Pulcinella intensive Italian course 1- 52 weeks

Course description

Our courses are held in comfortable classrooms, in a friendly and homely atmosphere. We offer Extensive, intensive and super-intensive group courses in small groups. Individual courses up to 10 hours daily and on request with lunch with the teacher. One-to-one and group courses for specific subjects (business, technical, literary Italian, etc.). Preparation courses for students wishing to be admitted by Italian Universities. Courses for organized groups up to 40 people with full extra-curricular program.
We also offer special courses: Italian cooking courses, History of Italian Theatre, Diction for Opera Singers, Italian History of Art, Italian Cinema, Italian Music, Italian Wine Tour.

On the Sunday evening before the first day of lessons, students and teachers will get to know each other better gathering together in front of the school at 19.00 to go to dinner all together in a local "trattoria". This will allow us to meet all the students personally and to divide them by levels according to a placement test and a little preliminary oral test. Those who don't want or cannot come to the dinner should anyway come to the appointment in front of the school where they'll be given instructions for the next day.

Our courses are divided into min. 6 levels (learning goals), according to the Common European Framework of Reference (Council of Europe)

A1 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 has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

A2 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 tasks requiring a simple and direct exchangeof 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.

B1 Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, ecc. 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.

B2 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 native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can profduce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantage and disadvantages of serious options.

C1 Can understand a wide range of demanding longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibility 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.

C2 Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Before the beginning of the course we will send you by email a PLACEMENT TEST that will allow us to find out your effective knowledge of Italian and put you in the right group. You can also download the test here, fill it out and send it back to us (email or fax) prior to your arrival to Camerano. The day before the beginning of lessons, during the meeting with the school staff and the other students, if necessary, you will have a short preliminary oral test with one of the teachers. Beginners don't need to do the test.

Small Groups

For each of the 6 levels, groups will range from 5 to 9 students (average 5/6 even in peak season periods), which will allow the teacher to closely monitor improvements and deal with any difficulties the students may encounter. Lessons will take place anyway even if the minimum number of students should not be reached. In this case the number of lessons will be reduced, according to the number of students in the class.

Our lessons have a conversation-based approach to the language, to allow even beginners to communicate in Italian. Each grammar point and new word will be inserted into the conversation, so that the students can get acquainted with the actual sound and rhythm of the language.

At the beginning of the course each student will receive a book whose contents will be enriched and expanded by notes and photocopies provided by the teachers.