Italian Language Course in Italy

The Italian courses of the University for Foreigners "Dante Alighieri" allow the acquisition of the four main language skills required by the standards of the common European framework of reference on language teaching: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Thanks to direct learning, the student will also be able to acquire and understand non-verbal language, idioms and communication codes typical of the Italian lifestyle.
The course includes specific courses for the different levels of basic knowledge of the language.
It starts from the basics in the A1 and A2 level courses up to the advanced knowledge of the written and spoken Italian language at levels C1 and C2.

Our courses will give, in addition to the official European certifications:
• An effective, modern and communication-oriented method.
• A friendly atmosphere and a city center location.
• Qualified and certified teachers.
• Limited number of students for each course.

The Italian Language and Culture courses of the "Dante Alighieri" University for Foreigners last from 1 to 6 months and are divided by levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:
A1 (1 monthly module),
A2 (1 monthly module),
B1 (2 monthly modules),
B2 (2 monthly modules),
C1 (3 monthly modules),
C2 (6 monthly modules).

All courses have a duration of 80 hours per month (approximately), from Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 12:30.
Each monthly module develops communicative competence through grammatical and lexical functions.

For levels B1, B2 and C1 there are supplementary seminars on Italian culture in the afternoon, also open to students of the other levels.

Specialized seminars are planned for level C2 during the six months of attendance (in the afternoon).

Upon passing levels C1 and C2, a first and second level Diploma will be issued respectively.

There is a maximum number of 15 students for each course (the number may vary according to the Erasmus-auditor students).

Entry Test
New students take the placement test on the first day of each course at 09:00 at the University premises.

Final test
The student is admitted to the final exam with 80% of the hours of attendance, as required by the European portfolio. The exam will take place on the penultimate day of the course.
Upon passing the exam, at the end of each month and / or module, the student obtains 8 CFU / ECTS to which it is possible to add the CFU for attending seminars.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All citizens over the age of 16 can enroll in the Italian for Foreigners course.
You can access courses of all levels at any time (except level A1), even after the official start of the course.
ACCESS TO THE COURSE A1
Students of the A1 course must necessarily start the course within two days from the official start date of the course.
ACCESS TO THE COURSE C2
Access to the second level advanced course (C2) is allowed to those who:
• has already obtained the certificate of knowledge of the Italian language of the C1 level advanced course;
• was assigned by the teachers to the advanced course after the entrance test.
• is in possession of one of the recognized certificates of knowledge of the Italian language belonging to the CLIC group (CELI; CILS; PLIDA; IT ROMA TRE).

DETAILS OF THE COURSE

Objectives to achieve

A1 Low Beginner: 

Use and comprehension of basic daily expressions to fulfill real needs. Introduce him/herself or others and make questions or answer over personal details like where he/she lives, people known and things owned.  Easy interaction with a person who is prone to speak slowly.

A2 High Beginner:

Use and comprehension of phrases and expressions concerning fields of istant relevance (personal or familiar information, shopping, local geography, work). Communicate in simple activities which request an easy exchange of information over common topics. Describe aspects of life or environment with common words; expression of istant needs.

B1 Low intermediate:

Comprehension of usual topics key words about school, free time etc. Move with ease through  situations which may occure during the stay in the Country. He/she is able to produce a simple text concerning usual topics and personal interest. He/she is able to convey experience and happenings, dreams, hopes and ambitions, even to illustrate his/her own reasons about projects and opinions.

B2 High intermediate:

Comprehension of complex text main ideas about concrete or abstract topics, technical discussions too. Talk with the home-grown speakers in a fluency and naturalness way. He/she is able to produce a clear and detailed text over a wide range of topics and to explain topic point of view, providing pros and cons.

C1 Advanced:

A wide range of long and complex texts comprehension and understanding the meaning. Speak with fluency and naturalness. Use the language in an efficient and flexible way for social, professional and academic purposes. He/she is able to produce clear and detailed texts over complex topics, showing a textual layout and connectors command.

C2 Proficiency:

Easy comprehension of all the listen and read things.  He/she knows to sum up info from many sources, both written and spoken, structuring topic in a congruent expound. Naturalness of expressions in a fluid and accurate manner, identifying subtle nuances in complex situations.

Classes will be supplied 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. Them will be held mostly in the morning. Therefore, afternoons and weekends can be spent living Italy at its best. During the course you will attend two or three classes depending on your level. Classes will be scheduled 9am to 12.30pm for A1 and A2 levels, and from 9am to 2.45pm for levels B1,B2,C1,C2. There will be coffee and lunch breaks throughout the morning time. The number of necessary lessons could vary depending on the course level attended. Levels A1 and A2 usually take two classes per day, while levels B1,B2,C1,C2 will need to take three classes per day.

Weekly classes could be substituted with outdoor activities.

A schedule of weekly classes follows:

At the end of the course, the students who have good attendance records will get a participation certificate, which will be granted to the students who will attend only a one or two-week course too. Students of the month long courses will get a certificate stating the credits obtained (CFU) and the exams taken with grades reports.

The certificates are valid worldwide.

Enrollments can be done for one or more consecutive months of courses. Depending on the time of the year, courses will fall in high or low season.

Calendar 2022

Italian language course fees 

The fees depend on the amount of time spent in the school: the longer the stay the lower the price.

Fees table

Rules for the granting of scholarships to students of the Scuola di Orientamento e Alta Formazione in Lingua e Cultura italiana

There is no granting of scholarships to students who want to attend a single month of course.

