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Accreditations and Memberships

Affiliations and recognitions of Italian schools for foreigners in Italy

In the description of each school, you will also find a section on accreditations and memberships. What are they, and what do the abbreviations mean? With this brief guide, we aim to help you navigate and choose an accredited Italian language school for foreigners that suits your needs.

Trade Associations

Le associazioni nazionali delle scuole di lingua italiana per stranieri raggruppano la maggior parte delle scuole private in Italia le quali possono aderire alle associazioni previa dimostrazione dei rispettivi criteri di qualità e di regolazione delle attività di insegnamento. Negli anni sono nate tre grandi associazioni nazionali. Tutte le associazioni garantiscono un rigoroso controllo di qualità sulle scuole aderenti, offrono attività di aggiornamento didattico per gli insegnanti di lingua italiana come lingua seconda e sono un punto di riferimento per gli studenti prima, durante e dopo il corso di italiano in Italia.

ASILS

The Association of Schools of Italian as a Foreign Language (ASILS), is a non-profit association founded in 1999 with the aim of promoting and developing the quality of teaching Italian as a foreign language in Italy.
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Italian in Italy

Italian in Italy is an association that focuses on spreading Italian culture and language around the world. In particular, it promotes not only Italian language courses, but also cultural aspects of the Italian language such as History of Art, Cinema and Theatre, Literature, Cuisine and Fashion.
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LICET

L’associazione "Scuole LICET" (Lingua Italiana, Cultura e Turismo) nasce dall’esigenza di definire meglio l’attività delle scuole di lingua italiana per stranieri le cui attività si collocano tra l’insegnamento di qualità della lingua italiana, la diffusione della cultura italiana e la realizzazione, nel senso turistico, della vacanza studio in Italia degli studenti stranieri.
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Other associations

EDUITALIA

EDUITALIA è un'associazione che promuove l’Italia genericamente come destinazione di studio per gli studenti stranieri. Si tratta, quindi, non solo di scuole di italiano per stranieri, ma di qualsiasi attività o istituzione che eroga insegnamento di qualità agli stranieri. Infatti, tra i membri vi sono scuole di moda, di arte, di design, di architettura, le università e molti altri. Alcuni corsi vengono erogati anche in lingua inglese. EDUITALIA offre ai propri associati una serie di servizi, tra cui: accreditamento, certificazioni ufficiali, formazione degli insegnanti, promozione e marketing. Inoltre, promuove lo scambio culturale e la cooperazione tra le scuole associate e tra i docenti.
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Acknowledgements and Accreditations

We list below recognitions and accreditations by Italian or foreign public institutions that verify the quality of the courses offered for the purpose of teaching Italian or, more generally, that verify the value of the courses attended for the purpose of professional training.

MIUR

The MIUR's (Ministry of Education, University and Research) 'presa d'atto' is a form of accreditation for Italian language schools in Italy that was only possible for a limited period of time as private Italian language schools are no longer part of the Ministry's planning and control. However, schools that have obtained the MIUR's 'accreditation' have undergone a series of checks, inspections and evaluations by the Ministry regarding the quality of teaching, teacher training, the structure and resources of the school, and therefore meet the requirements set out in the Ministry's regulations for teaching Italian as a foreign language.
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Bildungsurlaub

Bildungsurlaub is a form of paid leave for professional or personal training, which exists in some countries such as Germany and Austria. The term 'Bildungsurlaub' means 'training holiday' and allows employees to take paid time off work to improve their professional or language skills and to promote a culture of continuing education. German employees are generally entitled to five days of training leave per year. The recognition of individual training activities is the responsibility of the individual German regions, some of which also recognise language courses abroad for 'training leave'.
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CSN

The CSN (Centre for Vocational Training) is a Swedish organisation that finances vocational training for Swedish students. CSN is important for Swedish students who want to learn Italian in Italy because it offers them the possibility of obtaining funding to cover the costs of Italian language courses. In order to obtain funding from the CSN, students must submit an application and provide information on the Italian language course they intend to take, as well as on the usefulness of their knowledge of Italian for their career advancement.
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Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is a European Union programme that offers mobility and cooperation opportunities for education, training, youth and sport. The programme, launched in 2014, is the successor to several European education and training programmes, including Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth in Action. Erasmus+ targets different categories of individuals, including students, teachers, young people, trainers, volunteers and sportspeople, and offers them the opportunity to study, train, volunteer or participate in sporting events abroad. The programme covers different types of educational institutions such as schools, universities, vocational training centres and youth organisations.
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Certifications of knowledge of the Italian language

Le certificazioni ufficiali della conoscenza della lingua italiana sono richieste, per esempio, per poterti iscrivere alle università italiane, per richiedere la cittadinanza italiana o semplicemente arricchiscono le tue competenze personali ed il tuo curriculum vitae. Ti presentiamo di seguito le certificazioni più importanti e conosciute; tutte sono riconosciute dal MIUR (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca), dal Ministero degli Affari Esteri e fanno parte del consorzio CLIQ (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità).

CELI

CELI is the acronym for 'Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language', a certification programme of Italian language knowledge promoted by the University for Foreigners of Perugia. CELI examination venues are generally Italian language schools or institutes accredited by the University for Foreigners of Perugia and authorised to hold CELI examinations. These locations are spread all over the world, in countries such as Italy, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The CELI is structured in six levels, from level A1 (basic) to level C2 (proficiency) and covers the four basic language skills (listening, reading, writing and oral production). The CELI is aimed at foreign students and immigrants of all ages and levels of proficiency in Italian.
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CILS

The Certification of Italian as a Foreign Language (CILS) is a certification programme of Italian language knowledge promoted by the University for Foreigners of Siena. The CILS exam is also based on the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and tests the four main language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking). The exam centres accredited by the University for Foreigners of Siena are language schools or language centres located all over the world.
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PLIDA

PLIDA stands for "Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri", a certification programme of Italian language knowledge promoted by the Dante Alighieri Society. PLIDA examination venues are Italian language schools or institutes in Italy and around the world accredited by the Dante Alighieri Society and authorised to conduct PLIDA examinations. The examinations take place at different levels, for Juniors and Adults. The levels correspond to those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and cover the four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
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Certifications for teaching Italian as a foreign language

Esistono anche certificazioni per la didattica dell’insegnamento della lingua italiana come lingua straniera, riconosciute dal MIUR (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca) nonché dal Ministero degli Affari Esteri. Gli insegnanti, quindi, ottengono la qualificazione per l’insegnamento attraverso questi esami. Alcune delle scuole del nostro portale propongono anche corsi di formazione per insegnanti e la possibilità di sostenere i rispettivi esami direttamente in sede.

CEDILS

The Certification in Teaching Italian to Foreigners (CEDILS) is a cultural qualification for competence in teaching Italian as a foreign language. The CEDILS is structured in two levels: CEDILS Basic and CEDILS Advanced and covers various linguistic and teaching skills, such as grammar, phonetics, communication and methodology for teaching Italian to foreigners. CEDILS examination venues are accredited Italian language schools or institutes authorised to hold CEDILS examinations.
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DITALS

The Certification in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language (DITALS) is a qualification that certifies the competence of teachers in teaching Italian as a second language. DITALS is structured in two levels: DITALS I (basic level) and DITALS II (advanced level), and focuses on different language teaching skills, such as grammar, phonetics, communication and methodology for teaching Italian as a foreign language. DITALS examination venues are accredited Italian language schools or institutes authorised to conduct DITALS examinations.
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