GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY
2007-2008 A.Y.
Bachelor of Science Programs (3-y)
3.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND COMPUTER SKILLS
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3.1.
Foreign Languages
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3.1.1.
The Common European Framework
To classify language competence levels, Università Bocconi follows the Common European Framework established by the Council of Europe.
Language skills for each level are available at http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre . Last change 10/10/2007 14:57 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.1.2.
Program structure position
The program requirements of all Bachelor degrees in the "Management" and "Economics" fields of study (respectively 17 and 28) include a first and a second European Union language. The objective of the foreign language course is to provide students with the ability to use the language in a general context. For first and second language:
Students earn the above credits upon passing the exam. The first-year exam (first language) is a prerequisite to the second-year exam. The first-year exam credits are computed in the number of first-year credits required to move on to the second year (see Chapter 9 "Administrative rules and deadlines"). Last change 06/09/2007 10:05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.1.3.
Method of choosing foreign languages
The choice of foreign languages follows the same criteria for both first and second languages. This depends on:
If students have more than one mother tongue language (e.g., coming from or residing in a multilingual Country or living with parents from two different nationalities) they must choose one language as their mother tongue language for the whole duration of their studies. English is always taken as the first language for students who are not native speakers and it is:
Italian can be taken as either the first or second language for students who are not native speakers and it is:
The table below shows first and second language availability:
(*)Students whose mother tongue is English must choose from the other curricular languages. The language course codes are:
First-year students will have English assigned automatically as their first language in their study plan. Students enrolled in class groups held in English (indipendetely of their native language) can change the first language when completing the enrolment at the Admissions Office (from 12 to 28 September 2007). Last change 23/07/2007 17:24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.1.4.
Exit levels
The minimum exit levels are:
(*) Students state the exit level when registering for the final exam (second year) at Punto Blu or Virtual Punto Blu regardless of the study path. In the same way students choose the level of the first-year exam. Last change 03/07/2007 17:13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.1.5.
The language learning path
The educational activities designed to assist students in learning foreign languages offered by the Language Centre can be divided in 2 main areas:
A. Classroom teaching
First language
For English with B2 as the exit level:
For English with C1 as the exit level, Path 3 is assigned:
Methods for enrolling in Path 3 for students in class groups taught in Italian are available on the Internet at http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre in Language Teaching > Bachelor Programs - I and II year (2007-2008 a.y.). For French, Portuguese, Spanish and German, Path 1 is assigned automatically. For these languages no initial language evaluation is required, but at least an A2 initial preparation is strongly advised. For Italian:
The following table shows the number of classroom teaching hours per year for each path:
Attending first and second language courses is strongly recommended: attending courses is considered the most effective way of learning the language and preparing for the final exam. Active participation and individual study may result in awarding up to 2 extra points to the final exam mark (detailed information is presented in the exam requirements for every language and they are available on the Internet site at http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre). First-year students who have finalized their enrolment can check their class timetable at Punto Blu terminals or Virtual Punto Blu. Second-year students can check after enrolling for the year of studies. The summarized course programs (course profiles) of the language modules are available on the Internet site at http://www.unibocconi.it/profiles. The detailed course programs (course syllabuses and exam requirements) are available on the Internet site at http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre in Language Teaching > Bachelor Programs - I and II year (2007-2008 a.y.). B. Guided individual study The study of foreign languages requires students to be committed to individual study for the entire duration of university studies, in addition to regular attendance of lessons. The Language Centre also offers a service which provides information and guidance on language study and suggests ways for utilizing different tools (multimedia library) for exam preparation, which are available at the Language Labs. Extra support materials for different languages are available on the website (see http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre in Languages Laboratories). Guided individual study involves students carrying out a series of activities based on the specific instructions given by teachers in class. These instructions may include activities to be carried out with the support of the student's own materials (e.g. exercises in books), assistance which is available at the Language Lab (e.g. multimedia courses) and recommended materials which are available online. The detailed course programs (course syllabuses) are available on the website at http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre. In addition to information about classroom teaching they also provide information about guided individual study. Study exercises are also indicated for the related topics covered during lessons. The following table shows the recommended number of hours per week that should be dedicated to individual study based on the assigned learning path (path 1, path 2, path 3, or Single path).
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3.1.6.
