General information about learning Italian
Learning Italian is a fundamental step of your social integration process in Italy. Being able to speak Italian gives you the opportunity to build connections and relationships with people you meet at work or in public places, obtain information from your doctor or employer, get a better understanding of the Italian culture and society. In addition, the new “Salvini Decree” states that in order to obtain Italian citizenship it is necessary to demonstrate a level of knowledge of Italian equal to B1. All over Italy, you will find various public facilities offering free language courses for foreigners.
Children
Since the right to study is recognized to all children, both Italians and foreigners, also your children have the opportunity to learn Italian directly at school, attending classes and talking with teachers and classmates. However, it is important to note that there are no specific lessons for foreigners and it might be that your children experience difficulties in understanding Italian in and outside school, especially during her/his first years in Italy. For this reason, you can ask directly to the school or to the many associations located in the city where you live to provide assistance for example with private lessons that can be free or paid.
Adults
Learning Italian is also very useful for those who are over 16 years old like you because it helps you better integrate into society and understand your rights and duties. To attend Italian language courses you can enroll in the CPIA or one of the four Certifying Bodies recognized by the MIUR. At the end of these courses, a certificate of knowledge of the Italian language not lower than level A2/B1 will be issued. On the other hand, if you want to study and prepare for the test, you can easily reach out to the many associations that offer this type of course for foreigners in the city where you live. It is important to know that the First Level Secondary School Diploma (“Licenza Media”) can be also used as an official proof of your knowledge of Italian at the time of the renewal of your residence permit as well as the application to obtain citizenship, given it equals to the Italian language certificate level A2/B1.
Further Information and Links
The four Certification Bodies recognized by MIUR are:
- University for Foreigners of Perugia,
- University for Foreigners of Siena,
- University of Roma Tre
- Dante Alighieri Society.
There are a lot additional resources that can guide you in your way through the Italian language:
This website was funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The content of this website represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
