A1 LEVEL

OBJECTIVES

Listening:
Understanding basic instructions; understanding simple information such a show to reach a particular place from another one on foot or using public transport;
getting the gist of the main information in simple messages and brief announcements.

Reading:
Understanding short, easy texts with high frequency words (simple messages on postcards, signs, directions, instructions, signs warning of danger in a public place,
charts and tables, information and publicity leaflets).

Speaking:
Asking and answering simple questions pertaining to immediate needs on familiar topics.
Communicating through simple, routine activities information regarding family, study and free time. Introducing yourself using simple expressions for greeting and
saying goodbye. Expressing agreement or disagreement with other people in a simple way.

Writing:
Writing simple sentences, a postcard, a greetings card, an announcement to put on a noticeboard, form-filling.

1
A 1 false beginners (for learners whose mother tongue is a romance language or those with a B1 level of competence in one of the following
romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French and Romanian)
Communicative functions
greetings and salutations
asking about a person’s health
(whether someone is well or not)
Using tu/ Lei - familiar or courteous
forms of address
introducing yourself ( name,
nationality, usual place of
residence, address in Italy,
telephone number, university
course, profession, age, personal
tastes)
asking for information about a
person
introducing one person to another
asking for information on things
(timetables, costs, details)
describing a place (student’s own
town/city) in a simple way
wishing someone a happy
birthday/Christmas, etc. and how to
respond
talking about daily routines
how to make a suggestion (an
invitation to do something)
Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
the alphabet definite and indefinite articles Italian vowels proxemics: significance of gestures
and personal space (pleasantries
greetings and pleasantries gender and number of regular nouns and a the sounds /k/, /ʧ/ such as shaking hands and kissing)
few irregular forms the sounds /g/, /dʒ/
names of countries, cities, faculties the sounds /r/, /l/ formality according to age and social
and professions qualifying adjectives (ending in –o/-e) status
certain double consonants
cardinal numbers noun/adjective agreement (/kk/, /gg/, /rr/, /ll/, //pp/, /bb/ professions and titles (professore,
dottoressa, avvocato, etc.)
telling the time c’è / ci sono (there is/there are) cf. è / sono
(he/she/it is/ they are) opening hours of public
verbs for daily and free time the sounds /l/ and /Ȟ/
offices/services
activities conjugation of the auxiliary verbs essere (filo/figlio)
and avere, of regular verbs in the present holidays in Italy (Italian habits and
parts of the day indicative, of reflexive verbs and certain the sounds /n/ and /Ȃ/ holiday resorts)
(nano/bagno)
irregular ones
days of the week Italian habits (work, free time)
present indicative of the following modal the sounds /t/ and /d/
months, seasons meals
verbs: potere, dovere and volere
adverbs of frequency the sounds /sk/ and / ʃ/
present progressive: stare + gerundio (schiacciare/sciare)
public places (restaurants, etc.)
formal and informal imperative (active and the sounds /v/ and /b/
negative forms)
Tourist facilities (hotel, youth hostel,
etc.) the sounds /f/ and /v/
conjugation of regular verbs and certain
types of food and diet; adjectives for irregular ones in the Passato prossimo
talking about food and drink
pronouns: personal subject pronouns and
simple expressions for describing reflexive pronouns
feelings or needs (I’m tired / I’m
hungry)
2
Communicative functions
accepting/turning down an invitation
Interacting in a bar or restaurant
(ordering, offering food/drink, asking
whether someone likes their food,
asking for the bill, etc.)
expressing own tastes
asking for and giving directions (how
to arrive at a place)
words for locating something within
a space
talking about the weather (forecasts)
talking about recent past events
ways of opening/closing a letter/ e-
mail/post cards
producing brief written messages
Vocabulary
time reference words: la settimana
scorsa, un anno fa …
weather vocabulary: è/fa
bello/brutto,c’è il sole, piove/nevica/
è nuvoloso etc.
means of transport
locations around the city
verbs of movement (attraversare,
girare, etc.)
basic lexis relating to the life of a
university student
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
simple negative forms intonation in questions, Italian food: certain typical dishes
statements and exclamations
main adverbs: Food and festivals: Christmas, New
of time (prima, poi, già, ora/adesso, sempre accent within words: tonic Year, Easter
mai, oggi, domani, ieri) stress (pronunciation
of place (qui/qua, lì(là, sopra, sotto, giù, thereof) and graphic accents transport
dentro, fuori, vicino, lontano, davanti, dietro, (in writing)
a destra, a sinistra) Italian geography (regions and
other frequent adverbs (molto, poco, tanto, cities)
più, meno, meglio, bene, male)
public streets and squares in Italy
simple prepositions and prepositional
articles
simple sentences:
interrogative clauses (introduced by chi,
come, dove, quando perché, che cosa)
complex sentences:
coordinate clauses introduce by ma, e, o
subordinate clauses introduced by quando,
perché, se, che
final subordinate clauses with a, per
3

