Prerequisites                                                                                                                                                                       

This course is appropriate for absolute beginners who have little or no previous knowledge of the Italian language.                                                                                                                                                                   

Approach                                                                                                                                                                                    The aim of the course is to provide an introduction to the Italian language and culture within a practical context. It builds the essential knowledge needed for effective communication and interaction. All four communicative skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing - are developed throughout the course. Each lesson is task-oriented, focusing on a specific topic that logically connects to the previous and upcoming lessons. The participants gain a solid foundation in grammar, use high-frequency vocabulary, and develop the ability to understand the main ideas in short texts and audio/video clips. They practice writing brief messages and interact in a simple manner; including asking and answering questions about themselves and their daily routines. 

The course also offers cultural insights into Italy, highlighting local customs, traditions, and everyday life, within the context of language learning. Additionally, the curriculum includes linguistic comparisons between Italian and English*, and the participants engage in practical translation exercises to further enhance their language skills. Various learning strategies will be introduced to encourage independent study and self-guided learning.

Methods and forms of work   

The course includes work on the following topics and grammar:                                                                                                                            

• Topics: Greetings/introducing; drinks and food, work, time, daily routine, family, home, booking into a hotel and a restaurant, means of transport, shopping, clothes, events, health, holidays, weather.

• Vocabulary: Regular vocabulary tests.

• Phonetics: Rules of Italian pronunciation (word accents, consonant clusters like ca, ci, schi, gn, gli, etc.), intonation in affirmative, negative,interrogative sentences) and interactive phonetic exercises. 

• Speaking: Asking and answering questions, simple social conversations.

• Listening: Exercises to listen comprehension.                                                  

• Key grammar points: Nouns: Gender (masculine/feminine), singular/plural forms, definite and indefinite articles, adjective-noun agreement. Verbs: Present indicative tense of regular, irregular, and reflexive verbs; use of "piacere"; future vs. imperfect tense; passato prossimo with avere and essere (including reflexive verbs and piacere); stare + gerund. Adverbs: Adverbs of time. Prepositions: Basic prepositions, combinations with definite articles, prepositions of place, expressions with ci vuole / ci vogliono and modal verbs, partitive prepositions, and impersonal expressions. Possessive Adjectives: Agreement with nouns. Comparatives: Use of bene and meglio. Modal Verbs: Voglio vs. vorrei, c’è and ci sono.

• Writing: Personal postcards, emails, filling out forms, simple requests and responses.

• Translation exercises                                                                                                                                         

• Analysis of grammatical errors

• Learning strategies

• Insights into Italian-speaking life and culture                                                                                                                        

Performance monitoring                                                                                                     

• Independent study 

• Individual assignments as homework                                                                                                                           

• Grammar and vocabulary test after each completed unit

• Final Test: A comprehensive assessment to evaluate understanding and application of the course material.

• One examination simulation for the Italian exams

Learning materials: Printed worksheets on grammar, vocabulary, authentic written material from various sources,  multimedia (video recordings, film, TV, radio, song texts, etc.) are used to complement the standard textbook.

Beginn/Term duration: On request. 

Mode of delivery: Online, face-to-face (company courses only), blended. 

Placement test: The placement test, which includes grammar exercises and a brief personal interview ( max 15 min), is recommended.