Pre-sessional

From 08 September 2025 to 23 September 2025 (3 weeks - 20 hours)

First term

From 13 October 2025 to 05 December 2025 (10 weeks - 16 hours)

Second term

From 12 January 2026 to 20 March 2026 (10 weeks - 15 hours)

Third term

From 08 April 2026 to 15 May 2026 (6 weeks - 9 hours)

By the end of the course, students will be able:

• to use the language of daily routines and interact in basic communicative situations: to introduce themselves, to talk about their interests, preferences, habits, etc.
• to provide the most important information about what they do, the reasons they are in Italy, etc.
• to talk about various aspects of their country (food, architecture, lifestyles, arts, sport, etc.)
• to read and understand short simple texts
• to listen and understand short simple recorded texts
• to write simple notes and short messages
• to use strategies to find basic information in materials used in everyday
• communication (programs, menus, timetables, advertising, etc.)

The course includes work on the following:

• basic grammatical structures at A1 level: verbs (present and past tense), nouns and adjectives, articles, adverbs of time, main prepositions (time and place) and main pronouns

• reading: short informative texts and notices on topics of personal and professional interest
• writing: short, simple texts, completing of forms, simple requests and answers
• listening: understanding familiar everyday expressions, recognizing concrete information in dialogues and announcements
• speaking: introducing oneself, asking and answering questions on familiar topics, simple social conversations

• insights into Italian life and culture

Activities in class include:

• grammar exercises
• exercises to expand the vocabulary
• reading and listening exercises
• phonetic exercises
• conversation in small groups
• role play
• pairwork
• peer correction
• individual writing

This description refers to the general content of the A1 level. The specific syllabus for each course will cover part of this content according to the length of the course and the needs of the participants.

Serena Neri has been teaching at the EUI since 2017. She earned her degree in Lingue e Lettarature Straniere from the University of Florence in 2006. After initially teaching in private schools, she began to teach Italian to immigrants, in order to help with their integration into Italian society. In 2010 she was awarded a Master’s degree in “Didattica e Promozione della Lingua Italiana a Stranieri” by the Universita Ca Foscari; her thesis, which focuses entirely on the prison of Sollicciano, is published on the University’s site. She holds an examiner’s certificate for the CILS exam, and works as an examiner at the Università per Stranieri di Siena.