LIVELLO A1 A
Communicative functions
greetings and salutations
asking about a person’s health
(whether someone is well or not)
introducing yourself ( name,
nationality, usual place of
residence, address in Italy,
telephone number, university
course, profession, age, personal
tastes)
asking for information about a
person; introducing someone to
another person; using the tu/Lei
familiar or polite forms of address
asking for information on things
(timetables, costs, details)
describing a place (student’s own
town/city) in a simple way
wishing someone a happy
birthday/Christmas, etc. and how to
respond
talking about daily routines
how to make a suggestion (an
invitation to do something)/
accepting or turning down an
invitation
asking for/giving directions
For other learners whose mothertongue is not a romance language
Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
the alphabet definite and indefinite articles Italian vowels proxemics: significance of gestures
and personal space (pleasantries
greetings and pleasantries gender and number of regular nouns the sounds /k/, /ʧ/ such as shaking hands and kissing)
qualifying adjectives (ending in –o/-e) the sounds /g/, /dʒ/
names of countries, cities, faculties noun/adjective agreement the sounds /r/, /l/ formality according to age and social
and professions status
c’è / ci sono (there is/there are) cf. è / sono certain double consonants
cardinal numbers (he/she/it is/ they are) (/kk/, /gg/, /rr/, /ll/, //pp/, /bb/ professions and titles (professore,
dottoressa, avvocato, etc.)
telling the time conjugation of auxiliary verbs essere and
avere, of regular verbs in the present opening hours of public
verbs for daily activities indicative, of reflexive verbs and certain the sounds /l/ and /Ȟ/ offices/services
irregular ones (andare, venire, uscire, (filo/figlio)
parts of the day sapere, fare, dire, dare) Italian people’s free time activities
the sounds /n/ and /Ȃ/
days of the week present indicative of the following modal (nano/bagno) meals
verbs: potere, dovere and volere
months, seasons the sounds /t/ and /d/ Italian food: certain typical dishes
simple negative forms
adverbs of frequency Italian geography (regions and
personal subject and reflexive pronouns the sounds /sk/ and / ʃ/
cities)
members of the family (schiacciare/sciare)
main adverbs:
types of food and groceries of time (prima, poi, già, ora/adesso, sempre, the sounds /v/ and /b/
mai, oggi, domani, ieri)
public places and means of transport the sounds /f/ and /v/
of frequency: (sempre, spesso, mai …)
Tourist facilities (hotel, youth hostel, accent within words: tonic
etc.) introduction to the use of simple stress (pronunciation
prepositions (a, di, da, in, per,con …) and thereof) and graphic accents
basic lexis relating to a university prepositional articles (in writing)
student’s daily life
simple expressions for describing interrogative clauses (introduced by chi, intonation in questions,
feelings or needs (I’m tired / I’m come, dove, quando perché, che cosa…) statements and exclamations
coordinate clauses introduce by ma, e, o
4
Communicative functions Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
ordering food/drink hungry) final subordinate clauses with a, per

ways of opening/closing a letter/

e-mail/post cards

producing brief written messages

5
LIVELLO A1 B
Communicative functions
interacting in a bar or restaurant
(ordering, offering food/drink, asking
whether someone likes their food,
asking for the bill, etc.)
expressing own tastes
asking for and giving directions (how
to arrive at a place)
asking for/giving information about
public transport
words for locating something within
a space
talking about the weather (forecasts)
talking about daily routines
talking about recent past events
producing brief written messages
Vocabulary
repetition of and building on
vocabulary covered at A1a level
types of place (ristorante, trattoria
etc.)
types of food and groceries
adjectives for describing food/drink
locations around the city
means of transport
weather vocabulary: è/fa
bello/brutto,c’è il sole, piove/nevica/
è nuvoloso etc.
verbs of movement (attraversare,
girare, etc.)
daily and free time activities
time reference words: la settimana
scorsa, un anno fa …
revision on and development of
basic lexis relating to the life of a
university student
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
revision of and building on structures covered at A1a Italian vowels Italian food: certain typical
level dishes
the sounds /k/, /ʧ/
conjugation of regular verbs and some irregular ones in the sounds /g/, /dʒ/ Food and festivals:
the Passato prossimo the sounds /r/, /l/ Christmas, New Year,
Easter
formal and informal imperative (active and negative certain double consonants
forms) (/kk/, /gg/, /rr/, /ll/, //pp/, transport
/bb/
present progressive: stare + gerundio Italian geography (regions
and cities)
main adverbs:
of time (prima, poi, già, ora/adesso, sempre mai, oggi, the sounds /l/ and /Ȟ/ holidays in Italy (Italian
domani, ieri) (filo/figlio) habits and holiday resorts)
of place (qui/qua, lì(là, sopra, sotto, giù, dentro, fuori,
vicino, lontano, davanti, dietro, a destra, a sinistra) the sounds /n/ and /Ȃ/ Italian habits (work, free
other frequent adverbs (molto, poco, tanto, più, meno, (nano/bagno) time)
meglio, bene, male)
the sounds /t/ and /d/ public streets and squares
simple prepositions and prepositional articles (revision in Italy
and further development)
the sounds /sk/ and / ʃ/
Simple sentences: (schiacciare/sciare)
interrogative clauses (introduced by chi, come, dove, the sounds /v/ and /b/
quando perché, che cosa)
complex sentences: the sounds /f/ and /v/
coordinate clauses introduce by ma, e, o
subordinate clauses introduced by quando, perché, se, accent within words: tonic
che stress (pronunciation
thereof) and graphic
final subordinate clauses with a, per accents (in writing)

intonation in questions,
statements and
exclamations

6
Text books and recommended material, also for autonomous study:

• Nuovo Contatto A1, Bozzone-Costa, Ghezzi, Piantoni. Loescher Editore 2014.

• Bravissimo 1, Birello, Vilagrasa. Difusiòn/Bulgarini 2012
• Linea Diretta Nuovo 1A (Lez. 1-8), Conforti – Cusimano. Guerra Edizioni 2002.
• Campusitalia (Lez. 1-6), Errico, Esposito, Grandi. Guerra Edizioni 2008.
• UniversItalia (Lez. 1-5), Piotti, De Savorgnani. Alma Edizioni 2006.
• Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana, Nocchi, Alma Edizioni 2002.
• Grammatica Essenziale della Lingua italiana, Mezzadri, Guerra Edizioni 2000.
• Grammatica interattiva della lingua italiana con esercizi, Mezzadri, Guerra Ed. Cd-Rom.
• Dizionario per immagini, Mezzadri, Guerra Edizioni Cd-Rom.

