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The Centro Studi Italiani

The Centro Studi Italiani of Urbania (Pesaro & Urbino) is the first School of Italian language and culture for international students in the Marches and on the Adriatic coast. Accredited by the Marches Region (D.G.R. of 17.1.2001 and D.G.R. n. 2164 of 18.9.2001), under the auspices of the same Region and the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, for many years we have been collaborating with universities and conservatories in the U.S.A. and other important countries with special international programmes.

The Centro Studi Italiani is not an Italian university but as of October 2002 was given the new denomination of "Centro Studi Italiani, Polo Universitario Internazionale" (registered denomination and logo), meaning that foreign universities hold courses in collaboration with the Centro Studi Italiani, but also that the courses held by the Centro Studi Italiani are recognised and accredited by foreign universities.

The Centro Studi Italiani is a member of the "Accademia Italiana di Lingua" (A.I.L.), an international association of language and cultural schools for foreigners, and is an exam seat for the diploma "Firenze" (DELI, DILI, DALI, DALC). Furthermore it is a qualified centre for the preparation of other certified Italian exams such as the diploma CILS from the foreigners’ university of Siena, the CELI certificates from the foreigners’ University of Perugia, the PLIDA certificate of the Dante Alighieri Society and the certificates of the Dante Alighieri Institute of Milan.

The students of the Centro Studi Italiani come from over 110 different countries from every continent. 70% of the students enrol for our courses after hearing about them from ex-students of ours. These people appreciate not only the professionalism of the Centro Studi Italiani but also its flexibility, where it succeeds in adapting study programmes to the needs and expectations of the individual. Thanks to a cordial and enjoyable atmosphere in the school and with the people of Urbania, the students learn fast and well (which you can see on our website under what our ex-students say, accessible from the second half of the homepage).

The Course

As international students need a preparatory course to be able to enrol, to attend and get the best benefit from Italian university courses, we have set up a programme of specific courses for this type of student. The programme of this course, unique in its kind, has been approved by the Italian Ministry of Education (M.I.U.R.).

COURSE AIMS: give every international student a knowledge of the Italian language and culture that will allow them to follow the lectures at University, in whatever area of study they have been accepted into, so that they can express themselves in both written and spoken Italian, at the formal level required during their academic studies. The methodology that has inspired us since the founding of our school is that of putting the student – every single student, with their individual personality and potential – at the centre of our attention. In this way we feel like the heirs of the great Italian humanistic tradition still so alive in our country, whilst remaining open to technological innovations and modern methodology.

STRUCTURE AND CALENDAR OF THE COURSE: The course lasts 24 weeks and is intensive: 25 hours of lessons a week. The beginning of this course will be from 13 March (arrival on 12 March) to 25 August 2006 (6 month course), or from 5 June – 27 August, (3 month course, for those who already know the Italian language at least at an intermediate level). Classes will have about 15 students. The course will be structured as follows:

1. The first 8 weeks: Italian language and conversation lessons, mostly using the communicative method, a technique that we have been elaborating in our centre for the last 19 years.

2. The second phase will start in the 9th week and finish at the end of the 16th. In this phase we will mostly use the logic-functional method. At the same time we will help develop the expressive capacity of the students,especially in spoken Italian. In this second phase there will also be time for general culture that the students must acquire: fundamental elements of Italian geography and history, knowledge of the principal Italian institutions (state structure, civil rights,Italian educational system,etc)

3. The third phase will partially overlap with the second: it will start in the 13th week and will finish in the 24th, at the end of the course. The lessons of the first and second phase will continue, but at a higher level and including critical analysis of the language. Above all, we will concentrate on the specific preparation of the student in the subject that constitutes their chosen area of study at university. This teaching consists of revision of material learnt in secondary school, with teachers in that subject (but also with professionals where necessary such as in the case of medicine, engineering,etc), to go over in Italian the details that are specific to each subject and to acquire the necessary vocabulary and nomenclature.