The student, who has already attended 2 months of the course and who is up-to-date with the payment of university fees and can apply for a scholarship for the third month. The same will be granted on the basis of the evaluation of profit and motivation. This does not apply to the summer months.

Students who arrive in Reggio Calabria specifically to attend an Italian language course, (and who come from countries for which an entry visa to Italy is not required) have to pay the tuition fee for the first month of the course. From the second month you can apply for a scholarship, which will be granted on the basis of the evaluation of profit and motivation. In any case, the scholarship cannot be awarded for a number of months exceeding 50% of the enrollment months. This does not apply to the summer months.

Meanwhile, for the students who arrive in Reggio Calabria specifically to attend an Italian language course and who come from countries for which an entry visa to Italy is required, it's mandatory to pay the attendance fee for all months of the course. Once at the University, and after having attended at least two months of the course, you have the possibility to apply for a scholarship for attendance from the third month of the course (if enrolled for a quarter) or three months of course (if enrolled for a semester). In the case of granting the scholarship, the student will be reimbursed the amount relating to the number of months of scholarship granted paid at the time of enrollment.

Students who come from countries in precarious socio-political conditions who arrive in our country with makeshift transportation, have the possibility of requesting, upon their arrival, a scholarship which can however be revoked on the basis of the assessment of profit and motivation.

****** ALL THE ACTIVITIES BELOW ARE SUSPENDED CAUSE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ******

There will be outdoor activities for students and teachers of the Dante School, at least once a month. Thanks to these course activities, students will be involved with the italian culture and discover Reggio Calabria and its surroundings, while visiting the most beautiful and suggestive places in Calabria and Sicily too. Outdoor activities will count towards the number of credits necessary to get the final certificate, since they are aimed to enhance the speaking skills of the students.

Extra Activities schedule 2019

Following, some of our typical outdoor activities:

Roman Villa of Casignana:

This Villa is considered to be one of the most important historical villas of Italy and it is located in the city of Casignana, iof n the province Reggio Calabria. It is a Villa of the Roman epoch from the 1st century AC, and it bares witness of all the eras and peoples that came and the different daily lives, since it shows different layers of restoration throughout the centuries. From there, it is also possible to walk through the porch and get to the beautiful thermal complex, which is finely decorated with mosaics. The Room of the Nereids is particularly interesting and famous, with its mosaic, and its octagonal structure. The residential part of the Villa is located on the opposite side, is characterized by the numerous rooms all decorated with mosaics. The Four Season room is the one that stands out the most.

Gerace:

Gerace, rated the seventh most beautiful towns in Italy, is located within the Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte. The town has a medieval fashion and the most ancient part of it is rich of beautiful buildings. The numerous churches present in Gerace are particularly interesting. They are over 100 and many of them are of the byzantine era. The different buildings of Gerace bear witness of the different historical eras it lived and of the diverse architectural styles that characterized them. The buildings were built digging directly in the rock.

Paragliding on the Lao river in Papasidero

For the adventure lovers and for those who want to make their stay in Reggio Calabria an unforgettable experience, there is the possibility to try paragliding over our beautiful territory. This activity is suited for everyone and it is offered for both single and double seated paraglides.

Parco Nazionale della Sila:

For the nature lovers, we highly suggest a visit at the Parco Nazionale della Sila. The National Park hides several natural reserves in it that will allow you to really get in touch with nature and appreciate the typical flora and fauna of the area. The National Park is also a great idea for the sports lovers, since it promotes fun activities such as trekking, long walks, horseback riding, archery, sailing and canoe.

Bagnara and the Versace Museum

Bagnara is a small town in the metropolitan area of Reggio Calabria with an artistic patrimony characterized by civil, religious and military architecture. It is also well known for its Angelo Versace Museum. The Museum is divided into two sections and explores the XVIII and XIX centuries. The first section is devoted to sacred art, while the second to archeology, spanning from the eneolithic era to the byzantine-norman era.

Monte Pollino and Sibari Adventure Park

Another must-do for the adventure lovers is the Sibari Adventure Park situated on Mount Pollino. It involves many activities such as: an over 100 meter cableway, the so-called swan-flight; 7 adventure paths with different levels of difficulty that will allow you to walk through over 2km of adventurous challenges; an incredible itinerary in the Raganello Canyon. All of the activities are carefully followed by expert trainers. The park also includes archeological and natural sightseeing in the different towns around it that will let you discover the history, arts, and culture of the place. 

Extra Activities schedule 2019

To register for Italian courses and access the entrance test, you must:

download, fill in and sign the registration form;

send the registration form to: info@unidarc.it;

attach a copy of a valid identity document;

attach a receipt for the payment of the fee for the chosen course.

Students who require a visa must register on the Universitaly web portal. After completing the procedure, the secretary will send the enrollment letter to the Italian Embassy or Consulate of the country of origin.

To learn more about the procedure, consult the FAQ

PLEASE NOTE:

Registration closes one week before the start of the course.
In particular, enrollment in the January course must be done by 21 December 2021 and enrollment in the August course must be done by 19 July 2022. For enrollments beyond the deadline, please send a specific request to: info@unidarc.it

Payment must be made to the account:

Account holder: University for Foreigners "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria

Bank: Monte dei Paschi di Siena,

Headquarters of: Reggio Calabria

Via Del Torrione, 95

IBAN CODE n .: IT10L0103016300000002535012

COD. SWIFT: PASCITMMREG

Find out more about how to enroll.