Admission
Admission to the 2nd Level Advanced Business-oriented Course C1+ is granted to:



Students who have obtained the Italian Language Certificate of the 1st Level Advanced Course or have
passed the written Italian language exam.
Students who have been admitted to the 2nd Level Advanced Course by the entrance exam.
Students who have a CELI 4 or equivalent Italian Language Certificate issued by another institution
similar to the University for Foreigners Perugia.
Weekly subject
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Italian Language
6
Italian Language Exercises
3
Phonetics and Phonology of the Italian Language
3
The History of Contemporary Italian Economics
2
Economics/Company Management
4
Introduction to International Economics and Bussiness Correspondence
3
Basic Legal Notions
2
Total classroom hours per week
23
Free-choice subjects
Hours
History of the Cinema
3
History of the Theatre
3
History of Italian Philosophy
3
History of Music
3
Art Terminology and Techniques
3
Writing Workshop
3
Not all of the free-choice subjects listed above are offered every term (*).
(*) The subjects being offered will be published on the on-line course page at the beginning of every term.
SECOND LEVEL ADVANCED COURSE [C2]
Objectives
The 2nd Level Advanced Course (C2) focuses only on language/culture subjects. The objective of
the course is to make students experts in both the written and spoken aspects of the Italian language.
They should know how to use the language with precision, expertise and fluency.
At the end of the course students must prove that they not only have good linguistic skills but are also
competent in the most important aspects of the morphology and syntax of contemporary Italian in all
of its varieties. They must demonstrate their ability to apply the pragmatic rules in both oral and
written communication as well as the rules of style indispensible for a creative and poetic use of the
language.
For this reason students who wish to attend this course must already be highly competent in their use
of the language.
The 2nd Level Advanced Course (C2) provides students with linguistic competences equivalent to the
CELI 5 Certificate.
Duration
The basic course is a six-month course divided into two terms. It calls for 26/27 classroom hours for
week: mandatory subjects for a total of 20 hours and free-choice subjects for a total of 6/7 hours. The
student is also free to follow other courses without having to sit for the final exams of those courses.
Supplementary one-month courses are held in the summer (July, August and September).
Admission
Admission to the 2nd Level Advanced Course is granted to:



Students who have obtained the Italian Language Certificate of the 1st Level Advanced Course or who
have passed the written Italian language exam.
Students who have been admitted to the 2nd Level Advanced Course by the entrance exam.
Students who have a CELI 4 or equivalent Italian Language Certificate issued by another institution
similar to the University for Foreigners Perugia.
Weekly subjects
The course consists of mandatory subjects for a total of 20 hours per week and free-choice subjects
for a total a minimum of 6 hours per week.
Mandatory Subjects
1st Term
Hours
2nd Term
Hours
Italian Language
6
6
Italian Language Exercises
4
4
Phonetics and Phonology of the Italian Language
3
3
Italian Literature
2
2
Italian Art History, Art Terminology and Techniques 3
3
Italian History
2
2
Total classroom hours per week
20
20
Free-choice Subjects
1st Term
Hours
2nd Term
Hours
Translation Exercises (*)
3
3
Free-choice Subjects
1st Term
Hours
History of Italian Philosophy
2
History of Italian Language
2
Contemporary Italian Literature
2
2nd Term
Hours
Italian Philology
2
Written Italian
2
Lectura Dantis
2
General Linguistics
2
Free-choice Subjects Common to all courses
Hours
History of cinema
3
History of theatre
3
History of music
3
Not all of the free-choice subjects listed above are offered every term (**).
(*) Translation is compulsory for the native speakers of the common languages established by the
University and optional for students who wish to attend one of the languages available (at least 5 students
must be registered).
(**) The subjects being offered will be published on the on-line course page at the beginning of every term.
Seminar Series
There may be monthly series of seminars and conferences for more in-depth understanding of certain
disciplines for a total of 10/12 hours. The topics covered by the seminars will be published on the
course web page. After each series there will be a final exam (oral, written and other methods as
indicated by the teacher). After passing these exams you will have the right to a certificate and
receive 1 ECTS credit. Only those who have regularly attended the seminars are eligible to sit for the
exam.
Supplementary Course [C2]
2nd level one-month supplementary advanced courses are held in the summer months (*).
Students must take the mandatory subjects and free-choice subjects for a total of 26 classroom hours
per week from those listed in the syllabus of the basic course.
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Italian Language
6
Italian Language Exercises
4
Phonetics and Phonology of the Italian Language
2
Phonetics and Phonology Exercises
1
Free-choice subjects
13
Total classroom hours per week
26
(*) There must be at least 5 students registered for supplementary course C2 to be held.
Intensive Course [C2]
One-month intensive courses are held in the summer months. Apart from the mandatory subjects,
students must take three free-choice subjects for a total of 30 hours per week.
Mandatory Subjects
Hours
Italian Language
9
Italian Language Exercises
6
Phonetic and Phonology Exercises
3
Writing Workshop
3
Free-choice subjects
9
Total classroom hours per week
30
Free-choice Subjects
Hours
Introduction to Contemporary Italian Literature
3
Introduction to Italian Art History
3
Introduction to Contemporary Italian History
3
Introduction to Economics ad Business Correspondence 3
Introduction to Italian History of Language
3
CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS
At the end of each course, after passing the final examination, students will receive an Italian
Language Certificate, corresponding to the equivalent level of the Common European Framework of
Reference for languages (CEFR), acquiring the ECTS necessary to advance to the next level.
At the end of the 1st level advanced course (C1), after passing the Italian language examination,
students will receive an Italian Language Certificate, corresponding to the C1 level of the CEFR
necessary to advance to the next level. Students who have successfully passed all the examinations in
their study course will receive the Italian Language and Culture Certificate showing their personal
study course and level of Italian language achieved corresponding to C1 level of the CEFR, equivalent
to 30 ECTS.
At the end of the Business-oriented 2nd Level Advanced Course Business-oriented students who have
passed all the exams will receive the Business-oriented Italian Language Certificate showing their
achieved level of Italian as corresponding to a C1+ level (or enhanced) of the CEFR, equivalent to 30
ECTS credits.
At the end of the 2nd level advanced course (C2), after passing the Italian language examination,
students will receive the Italian Language Certificate, corresponding to the C2 level of the CEFR.
Students who have successfully passed all the examinations in their study course will receive the
Italian Language and Culture Diploma showing their personal study course and level of Italian
Language achieved corresponding to C2 level of the CEFR, equivalent to 60 ECTS.
Students may request a certificate for the ECTS credits acquired along with the Certificate/Italian
Language Diploma. Students must have attended at least 70% of classroom hours to be able to sit for
the final exam of each course and to receive the course certificates and diplomas.
At the end of each course a Certificate of Attendance may be obtained on request of the student.