For mother tongue Chinese students:

• Io sono Wang Lin. La lingua italiana per cinesi. A. Dente, K. Franzese, W. Jing. Loescher Editore 2015.
• Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana per studenti cinesi, S. Nocchi. Alma Edizioni.

7
 A2 LEVEL

OBJECTIVES

Listening:
Understanding brief extracts on familiar subjects in standard language; being able to follow detailed instructions (simple technical information, operating instructions
from everyday life); understanding a brief extract from the radio or another recording and being able to gather essential information from it; following the main points
of a TV programme if set out in a clear and simple way.

Reading:
Understanding and identifying information in documents written in an easy accessible style (letters, leaflets, brief newspaper articles); understanding simple
instructions regarding technical devices used in everyday life; understanding rules if expressed in simple language.

Speaking:
Interacting in structured situations, provided that the interlocutor, if necessary, collaborates; managing routine dialogues without too much effort (asking questions,
answering, exchanging ideas and information on familiar subjects in everyday situations); giving a simple but fairly fluent description of various subjects.

Writing:
Being able to write down brief, simple notes relating to immediate needs; draft clearly structured simple texts on familiar subjects; writing simple personal letters
expressing thanks or apologising for something.

8
A 2 (for students whose mother tongue is a romance language and all those who have attended the A1 False Beginners course)
Communicative functions
talking about travel and holidays
asking about and giving information
on means of transport
interacting in a shop
asking about and giving information
on the measurements, form and
materials of everyday objects
describing persons, objects and
places
describing a space or placing
elements in a space (davanti/dietro,
sotto/sopra …)
comparing/contrasting objects
talking about experiences (a
personal story)
talking about past events
placing two or more events in a time
sequence
describing situations or habits in the
past (e.g. your childhood)
Vocabulary
basic vocabulary on daily life: family,
homes (rooms, furniture and
objects), cities (buildings, streets,
means of transport, surroundings),
free time (travel, holidays)
climate and seasons
types of shops and goods
types of containers
basic lexis for weights and
measurements (1 etto/1 litro; metro,
chilometro …)
clothing and accessories
shapes and materials
adjectives to describe clothing
time reference words: la settimana
scorsa, un anno fa …
Grammar and Word formation
all the structures covered at A1 level (A1a
and A1 b)
revision and further study of: noun and
adjective agreement
possessive adjectives (omissions and use of
article before possessive adj. with names
relating to relatives
degrees of qualifying adjectives (regular
comparatives of equality, majority and
minority/ absolute superlative with molto and
-issimo)
partitive article in the singular and plural
(vorrei del pane, dei libri)
formal and informal imperative, noi and voi
active conjugation of regular verbs and
certain irregular verbs in the following
moods and tenses: indicativo passato
prossimo (agreement between subject and
with pronouns), imperfect
individual use of modal verbs potere, volere,
dovere and sapere (conoscere/essere
capace di)
Use of passato prossimo and imperfetto in
telling a story or anecdote about the past
impersonal pronoun si
Pronunciation and
spelling
revision of all the
pronunciation and spelling
covered at A1 level (A1a e
A1b)
strong and weak
pronunciation of consonants
and spelling (casa/cassa,
nono/nonno …)
grave and acute accents in
writing or on the computer
(è, cioè vs. perché)
use of the euphonic “d” (io
ed Anna, vado ad Ancona)
the sounds /j/ (fiore) and
/w/ (uomo)
dipthongs au, ia, ai, io, oi,
uo, eu
Culture
Italian people’s habits (holidays,
spending habits, eating habits)
festivals and traditions
family celebrations
Italian geography (physical and
administrative: regions, provinces,
municipalities)
Organization of public life (shops,
hospitals, municipalities, theatres
cinemas, theatrical shows/film
festivals…)
organization of family life in Italy
transport systems
sport
most popular newspapers and
magazines
9
Communicative functions
illustrate your academic and/or
training programme
formulate simple hypotheses
(se piove, non esco)
talk about your own future, making
plans and programmes
understanding forecasts
giving/receiving
recommendations/advice
giving/asking permission to do
something
ordering or forbidding someone
to/from doing something
setting out brief study themes/asking
for clarification on subjects
producing written messages
Vocabulary
qualifications, subjects and marks
basic lexis relating to the world of
work: professions and the workplace
ordinals numbers
parts of the body (irregular plurals
relating to body parts)
diseases and illnesses
adjectives for describing physical
appearance and personality
revision on and development of
expressions for talking about
feelings and emotions (essere
contento / arrabbiato / triste etc.)
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
the simple future and present conditional forms and common gestures
usage
the Italian school and
personal pronouns: direct and indirect (stressed and university system
unstressed forms) and reflexive pronouns
organization of living areas
position of pronouns with the imperative and the in the home
infinitive
organization of healthcare
locative ci (vado a Roma, ci vieni?) and partitive ne
notions of the world of
usage and position of the relative pronoun che work in Italy
simple prepositions and prepositional articles
certain irregular forms of nouns
certain pronouns and indefinite adjectives (niente/nulla,
nessuno, qualcosa, qualcuno, qualche, alcuni)
double negation
expanding knowledge of adverbs/ function and position
(between auxiliary verb and past participle in perfect
tenses: ho già mangiato, non ho ancora mangiato …)
adverbs of manner with the suffix –mente
complex sentences: appropriate use of conjugations
which introduce the main coordinate clauses (ma, però,
tuttavia) subordinate clauses (temporal: mentre; causal:
siccome, dato che, perché; conditional: se ; objective
and relative: che)
impersonal sentences: volerci, bisogna/si deve, è
vietato/è permesso, è possibile …
correlatrive function of sia … sia e né … né
10