THE TEACHING STAFF: The director of the course is also the founder and director of the centre: Prof. Carlo Amedeo Pasotto (see CV on www.centrostuditaliani.org).
The teachers of Italian language and culture. A school is only as good as its teachers. For this reason the Centro Studi Italiani puts much time and thought into choosing and forming its teachers. A degree is not enough to teach in our school, there is a long internal practical and theoretical training. The candidates for the training must first of all attend a preparatory course, organised every year by the Centro Studi Italiani, with its own exclusive programme. These courses are also attended by teachers of state schools, and obtain excellent results.
After this the candidates have to do a congrous number of co-teachings, in both the language and cultural lessons. The most suitable are then retained and initially called in only for replacement teaching.
Their first assignment is to teach the conversation classes, and only after adequate practice and experience are they appointed to a language class, at a level suitable to their university training. Every year they are obliged to attend a retraining course, again organised by the Centro Studi Italiani. That is why our teachers are highly professional and have an inimitable pedagogic style.
There are dozens of teachers who have been trained on our courses; some of them have gone on to very successful careers in the state school system and in universities.

The teachers of special subjects are from state schools or esteemed professionals of the area. Either way, experts in their field.

The Course Centre

The courses are held in Urbania (Pesaro and Urbino) at the Centro Studi Italiani, in which there are 16 available teaching rooms. If extra space were needed, especially in the summer months of June, July and August when we have the largest amount of students attending our ordinary courses, as well as our Opera Festival (see our site: www.operafestival.it) we can use the prestigious buildings of nearby towns: Mercatello sul Metauro, that offers the entire Palazzo Gasparini (17th-18th Century); Piobbico, that offers ample space in the Brancaleoni Castle (11th-17th Century) and Apecchio, where they offer 6 rooms in the newly restaured Palazzo Ubaldini (14th-15th Century). The town of Sant’ Angelo in Vado is also willing to offer a convenient venue. For more information see our site, by clicking directly on the icon called "New opportunities for groups" on the Home Page. The Centro Studi Italiani will provide appropriate accomodation in hostels, furnished apartments or in private families.
Urbania and the surrounding towns are gracious towns, immersed in the greenery of the hills and mountains, rich in history, art and culture, but small, on a human scale, the exact opposite of the big cities where there is mass tourism. Here with us an interntional student will find favourable surroundings as well as the high level of quality of our courses. An international student only remains "foreign" for one day. Friendships are quickly made here and it is easy to use one’s newly acquired language skills in an environment where people all know each other.

Attendance, Assistance And Free-Time

The preparatory course at our centre functions like a course at a state school. Every day the absent students’ names are written down as are those of late comers. This period of preparation, which lasts 3-6 months, at our centre, is one of the best guaranties that we can offer the families of the students and the Italian authorities that are asked to monitor their presence in Italy, before they become immersed in university life, where there is no obbligation of attendance. Our centre also provides various opportunities for the students’ free-time: sports, excursions and guided visits, ecological walks,and we encourage all students to take part in the cultural and recreational activities of the residential community.

Housing

Average cost, per week (per person), of accommodation in furnished appartments:

Apartment with two or more bedrooms,
Shared with other students:
Double room approx. Euro 53 + cost of gas, electricity, etc. according to consumption.
Single room approx Euro 80 + cost of gas, electricity, etc. according to consumption.

Fees

U.E. countries
(No visa required for Italy)
duration of course: 600 hrs
in Italy or 300 hrsin the students’ own country plus 300 hrs in Italy. If a student already has some knowledge of Italian (level A2/B1 CEF), it is sufficient to attend the 300 hrs in Italy.
For Spain, Portugal, France, Latin America, a 400 hr course is sufficient:100 hrs in the students’ own country and 300 hrs in Italy (or 400 hrs in Italy).

Other countries
(no visa required for the first 3 months’ stay in Italy: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea , Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brasil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Bulgaria, Switzerland).
Duration of course: 600 hrs
In Italy or 300hrs in the students’ own country plus 300 hrs in Italy. If a student already has some knowledge of Italian (Level A2/B1 CEF) 300 hrs. in Italy are sufficient.

All other countries
(visa required to enter Italy): People’s Republic of China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Ukraine, Nepal, Philippines, Colombia, Turkey, etc.).
duration of course: 600 hrs
in Italy or 300 hrs. in the students’ own country plus 300 hrs in Italy. If a student already has some knowledge of Italian (Level A2/B1 CEF), a 300 hr. course in Italy is sufficient.
For the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan: duration of course: 900 hrs., of which 300 in China e 600 in Italy.