Italian
Dreaming of speaking the language of la dolce vita? Italian brings you closer to centuries of history, music and culinary traditions. During our beginner courses you will learn Italian grammar and vocabulary while also working on your writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills. The advanced courses will help you become even more fluent and confident in the Italian language.
Course formats and levels
Our Italian beginner courses are group courses that are held on location. Our intermediate courses are one-on-one courses that take place online.
Group courses (A1 - A2)
From the very first group lesson an experienced teacher will help you to build your vocabulary and understand how the language works. You’ll use traditional learning materials as well as online learning tools, on social media. Although the content of the course especially focuses on speaking skills, additional work on reading, listening, writing, grammar will support you in the language learning process. Your teacher is a native speaker, and the group lessons will be conducted in Italian. Instructions will only be given in English if necessary.
Online one-on-one courses (B1minus - B2)
This program spans 8 dynamic modules, blending interactive sessions with your dedicated teacher and independent study, in which you enhance your skills with effective online tools at your own tempo. The online self-study component is supported by effective language training on Babbel.com, Quizlet.com, Wordwall.net and course manual. The focus is on speaking and listening skills.
After completing the B2 module, you’ll be able to communicate well in Italian, whether you are writing, speaking, presenting or debating.
Click here to review the CEFR levels.
Fast facts
- From beginner to intermediate level
- English CEFR level B1 is a requirement
- Start in February and September
- Certificate upon successful completion of course
Group courses
- levels A1 and A2
- 14 sessions of 2 hours on campus
- Group size: 12-14 students
- 4 hours of independent study preparation per lesson
One-on-one online courses
- levels B1minus, B1 and B2
- 8 sessions, 30 minutes each
- One-on-one: practice speaking directly with your teacher
- Entirely online: web-based and interactive
- Focus on speaking and listening skills for real-world communication
- 10 hours of independent study per session
Last week I went to Naples with my mother to see an opera by Giuseppe Verdi at the San Carlo Theatre. It was a wonderful experience, and I understood almost everything they were singing!
I wanted to tell you this because the courses are very useful to me, and I really enjoyed them!
Pricing
- UM students: €475
- UM employees, UM alumni & MUMC+ employees: €475
- All other participants: €605
The course materials are not included in the course fee.
Course level check
If you have no prior knowledge of Italian, you can simply register for Italian A1.
If you would like to take any of the other levels, you must first successfully complete the previous level or demonstrate a comparable level of Italian. Otherwise, you can make an appointment for a course level check.
Course level checks take place by appointment on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning. Please send an email to Valeria de Stefano and indicate which course level you wish to follow, your current level and propose several available dates and times. She will get in touch to advise the correct course. If needed an online meeting will be scheduled. The outcome of the course level check is final (cannot be discussed). If necessary, we will change your registration accordingly.
After attending both the A2 and B1 course, I am perfectly capable of understanding the Italian language. The structures of Italian language courses at the Maastricht University Language Centre are very motivating for a student and leave room for a lot of self-development within this beautiful language. Next to that, the schedules of the courses are very flexible, therefore you can decide at what pace you want to learn the language.
Certificate and ECTS credits
After successfully completing a course, you will receive a digital certificate by email. To be eligible for a certificate, you must attend at least 12 of the 14 lessons, be present at the final exam and have satisfactory results. One course is worth 3 ECTS credits. Whether these credits are acknowledged depends on your faculty. Please consult with your faculty or home university if these credits will be accepted as part of your programme.
Our Italian courses
NB As this course starts in February and September, registration opens in respectively December and July. For more info on our annual course schedule, click here.