A2 A LEVEL
Communicative functions
asking about and giving information
on means of transport
interacting in a shop
asking about and giving information
on the measurements, form and
materials of everyday objects
describing persons, objects and
places
describing a space or placing
elements in a space (davanti/dietro,
sotto/sopra …)
comparing/contrasting objects
talking about experiences (a
personal story)/ travels and holidays
describing situations or habits in the
past (e.g. your childhood)
talk about your own future, making
plans and programmes
understanding forecasts
formulate simple hypotheses
(se piove, non esco)
producing written messages
For other learners whose mothertongue is not a romance language
Vocabulary
basic vocabulary on daily life: family,
homes (rooms, furniture and
objects), cities (buildings, streets,
means of transport, surroundings),
free time (travel, holidays)
climate and seasons
types of shops and goods
types of containers
basic lexis for weights and
measurements (1 etto/1 litro; metro,
chilometro …)
clothing and accessories
shapes and materials
adjectives to describe clothing
time reference words: la settimana
scorsa, un anno fa …
adjectives for describing physical
appearance and personality
revision on and development of
expressions for talking about
feelings and emotions (essere
contento / arrabbiato / triste etc.)
parts of the body (irregular plurals)
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
all the structures covered at A1 level (A1a and revision of all the Italian people’s habits (holidays,
A1 b) pronunciation and spelling spending habits, eating habits)
covered at A1 level (A1a
possessive adjectives (omissions and use of e A1b) festivals and traditions
article before possessive adj. with names
relating to relatives strong and weak family celebrations
pronunciation of
degrees of qualifying adjectives (regular consonants and spelling Italian geography (physical and
comparatives of equality, majority and minority/ (casa/cassa, nono/nonno administrative: regions, provinces,
absolute superlative with molto and -issimo) …) municipalities)
certain irregular forms of nouns grave and acute accents organization of public life (shops,
in writing or on the hospitals, municipalities, theatres
partitive article in the singular and plural (vorrei computer (è, cioè vs. cinemas, theatrical shows/film
del pane, dei libri) perché) festivals…)
and partitive ne
use of the euphonic “d” organization of family life in Italy
simple prepositions and prepositional articles (io ed Anna, vado ad
Ancona) transport systems
direct and indirect personal pronouns
the sounds /j/ (fiore) and sport
imperative (informal and formal/noi/voi) /w/ (uomo)
most popular newspapers and
conjugation of regular verbs and certain dipthongs au, ia, ai, io, oi, magazines
irregular ones in the following moods and uo, eu
tenses: indicativo passato prossimo
(agreement between subject and with
pronouns), imperfect and future simple
impersonal si
individual use of modal verbs potere, volere,
dovere and sapere (conoscere/essere capace
di)
11
LIVELLO A2 B
Communicative functions
talking about past events
placing two or more events in a time sequence
illustrate your academic and/or training
programme
formulate simple hypotheses
(se piove, non esco)
talk about your own future, making plans and
programmes
understanding forecasts
giving/receiving recommendations/advice
giving/asking permission to do something
ordering or forbidding someone to/from doing
something
producing written messages
setting out brief study themes/asking for
clarification on subjects
Vocabulary
basic vocabulary on daily life: family,
homes (rooms, furniture and
objects), cities (buildings, streets,
means of transport, surroundings),
free time (travel, holidays)
basic lexis relating to the world of
work: professions and the workplace
qualifications, subjects and marks
adjectives for describing physical
appearance and personality
(revision and development)
revision on and development of
expressions for talking about
feelings and emotions (essere
contento / arrabbiato / triste etc.)
revision on and development of the
parts of the body (irregular plurals
relating to the same)
diseases and illnesses
ordinals numbers
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
all the structures covered at A2a level revision of all the common gestures
use of the passato prossimo and imperfetto pronunciation and spelling
when talking about past events covered at A1 level (A1a e organization of family life in Italy
A1b)
revision on and development of future time the Italian school and university
strong and weak system
forms and uses of condizionale presente pronunciation of consonants
certain forms of irregular nouns and spelling (casa/cassa, organization of living areas in the
nono/nonno …) home
position of pronouns with the imperative and
the infinitive grave and acute accents in organization of healthcare
writing or on the computer
Uses and position of the relative pronouns (è, cioè vs. perché) notions of the world of work in
che Italy
certain pronouns and indefinite adjectives use of the euphonic “d” (io
(niente/nulla, nessuno, qualcosa, qualcuno, ed Anna, vado ad Ancona) most popular newspapers and
qualche, alcuni) and double negatives magazines
the sounds /j/ (fiore) and
expanding knowledge of adverbs/ function /w/ (uomo)
and position (between auxiliary verb and
past participle in perfect tenses: ho già dipthongs au, ia, ai, io, oi,
mangiato, non ho ancora mangiato …) uo, eu
adverbs with the suffix –mente
complex sentences: appropriate use of
conjugations which introduce the main
coordinate clauses (ma, però, tuttavia)
subordinate clauses (temporal: mentre;
causal: siccome, dato che, perché;
conditional: se ; objective and relative: che)
impersonal sentences: volerci, bisogna/si
deve, è vietato/è permesso, è possibile …
correlatrive function of sia … sia e né … né
12
Text books and recommended material, also for autonomous study:

• Nuovo Contatto A2, Bozzone-Costa, Ghezzi, Piantoni. Loescher Editore 2014.