Initial evaluation of English and Italian
In order to have the correct learning path assigned, all non-English native speakers enrolled in class groups taught in Italian must assess their initial level of English knowledge, according to one of the methods below:
For English, Università Bocconi suggests the minimum preparation needed to attend courses successfully. The preparation suggested is at least A2 of the Common European Framework for languages (see "European Framework" at 3.1.1). For information on language competence and knowledge required and self-study paths to be followed to reach the desired levels according to the initial preparation, check the website at http://www.unibocconi.it/language in Language Teaching > Bachelor Programs - I and II year (2007-2008 a.y.). Students who are not native Italian speakers, non-EU citizens who do not have Italian residency must take a compulsory test to evaluate their initial Italian knowledge (first or second language), in accordance with current Ministerial regulations. The schedule will be communicated to the interested parties by the Admissions Office. All students with Italian in their study plans will have their language path assigned automatically. Last change 06/09/2007 16:21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.1.7.
Method of assessing foreign language knowledge
Knowledge is assessed by one of the following methods:
Bocconi exam With regard to the first language, the first-year exam is a prerequisite of the second-year exam. For the second language there is one final exam (compulsory) and also one partial exam (optional) which is scheduled for the first semester of the third year. Exams are prepared in accordance with the same standards relating to international certifications. In addition to the final exam results, language assessment also takes into consideration the learning progress made specifically:
The language level achieved will be specifically indicated on the official exam report and official academic transcript. Students can achieve higher exit levels than the curricular courses for both 1st and 2nd languages. This is only possible through the registration of one of the international certifications recognized by the University in the student's academic career. International certifications The level of the international certification must at least correspond to or be higher than the exit level set for the language in question (see 3.1.4 "Exit levels"). For the 1st language, international certifications replace both exams. International certifications can be submitted even in the first year of studies; this applies to both 1st and 2nd languages. In any case, students will have the credit points and marks expressed out of thirty registered for the year of studies in which the course is placed in the program structure. With reference to the first language, it is important to note that the registration of an international certification in the student's academic career is only possible in the following 2 cases:
In both cases, with reference to the first language the following will apply if at the time of certification registration the student:
Students must take the exams for international certifications through an official Examination Centre, either in Italy or abroad. Students are responsible for the costs associated with sitting the exams for international certifications. For the purpose of registering international certifications in the academic career, certifications are valid for a period of 3 years from the date they were obtained. The certifications indicated as language prerequisites for admission to class groups taught in English or to English language teaching Path 3 can also be used as an alternative to the Bocconi exam. These certifications can only be submitted if they satisfy the exit level requirement and are among those recognized by the University. In addition to the list of international general language certifications, the University also recognizes special language certifications for MSc programs published on the website at http://www.unibocconi.it/languagecentre in International Certificates. The Language Centre offers a service which is designed to give guidance and information on the exam assessment methods and to provide specific preparation materials and past exam papers which are available at the language laboratories. This service is offered to all students interested in taking the Bocconi exams or in international certifications. Last change 10/10/2007 15:15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.2.
Computer skills
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3.2.1.
Program structure position and credit points
The program requirements of all bachelor programs offered at Università Bocconi include a computer skills course, aimed to fulfill the specific requirements of the students study paths. The computer skills course, code 6033 Informatica per l'economia [Computer Skills for Economics], is taken during the second semester of the first year of studies, and is assigned 3 credit points. Last change 10/07/2007 14:54 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.2.2.
Assessment of knowledge
There are two procedures for exams, according to whether students attend the course, or not:
Please note that in order to be admitted to the exam students must have a complete ECDL certification (seven modules), ECDL advanced (all four modules), MOS Master, IC3 2005 Plus or other equivalent certifications recognized by SEDIN. The certification must be completed and forwarded to SEDIN through automatic procedure in the yoU@B student diary within the deadlines published on the website www.unibocconi.it/sedin. Last change 06/09/2007 10:36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.2.3.
Bocconi ECDL test center service
Students who do not yet possess the complete ECDL certification may take the test at Università Bocconi. Exams are held each week according to a calendar which is updated regularly. Students may view the exam calendar and enrol through their yoU@B student diary, using the special ECDL box. For further information please refer to the website at http://www.unibocconi.it/sedin. Last change 06/09/2007 10:35 |