Italian

Proficiency Levels, Learning Objectives and Course Content

according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

see also: Language Proficiency Levels and Course Levels


A1 CEFR

Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she owns. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

A1/1

Textbook: Con piacere nuovo A1: Coursebook and Workbook with MP3-CD. ISBN-13: 978-3125252011 (Units 1–4)

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics: 

  • Getting to know each other: introducing oneself (name, nationality, place of residence age, address, phone number) + asking for personal information; country and nationality names.
  • Ordering food and drinks in a bar and restaurant; reading a menu.
  • Tell or ask about occupation and place of work
  •  Leisure time and hobbies
  • Days of the week, months, seasons; telling the time and asking about it

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • -Alphabet & Numbers
  • Verbs essere, avere, stare + chiamarsi
  • Verbs ending in -are, -ere, -ire (+ verbs with -isc- extension)
  • irregular verbs: andare, uscire, bere
  • Verb piacere
  • negation non
  • interrogatives
  • prepositions a, in
  • Nouns and adjectives singular and plural
  • Modal verbs dovere, potere, volere

A1/2

Textbook: Con piacere nuovo A1: Coursebook and Workbook with MP3-CD. ISBN-13: 978-3125252011 (Units 5-8, time permitting also Unit 9)

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics: 

  • Talking about vacation and travel, hotel: making reservations, reporting problems, writing a postcard.
  • Daily routine
  • Asking for directions and describing the way
  • Eating habits + shopping
  • Describing the family

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Past tense Passato Prossimo
  • Reflexive verbs (if necessary also in Passato Prossimo)
  • place expressions with the propositions a, in, da
  • direct and indirect object pronouns, the use of pronoun ne to indicate quantity
  • divisive articles
  • possessive adverb


A2 CEFR

Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine situations requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

A2/1

Textbook: Con piacere nuovo A2: Coursebook and Workbook with MP3-CD. ISBN: 978-3125252066 (Units 1, 3, 5, 7).

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics:

  • Describe a person (appearance, character, clothing)
  • Writing a (simple) biography
  • Shopping: buying clothes and shoes
  • Childhood
  • Information and media (means of communication)

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Passato Prossmo with reflexive verbs
  • Relative pronouns che and chi
  • Past form Imperfetto
  • Difference between  imperfetto and passato prossimo
  • The use of expression stare + gerundio
  • Pronouns: direct object pronouns before a verb in passato prossimo; verbs with indirect or direct object.

A2/2

Textbook: Con piacere nuovo A2: Coursebook and Workbook with MP3-CD. ISBN: 978-3125252066 (Units 2, 4, 6, 8).

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics:

  • Hobby and leisure
  • Health and healthy lifestyle
  • Eating habits
  • Talking about plans and prospects
  • Work

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Present Conditionals
  • Future tense
  • Imperative (informal and formal) + Imperatives with pronouns
  • Degrees of the adjective (comparative & superlative)


B1 CEFR

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered at work, school, leisure etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

B1/1

Textbook: UniversItalia 2.0 B1/B2: Italian for Students / Course and Workbook, Hueber Publishers, 2018. ISBN: 978-3191054649 (suggested units to be covered: 1, 3, 4).

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics (recommended):

  • Young people and families
  • Family between today and yesterday
  • Cinema
  • University, studies and future plans
  • Italy & Italians

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • review of selected A2 topics (e.g. imperfetto and passato prossimo, imperative)
  • real conditional sentences
  • ways to express necessity (bisogna, ci vuole, avere bisogno di)
  • subjunctive (present and past tense - congiuntivo presente e passato)
  • Tense order in the subjunctive sentences (verb of the main clause in the present tense)
  • Past Perfect (trapassato prossimo)
  • Indefinita
  • Adjectives in -bile

B1/2

Textbook: UniversItalia 2.0 B1/B2: Italian for Students / Course and Workbook, Hueber Publishers, 2018. ISBN: 978-3191054649 (suggested units to be covered: 6, 7 + additional materials).

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics (recommended): 

  • Things that matter in life
  • Reading and books
  • Music
  • School and interculturalism
  • Sustainable living: trade and consumption, organic and fairtrade shopping
  • Experiences during exams
  • City life: infrastructure, services and life quality

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Review of B1.1 topics (e.g. past perfect and subjunctive - presente & passato)
  • other past tense forms of the subjunctive: congiuntivo trapassato e imperfetto
  • past tense of the conditional form (condizionale passato)
  • potential and real conditional (periodo ipotetico del 2° tipo o della possibilità)
  • subjunctive tense (verb of the main clause in the past)
  • combined pronouns

B1/3

Textbook: UniversItalia 2.0 B1/B2: Italian for Students / Course and Workbook, Hueber Publishers, 2018. ISBN: 978-3191054649 (suggested units to be covered: 2, 5, 8).