• Bravissimo 2, Birello, Vilagrasa. Difusiòn/Bulgarini 2013
• Linea Diretta Nuovo 1B (Lez. 1-8), Conforti – Cusimano. Guerra Edizioni 2002.
• Campusitalia (Lez. 7-11), Errico, Esposito, Grandi. Guerra Edizioni 2008.
• UniversItalia (Lez. 6-10), Piotti, De Savorgnani. Alma Edizioni 2006.
• Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana, Nocchi, Alma Edizioni 2002.
• Grammatica Essenziale della Lingua italiana, Mezzadri, Guerra Edizioni 2000.
• Grammatica interattiva della lingua italiana con esercizi, Mezzadri, Guerra Ed. Cd-Rom.
• Dizionario per immagini, Mezzadri, Guerra Edizioni Cd-Rom.
• DIB Dizionario di base della lingua italiana, T. De Mauro, Paravia Ed. con CD-Rom.

For mother tongue Chinese students:

• Io sono Wang Lin. La lingua italiana per cinesi. A. Dente, K. Franzese, W. Jing. Loescher Editore 2015.
• Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana per studenti cinesi, S. Nocchi. Alma Edizioni.

13
 B1 LEVEL

OBJECTIVES

Listening:
Understanding the main points in clear speech in standard language; being able to follow a lesson on a subject that is on a familiar topic of your own field of study,
provided that it is clearly set out and well-organized; understanding simple technical instructions for the use of equipment used in daily life; understanding the main
points of news on television, radio or other audio recordings, provided that they are in standard language.

Reading:
Reading simple, straightforward texts relating to your own area of interest; being able to skim through texts of a certain length to look for specific information in order
to carry out specific tasks; being able to understand instructions for the use of devices provided that they are written in a clear, straightforward manner.

Speaking:
Being able to produce with reasonable fluency a narration and a clear and simple description; being able to talk about the plot of a book or film giving your own
impressions; being able to develop an argument which is reasonably clear or give a brief talk which has been prepared in advance.

Writing:
Being able to write straightforward, cohesive texts such as descriptions, accounts of experiences or stories, also expressing feelings and impressions; being able to
write brief, simple essays or reports on subjects of interest; summarizing or reporting information in written form with reasonable confidence.

Study skills:
Being able to make notes or write down a list of key points in the course of a lesson provided that the presentation is clear and well-organized; being able to put
together brief pieces of information and summarize them; simple paraphrasing of brief written texts.

14
B1A
Communicative functions
talking about yourself and others
narrating a story or a past event
(news events/past experiences)
giving and receiving advice and
recommendations
understanding and expressing
emotions, sentiments and frame of
mind
expressing wishes, dreams and
hopes
expressing opinions on facts,
persons and behaviour
expressing doubts/fears
understanding and expressing
emotions, sentiments and frame of
mind
expressing wishes, dreams and
hopes
expressing opinions on facts,
persons and behaviour
expressing doubts/fears
describing people, animals, places,
objects and events
writing formal letters / e-mail:
Vocabulary
building and consolidating
vocabulary relating to lexis already
introduced in levels A1 and A2
compound nouns
nouns with irregular plurals
life stages (childhood, youth and old
age)
Time expressions
Urban environment
Nature (plants and animals)
Descriptions of places
revision on and consolidating lexis
on physical description and
character
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
all structures covered at levels A1 and A2 revision on the main body language: gestures
aspects of A1 and A2 level
revision on the uses and functions of the definite and pronunciation and spelling elements of Italian
indefinite articles literature
intonation for expressing
consolidation of irregular noun forms mood Italian politics
morphological alternation (diminutives, etc.)/ adjectives syntactic doubling The world of work in Italy
and indefinite pronouns
mass media: newspapers,
forms and usage of the adjectives buono and bello ; radio and TV
dimonstrative adjectives: questo/quello
multicultural aspects of city
revision on personal pronouns (stressed and life
unstressed forms) / direct and indirect pronouns
combined / uses of ci and ne / idiomatic uses of volerci Italian language (regional
and metterci variation and dialects)
relative pronouns (chi, che, cui, il quale/la quale ecc.)
comparatives and superlatives (relative and absolute)
regular and irregular
consolidation work on the use of imperfetto and passato
prossimo and introduction of the passato remoto (forms
and usage)
choice of auxiliary verb in compound tenses of modal
verbs (dovere/volere/potere)
the most frequent aspectual verbs: cominciare/iniziare
a, stare per, finire/smettere di, continuare a …
revision on the imperative (all forms)
subjunctive: present, past and imperfect (forms and
15
Communicative functions Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
cover letter for work; uses)
letter of complaint

writing your Curriculum Vitae

16
B1B
Communicative functions
narrating a story or a past event
(news events/past experiences)
describing the plot of a book, film or
story
expressing opinions on facts,
persons and behavior/expressing
doubts/fears
brief arguments for/against
something
understanding and reporting on the
opinions of other people
defending an idea/point of view
writing formal letters / e-mail:
cover letter for work;
letter of complaint
complaining and protesting
writing a Curriculum Vitae
being able to briefly explain the
results of a text, study or piece of
research and make comparisons
briefly sum up the contents of a text
(written or spoken)
Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
compound nouns (revision and position and function of qualifying adjectives (before first mention of Italian Revision and consolidation
consolidation) and after nouns) dialects cf. standard Italian: on the following themes:
regional Italian (north,
revision on nouns with irregular revision and extension of past narrative tenses (passato centre, south) body language: gestures
plurals prossimo, imperfetto, trapassato prossimo; introduction
to passato remoto) elements of Italian
the world of work literature
reflexive (pronominal) verbs
studying Italian politics
the verbs fare and lasciare to make sentences with
causative value (vi faccio / lascio finire; ho fatto pulire The world of work in Italy
la casa …)
mass media: newspapers,
revision and consolidation of the impersonal and radio and TV
passivizing si (introduced at A2 level)
multicultural aspects of city
subjunctive: imperfetto (forms and uses) life
imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive (forms and usage)
infinitive with use of preposition di in objective
constructions (es. penso di partire domani)
present and past gerund
conjugations (causali, consecutive, temporali,
concessive …)
17
Text books and recommended material, also for autonomous study:

* Nuovo Contatto B1, Bozzone-Costa, Ghezzi, Piantoni. Loescher Editore 2015.

