Centro Italiano is located on the second floor of an ancient building in the historic centre of Naples, near the University, in a position very well served by public transportation. Itâs very easy to reach the train station, the port, the metro train stations and the funicular railways stations. The school area is full of cafes, restaurants, pizza restaurants and all kinds of shops. This very central position offers an ideal environment to study in and to enjoy the city of Naples, outside the limits of the usual tourist itineraries. At Centro Italiano, students will always find a high quality of teaching and a wide variety of courses which come together with a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, where each student finds a personalized welcome and attention. This warm reception from the teachers and staff helps our students to feel at home right from the start ensuring that they receive the assistance needed to make their stay in Naples pleasant, safe and interesting. Centro Italiano is a medium size school which is well known for its high quality of teaching, its friendly atmosphere and the careful attention allocated to each student both in the classrooms and in the reception. ACCREDITATIONS Centro Italiano is officially authorized by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. This fact represents an important element of guarantee and reliability of our school in the field of didactics and services. This official authorization is one of the conditions requested by the Italian Embassies to issue a student visa to attend a language course in Italy. Centro Italiano has an agreement with the University for foreigners of Siena for Marco Polo and Turandot PROJECTS and is an official centre for CILS exams Other recognitions: Member of ASILS (The official association of Italian language schools for foreigners) Approved by German Government for Bildungsurlaub program Approved by Swedish Government for CSN program COURSES All courses are taught by highly trained teachers specialized in the teaching of Italian as a foreign language. The permanent teaching staff is directed by a curriculum coordinator who also supervises the developments of new and up-to-date teaching materials. Lessons are held Monday through Friday in the morning or afternoon. TEACHING METHOD The teaching method is based on communication. Students actively exercise the four fundamental functions of the language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Particular attention, however, is given to conversation, to develop the student's capacity to express himself and communicate in Italian from the very beginning of the course. Naturally this method includes the study of the rules of syntax and grammar, which are essential to language learning, but which, alone, are not sufficient for gaining a real command of the language. LEVELS There are six teaching levels. After an entry test, students are enrolled in the group best suited to their need and will move to the next level after passing a final test. - Beginners - A1 This course is for students who have never been in contact with the Italian language. Teachers will offer them simple communication instruments to get in touch with other people (introducing, speaking about themselves, ordering at a bar, going shopping, asking for information) - Elementary - A2 This course gives the students the essential grammatical and lexical instruments for everyday social situations, to narrate past experiences and speak about future expectations. - Intermediate - B1 The aim of this course is to give the students the ability to speak correctly about past happenings or to express wishes and suppositions. At the same time, the students will be put into contact with simple Italian texts and passages for discussion. - Upper intermediate - B2 At the end of this course, students will have the ability to formulate suppositions in a complete way and to express ideas about every situation. The teaching method is enriched by reading newspapers and magazines and producing written texts. - Advanced 1 - C1 The two objectives of this course are a good, analytical knowledge of Italian grammar and the development of speaking abilities through the use of difficult texts and audio-visual media. - Advanced 2 - C2 The objectives are the same as those above, but with greater attention to learning different linguistic styles and written production