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics: 

  • Travel and tourism; mass tourism and sustainable tourism
  • History
  • Historical personalities (biographies)
  • Media and social media
  • Working world: job titles, job requirements, internships and professions

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Word formation (some suffixes)
  • passato remoto
  • passive voice (with essere, andare and venire)
  • unreal conditional clause in the present and past tense (periodo ipotetico dell'irrealtà)
  • subjunctive: congiuntivo trapassato
  • tenses in the subjunctive and indicative (expansion and consolidation)
  • relative pronouns (il quale, la quale, i quali, le quali)
  • linking words and phrases


B2 CEFR

Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with mother-tongue speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a point of view on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

B2/1

Textbook: The course materials are compiled and distributed to the participants by the teacher, depending on the students‘ needs and the learning objectives.

Speaking Topics:

  • Foreign words in Italian
  • Euphemisms
  • Colloquialisms
  • Swear words
  • Special vocabulary (law)
  • History of Italy in the 20th century
  • Immigration and emigration in Italy
  • Soccer (optional)

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Hypothetical language (present/past)
  • Temporal clauses
  • Causal clauses
  • Concessive clauses
  • Modal clauses

B2/2

Textbook: The course materials are compiled and distributed to the participants by the teacher, depending on the students‘ needs and the learning objectives.

Speaking Topics:

  • Regional studies
  • Regionalism
  • Social and cultural differences between northern, southern and central Italy
  • Italian cities
  • Common idiomatic expressions

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • Prefix or suffix of the adjective
  • Punctuation
  • Sentence structure

B2/3

Textbook: The course materials are compiled and distributed to the participants by the teacher, depending on the students‘ needs and the learning objectives.

Speaking Topics:

  • Speaking/writing about books
  • Speaking/writing about Italian history
  • Direct and indirect communication
  • Conducting and recording interviews
  • Art

Planned Grammar Topics:

  • explicit and implicit sentences
  • subject clauses
  • object clauses
  • consecutive clauses
  • final clauses


C1 CEFR

Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

C1/1

Textbook: Nuovissimo Progetto Italiano 3 – Students‘ Book. Edilingua. ISBN 978-88-99358-98-3

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics:

  • Telling fairy tales
  • Family in Italy and its evolution over time
  • Friends
  • Animal world
  • Studying in Italy
  • World of technology
  • Sports and exercise
  • Relationships
  • Business World

Planned Grammar:

  • Nouns (exceptions and peculiarities)
  • Adjectives (exceptions and peculiarities)
  • Adverbs (exceptions and peculiarities)
  • Passato remoto, imperfetto, trapassato prossimo, congiuntivo
  • Verbs with alternating auxiliary verb in the past tense
  • Pronouns (diretti, indiretti, combinati)
  • Nominal prefixes
  • Links and connectors

C1/2

Textbook: Nuovissimo Progetto Italiano 3 – Students‘ Book. Edilingua. ISBN 978-88-99358-98-3

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics:

  • Television: commercials, broadcasts, other topics
  • Privacy and social media
  • Environment
  • Nutrition
  • Gambling addiction
  • Digital life: artificial intelligence, genetics
  • Alternative medicine
  • Science and inventions
  • Economy
  • History of Italy in the 19th century: Focus on Italian Unification (il Risorgimento italiano)

Planned Grammar:

  • Combined nouns
  • Comparative
  • congiuntivo, passivo, futuro, condizionale, gerundio
  • Pronominal verbs
  • Syntax
  • Relative pronouns
  • Links and connectors (continued)

C1/3

Textbook: Nuovissimo Progetto Italiano 3 – Students‘ Book. Edilingua. ISBN 978-88-99358-98-3

Information regarding the current textbook for your course is available in the course booking instructions.

Speaking Topics:

  • Between religion and superstition
  • Immigration and emigration
  • Organized crime
  • Reading through the ages: e-books
  • The fantastic world of cinematography
  • Languages and dialects
  • Art treasures 
  • Theater
  • The world of classical music
  • Celebrations and festivals in Italy

Planned Grammar:

  • Imperativo e pronomi, pronominali, periodo ipotetico (conditional clauses), discorso indiretto (indirect speech), concordanza (sequence of tenses in the subjunctive and indicative consolidation).
  • Adjectives (exceptions and peculiarities): continuation
  • Linking words and phrases: continuation
  • Pronomi relativi doppi
  • Nouns (exceptions and peculiarities): continued


C2 CEFR

Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and explanations in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

C2/1

The course materials are compiled and distributed to the participants by the teacher, depending on the students‘ needs and the learning objectives.

C2/2

The course materials are compiled and distributed to the participants by the teacher, depending on the students‘ needs and the learning objectives.

C2/3

The course materials are compiled and distributed to the participants by the teacher, depending on the students‘ needs and the learning objectives.