* Bravissimo 3, Birello, Vilagrasa. Difusiòn/Bulgarini 2014
* Uni.Italia (unità 1 - 7), Fragrai, Fratter, Janfrancesco. Le Monnier Mondadori 2010.
* Magari (unità 1-7), De Giuli, Guastalla, Naddeo. Alma Edizioni 2008.
* Manuale ALTAIR, Bavieri, Polselli. Bononia University Press 2006.
* Giocare con la scrittura, Guastalla, Alma Edizioni 2004.
* Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana, Nocchi, Alma Edizioni 2002.
* Grammatica Essenziale della Lingua italiana, Mezzadri, Guerra Edizioni 2000.
* Grammatica interattiva della lingua italiana con esercizi, Mezzadri, Guerra Ed. CD-Rom.
* DIB Dizionario di base della lingua italiana, T. De Mauro, Paravia Ed. con CD-Rom.
* Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Ed. Zanichelli.
* DISC Compact – Dizionario Sabatini e Coletti.

18
 B 2 LEVEL

OBJECTIVES
Listening:
Being able to understand what is said in standard Italian, whether face to face or recorded; being able to understand an animated conversation between native speakers; understanding the
essential points of conferences, speeches, academic or professional presentations, even if conceptually and linguistically complicated; being able to understand almost all informative broadcasts on
the radio (also TV news programmes) or other recorded audio material in standard Italian, identifying the speakers’ mood and attitude.

Reading:
Being able to read largely autonomously, adapting the style and speed of reading according to different texts and reasons for reading; being able to quickly identify the content and importance of
new information, articles, reports on professional or academic subjects; being able to understand specialized articles in your own field of study or sometimes outside your own area of interest; being
able to understand quite long and complex instructions within your own field.

Speaking:
Being able to produce clear and precise descriptions on various areas within your own field of interest; being able to produce a line of reasoning clearly and systematically, explaining and supporting
your own view point to a reasonable extent; being able to make a presentation with reasonable ease and fluency.

Writing:
Being able to write clear and structured texts on various areas of interest; being able to write an essay or report to develop an argument systematically; being able to summarize information and
arguments from various sources; being able to write clearly and precisely on events, experiences, descriptions producing coherent texts which conform to the conventions of the type of text in
question; writing a review of a film, a book or a theatrical performance.

Study skills:
Being able to make notes or write down a list of key points in the course of a well-structured lesson; being able to put together a wide range of factual texts; summarizing the plot and sequence of
events in a film, commenting and analysing contrasting points of view and the main themes.

19
LEVEL B 2 A
Communicative functions
presenting yourself (writing a
curriculum vitae/cover letter)
describing an experience, a story,
events (orally and written: drafting a
narrative text)
expressing personal opinions,
sentiments, moods, doubts
understanding and debating various
types of subjects
hypothesizing about various subjects
complaining and protesting (orally
and in writing)
understanding various types of text
(journalism, literature …)/
prescriptive texts in specialized
fields
explaining the contents of a text, oral
or written (a lesson, conference
presentation…)
describing clearly people, places,
objects …. (orally and in writing)
reviewing a book, a film (orally or in
writing)
explaining the meaning of a word
and consulting Italian language
dictionaries for synonyms and
Vocabulary
prefixes and suffixes
morphological alternation
(diminutives, etc.)
nouns with a different meaning
between masculine and feminine
forms (eg. il banco/la banca …)
compound nouns and adjectives
partial synonyms and usage of pairs
of words such as andare/venire,
sapere/conoscere, guardare/vedere,
ascoltare/sentire…
lexis relating to themes proposed
introduction of specialized lexis
relating to the study of different
subjects
Grammar and Word formation
all the structures present in previous levels
nouns, adjectives and adverbs which take a
particular preposition (eg. fiducia di,
interesse per, contento di, contrariamente
a …)
revision on past tenses (passato
prossimo/imperfetto and trapassato
prossimo)
passato remoto e trapassato remoto of high
frequency regular and irregular verbs
differences in the usage of passato
prossimo and passato remoto
subjunctive mood (present, past, imperfect
and pluperfect) and introduction to
agreement of moods and tenses
subjunctive in subordinate clauses
introduced by conjunctions which indicate
purpose or result (perché, affinché),
condition (purché), contrast (nonostante),
way (come se), limit (a meno che), time
(prima che)
hypothetical sentences or reality, possibility
and unreal situations
passive form of transitive verbs
Introduction to direct and reported speech
Pronunciation and
spelling
further study of geographical
variation in Italian
particular uses of capital
letters
fluctuating use of capitals or
non-capital letters
Culture
according to class interest, the
following areas will be covered:
elements of Italian history
economics and ‘made in Italy’
elements of Italian literature
the Italian language: history, variety,
slang
organization of the State: the Italian
Republic; local autonomy; political
parties
Italian society:
recent family developments;
immigration/emigration;
current affairs
history of cinema, theatre, literature
(most well-known authors)
20
 Communicative functions Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
antonyms

