Living and studying in Rome provides both the setting and the incentive to gain a facility in the Italian language that is important for theological studies. The Pontifical Gregorian University requires that a student demonstrate a sufficient working knowledge in Italian, to be able to follow lectures. Non-Italian students have to prove their knowledge of the language through either an appropriate certificate or an oral exam. A comprehension of Italian is also essential for participation in a number of the apostolic programs and for a genuine appreciation of the society and culture in which the seminarian lives.
The College provides a four-week intensive program in the Italian language for new students during the month of September prior to the beginning of the academic year. Students who know soon enough in advance that they will be assigned to the North American College are very strongly encouraged to begin their formal study of Italian before coming to the College. An intensive immersion course of at least four weeks duration is recommended.
Please see the “2010 PNAC Summer Italian” document for Italian Language Study options. This document is also emailed to new students accepted before 15 May 2009.
It should be noted that students attending the Gregorian University will need to pass an Italian proficiency test in order to study at this university. As such, it is important that your Italian studies begin as soon as your know that you will be studying at the North American College
Useful Italian Resources
None of these resources are required, but many students have found them helpful. It should also be noted that many of the books are similar and they may overlap each other in content. Many of these would be useful to provide a basis in Italian before arriving at NAC and allow further studies in Italy to be more fruitful.
Audio Course:
One of the best courses available is produced by a company called Pimsleur. It consists of ninety, half-hour lessons. It is very expensive ($600-$1000 for the whole course), but it can often be found at your local library. Additionally, many libraries are now offering a digital audio-book download service, which may include the Pimsleur Languages Courses. You should look into this at your local library.
Books:
- Italian Grammar by: Marcel Danesi – pub: Barron’s Educational Series
- Italian Vocabulary by: Marcel Danesi – pub: Barron’s Educational Series
- Italian Verbs by: Vincent Luciani & John Colaneri – pub: Barron’s Educational Series
- Italian Grammar by: Joseph E. Germano & Conrad J. Schmitt – pub: Schaum’s Outline Seriese
- Italian Dictionary – pub: Oxford & Paravia
- Pocket Dictionary Italian – pub: Langenscheidt
- Mastering Italian Vocabulary by: Luciana Feinler-Torriani & Gunter H. Klemm – pub: Barron’s Educational Series
Websites:
- http://www.learnitalianpod.com/
- http://www.geocities.com/f_pollett/i-ind.htm
- http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/modlang/carasi/site/pageone.html
- http://www.mmdtkw.org/ItalGram.html
- http://www.smartphrase.com/Italian/italian.shtml
- http://www.wordreference.com/
Updated 26 April 2010
