Learn about the main Italian proficiency tests
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are some common Italian language tests? |
| Ofelia: And how do I choose the right one for me? |
| Michael: At ItalianPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Emma is talking with Jack about her plan to take an Italian language test. She says, |
| "I have to take the CELI." |
| Emma Esposito: Devo fare il CELI. |
| Dialogue |
| Emma Esposito: Devo fare il CELI. |
| Jack Jones: Il Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana? |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Emma Esposito: Devo fare il CELI. |
| Michael: "I have to take the CELI." |
| Jack Jones: Il Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana? |
| Michael: "The Certificate of Knowledge of Italian Language?" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: There are many reasons people learn the Italian language, and each person definitely has their own. Perhaps, you want to live and work in Italy, or maybe apply for an Italian university. Regardless of what your reasons may be, obtaining a certificate of your proficiency is one of the most effective ways to prove that you know the language. In this lesson, we’ll see what some of the most important Italian language tests are. |
| Michael: Let’s start by taking a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Emma says "I have to take the CELI?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Ofelia as Emma Esposito: Devo fare il CELI. |
| Michael: Now, let’s take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Jack says "The Certificate of Knowledge of Italian Language?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Ofelia as Jack Jones: Il Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana? |
| Michael: Emma and Jack are talking about one of the official Italian language tests, which is called |
| Ofelia: CELI or Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana. |
| Michael: There are two more important tests, one is |
| Ofelia: CILS or Certificazione di italiano come lingua straniera |
| Michael: which translates as “Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language,” and the other is |
| Ofelia: PLIDA or Progetto lingua italiana Dante Alighieri |
| Michael: which in English is also known as “Dante Alighieri Society Diploma.” For each of these tests, there are different levels that can certify different degrees of proficiency aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. |
| Now, let’s see how these tests differ, so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs. First, let’s discuss |
| Ofelia: CELI |
| Michael: This test is curated by the University for Foreigners in |
| Ofelia: Perugia |
| Michael: and it’s officially recognized by the Italian government. It has six different levels and it’s usually taken by people who want to study or work in Italy. To be more specific, if you want to apply for a university in Italy, you have to pass at least the third level or |
| Ofelia: CELI 3. |
| Michael: Next is |
| Ofelia: CILS |
| Michael: This test is curated by the Foreigners University in |
| Ofelia: Siena. |
| Michael: This test is also authorized by the Italian government. It has six different levels and you can take it if you want to officially prove your proficiency. To be more specific, if you want to apply for a university in Italy, you have to pass at least the third level or |
| Ofelia: CILS DUE-B2 |
| Michael: The last test we’ll introduce is |
| Ofelia: PLIDA |
| Michael: This is curated by the Dante Alighieri Society and is also officially recognized. If you pass |
| Ofelia: PLIDA B2 or PLIDA C1 |
| Michael: you can apply for an Italian university. |
| One feature of these tests is that it’s not enough to get an overall good score, but you need to pass with a good score in all of the sections, which usually are "listening comprehension" or |
| Ofelia: ascolto |
| Michael: "reading comprehension" or |
| Ofelia: comprensione della lettura |
| Michael: "analysis of communication structures" or |
| Ofelia: analisi delle strutture di comunicazione |
| Michael: "writing test" or |
| Ofelia: produzione scritta |
| Michael: and finally "speaking test" or |
| Ofelia: produzione orale. |
| Michael: To sum up, these three tests have the same value, especially if you live in Italy. However, if you don’t live in Italy and you want to use the certificate abroad, we recommend you take one of the tests curated by universities, |
| Ofelia: either CILS or CELI. |
| Michael: That's because universities are also organizations recognized abroad. Besides this, you could choose based on the nearest venue, usually universities in Italy and Italian Cultural Institutes, or language schools, abroad. |
| Michael: In this lesson, we had a look at three major Italian proficiency tests, which are |
| Ofelia: CELI, CILS, and PLIDA |
| Michael: The websites for each of these tests will be linked in the lesson notes so you can find further and detailed information about them. Some universities or workplaces in Italy might ask you to take language proficiency tests other than these three, but, if you already have one of these, it should be enough because they are officially recognized. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Ofelia: A presto! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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