21
LIVELLO B 2 B
Communicative functions
describing an experience, events
discuss orally and in writing (drafting
an argumentative text)
understanding and debating various
types of subjects
tackling/comparing ideas/opinions of
an economic, cultural and social
nature
taking part in a debate
taking turns while speaking
hypothesizing about various subjects
complaining and protesting (orally
and in writing)
understanding various types of text
(journalism, literature …)/
prescriptive texts in specialized
fields
explaining the contents of a text, oral
or written (a lesson, conference
presentation…); explaining the
results of study or research;
answering questions on subjects
relating to study
describing clearly people, places,
objects …. (orally and in writing)
explaining the meaning of a word
and consulting Italian language
dictionaries for synonyms and
Vocabulary
prefixes and suffixes
metaphorical use of words (e.g.
fare/tenere il muso …)
negative connotations of certain
words (e.g. zitella …)
lexis relating to themes proposed
introduction of specialized lexis
relating to the study of different
subjects
Grammar and Word formation
all structures present in previous levels
nouns, adjectives and adverbs which take a
particular preposition (eg. fiducia di,
interesse per, contento di, contrariamente
a …)
revision and extension of agreement of
tenses in the indicative and subjunctive
mood
agreement of tenses in independent
conditional clauses
revision on past tenses (passato
prossimo/imperfetto and trapassato
prossimo)
futuro anteriore - future perfect (forms and
usage)
revision and extension of hypothetical
sentences of reality, possibility and unreal
situations
revision and extension of the passive form
of transitive verbs
revision and extension of direct and
reported speech
Pronunciation and
spelling
further study of geographical
variation in Italian
particular uses of capital
letters
fluctuating use of capitals or
non-capital letters
Culture
according to class interest, the
following areas will be covered:
elements of Italian history
economics and ‘made in Italy’
elements of Italian literature
the Italian language: history, variety,
slang
organization of the State: the Italian
Republic; local autonomy; political
parties
Italian society:
recent family developments;
immigration/emigration;
current affairs
history of cinema, theatre, literature
(most well-known authors)
22
 Communicative functions Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
antonyms

Text books and recommended material, also for autonomous study:

* Nuovo Contatto B2, Ghezzi, Piantoni, Bozzone-Costa. Loescher Editore

* Nuovo Magari B2, De Giuli, Guastalla, Naddeo. Alma Edizioni 2013.
* Uni.Italia (unità 8 -15), Fragrai, Fratter, Janfrancesco. Le Monnier Mondadori 2010.
* Giocare con la scrittura, Guastalla, Alma Edizioni 2004.
* Giocare con la letteratura, Guastalla, Alma Edizioni
* Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana, Nocchi, Alma Edizioni 2002.
* Grammatica Essenziale della Lingua italiana, Mezzadri, Guerra Edizioni 2000.
* Grammatica interattiva della lingua italiana con esercizi, Mezzadri, Guerra Ed. CD-Rom.
* DIB Dizionario di base della lingua italiana, T. De Mauro, Paravia Ed. con CD-Rom.
* Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Ed. Zanichelli.
* DISC Compact – Dizionario Sabatini e Coletti.
* CD-Rom – Il dizionario della lingua italiana, De Mauro. Edizioni Paravia.
* Dizionario dei Sinonimi e dei Contrari, Ed. Zanichelli.
* Dizionario analogico della lingua italiana. UTET, Torino.

23
 LEVEL C 1

OBJECTIVES

Listening:
Being able to follow an open discussion on abstract and complex subjects not within your own area of interest or follow conferences and debates with relative ease; being able to
recognise many idiomatic or colloquial expressions and to grasp changes of register; being able to understand specific information in public announcements even if the quality is
poor; being able to understand complicated technical information; being able to understand a wide range of recorded material broadcast via radio or TV even if it is partially in non-
standard Italian.

Reading:
Being able to understand in detail long complex texts, both relating to and outside your own area of interest; being able to understand detailed instructions including those rather
long and complicated, not necessarily within your own field of expertise.

Speaking:
Being able to give clear, precise and well-structured descriptions and presentations on complex subjects; being able to produce elaborate presentations developing certain points
and concluding appropriately.

Writing:
Being able to write clear and well-structured texts on complex subjects; being able to write clear descriptions, creative writing, and explanations in a well-organized manner with a
confident and personal style suitable to the target audience.

Study skills:
Being able to take detailed notes, recording all information precisely and closely related to the original source; summarizing long and difficult texts.

24
C 1 (for C1a and C1b)
Communicative functions
discussing and defending an
argument (orally and in writing)
understanding and debating various
subjects
taking turns while speaking
being interviewed in various contexts
(professional, academic..)
understanding and producing
various types of texts (narrative,
descriptive, informative and
argumentative)
understanding and analysing literary
texts of different kinds
understanding and producing
prescribed specialized texts
referring to other people’s
speech/writing
reporting the ideas/opinions of
others
reporting information, facts
narrating complex events (a news
item/ a historic event …)
expressing concepts on abstract
themes (orally or in writing)
Vocabulary
prefixes and suffixes
building on repertoire of compound
nouns and adjectives
synonyms and opposites
specialized lexis relating to the world
of work and social and political
organization
specialized lexis relating to various
academic disciplines
Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
all structures covered in previous levels revision on and extension of elements of history of art/ history of
the varieties of language music
revision and extension of the use of articles begun at level B2.
revision and extension of those
qualifying adjectives which change meaning homonyms with a different subjects covered at B2 level or those
according to their position, before or after accent (e.g. àncora/ chosen by the class
the noun (e.g. un buon medico / un medico ancòra…)
buono …)
repetition on the use of
absolute superlative as used in prefixes accents in Italian (grafico,
(e.g. arci, iper, stra …) and idiomatic grave e acuto)
superlatives (es. ubriaco fradicio …)
pronunciation of the cluster
revision and extension of tense agreement gli:
in the indicative, subjunctive and conditional glicine, anglicano, negligente
moods (temporal relation of anteriority,
simultaneity, and posteriority) standard accents and
pronunciations of Italian and
revision and extension of the passive forms some regional ones
of venire e andare + past participle
further uses of the subjunctive
si passivante
(e.g. Si udirono voci confuse)
si impersonale with reflexive verbs (e.g. ci
si lava …)
revision and extension of direct and
reported speech
revision and extension of indefinite moods
(infinitive, present and past participle and
gerundio presente e composto)
position of unstressed personal pronouns
when subordinate to gerund, participle and
25
 indefinite complex forms

