The Language Centre promotes and develops research in the field of foreign languages and Italian as a second language, also through activities related to the assessment and evaluation of language competences.
To this end, and in response to the educational needs of the local area, it promotes a third mission framework agreement with the network of high schools in Reggio Emilia and establishes forms of collaboration to develop shared research areas concerning the linguistic and intercultural integration of foreign students attending Italian language courses in the aforementioned schools.
In particular, in order to support student motivation and to measure the effectiveness of the courses, with a view to an assessment test indicating the students’ linguistic improvement compared to the beginning of the courses, the Language Centre:
– Collaborates with the schools to design the syllabus and guidelines to be followed in drafting the indicative structure of the final exam;
– Engages in discussion on the school curricula and course progress in relation to the syllabus and planned activities;
– Reviews, before the administration of the exam, the extent to which the planned activities have actually been implemented in each Italian course;
– Defines the structure of the final exam according to the linguistic skills to be achieved and certified.
At the end of the courses, in the first half of May, the Language Centre administers the written exam and issues a personalized final certificate to students who pass the level test (A2–B1–B2 of the CEFR).
At the beginning of June, the Language Centre, during an official ceremony held in the Aula Magna of the Reggio Emilia campus, awards the certificates in the presence of school authorities, local representatives, and students’ families.
Each year, with a view to the ongoing improvement of the collaboration, the Language Centre prepares and distributes to teachers and students a specific questionnaire to assess satisfaction and identify critical issues and possible proposals.