explaining various types of research, see above revision on all the indefinite pronouns see above see above
theses, essays, studies (orally and in followed by the indicative and by the
writing) subjunctive

answering complex questions the construction andare + gerundio

thoroughly and articulately
marked sentences: word order for
reviewing films, books, theatrical emphasis, cleft sentences
performances (orally and in writing)

summarizing orally and in writing

various types of lesson or texts

consulting Italian language

dictionaries, encyclopaedias

being able to paraphrase or having

repair strategies for occasional
lapses

using both frequently used lexis as

well as specialized terms

reflecting on the linguistic variation

of Italian

26
Text books and recommended material, also for autonomous study:

* Nuovo Contatto C1, Bozzone-Costa, Piantoni, Scaramelli, Ghezzi. Loescher Editore 2013.
* Nuovo Magari C1/C2, De Giuli, Guastalla, Naddeo. Alma Edizioni 2013.
* Giocare con la letteratura, Guastalla, Alma Edizioni.
* Scrivere e comunicare. Teoria e pratica della scrittura in lingua italiana, D. Corno, Bruno Mondadori 2002.
* Grammatica italiana, L. Serianni, Utet 2006.
* La nuova grammatica della lingua italiana, Zanichelli.
* Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Ed. Zanichelli.
* DISC Compact – Dizionario Sabatini e Coletti.
* CD-Rom – Il dizionario della lingua italiana, De Mauro. Edizioni Paravia.
* Dizionario dei Sinonimi e dei Contrari, Ed. Zanichelli.
* Dizionario analogico della lingua italiana, Utet -Torino.

27
 C 2 LEVEL

OBJECTIVES

Listening:
Understanding with ease any type of spoken language on the part of a native speaker at with natural delivery; being able to understand conferences and specialized
explanations even if on unfamiliar subjects or using unknown terminology or colloquial/regional expressions.

Reading:
Understanding and critically interpreting any form of spoken language, structurally complex texts (literary and non-literary abstracts); being able to grasp both
explicit and implicit meanings in long complex texts in different styles.

Speaking:
Being able to present a well-structured complex argument or give a clear, well-organized speech; being able to produce clear and detailed descriptions; being able
to converse fluently and appropriately with a good command of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms.

Writing:
Being able to write clear, fluent and complex texts (stories, descriptions of experiences, reports) in an appropriate and effective style, with a logical structure clearly
marking the main points.

Study skills:
Being able to take notes on implied meaning things alluded to during a lesson, or the contents of a speech; summarize information from several sources,
reconstructing arguments and facts in a wholly coherent manner.

28
C2
Communicative functions
discussing and defending an
argument (orally and in writing)
understanding, debating, presenting
various subjects,
complex/specialized arguments
(orally and in writing)
respecting socio-linguistic rules
(taking turns while speaking,
situations, interlocutors)
being interviewed in various
situations (professional, academic,
specialized …)
understanding and producing
various types of texts (narrative,
descriptive, informative and
argumentative)
understanding and analysing literary
texts of different kinds
understanding and producing
prescribed specialized texts
expressing concepts on abstract
themes (orally or in writing
explaining various types of research,
theses, essays, studies (orally and in
writing)
Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling
extension of lexis introduced at C1 all structures covered at previous levels see C1 see C1
level.
nouns with double forms in the plural (e.g.
gli ossi / le ossa …)
plurals of compound nouns
revision on and extension of use of definitive
and indefinite articles
revision on all finite and non-finite moods
revision on: tense agreement in main and
subordinate clauses in the indicative and
subjunctive moods.
revision on: construction of the sentence in
Italian and the position of the subject
revision on and extension of discourse
markers: generic conjunctions, concluding
phrases, argumentative expressions and
metatextual markers.
29
 Communicative functions Vocabulary Grammar and Word formation Pronunciation and Culture
spelling

expressing concepts on abstract

themes see above see above see above see above

reviewing films, books, theatrical

performances, works of art

referring, both in writing and orally,

to other people’s speech/writing,
ideas/opinions; reporting
information, facts, and events.

narrating complex events

consulting Italian language

dictionaries, etymological
dictionaries, and encyclopaedias

being able to paraphrase or having

repair strategies for occasional
lapses

selecting variations of style, register

and channel of communication
according to the situation

30
Text books and recommended material, also for autonomous study:

* Nuovo Magari C1/C2, De Giuli, Guastalla, Naddeo. Alma Edizioni 2013.

* Nuovo Contatto C1 (anche per C2), Bozzone-Costa, Piantoni, Scaramelli, Ghezzi. Loescher Editore 2013.
* Scrivere e comunicare. Teoria e pratica della scrittura in lingua italiana, D. Corno, Bruno Mondadori 2002.
* Grammatica italiana, L. Serianni, Utet 2006.
* La nuova grammatica della lingua italiana, Zanichelli.
* Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Ed. Zanichelli.
* DISC Compact – Dizionario Sabatini e Coletti.
* CD-Rom – Il dizionario della lingua italiana, De Mauro. Edizioni Paravia.
* Dizionario dei Sinonimi e dei Contrari, Ed. Zanichelli.
* Dizionario analogico della lingua italiana, Utet -Torino.

31