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In Italia esistono vari tipi di scuole superiori. Ogni tipologia ha uno scopo ben preciso, e possono essere molto diverse tra di loro.
In Italy, there are various types of secondary schools. Each type has a very specific purpose, and they can be very different from one another.

Exercise 1: Word bingo

Instruction: 1. Listen minimum two times to the video and indicate the words you hear. 2. Use the words to form a conversation with your teacher (write down your conversation). 3. Memorize the words with the word trainer.

Word Translation
Le scuole superiori High schools
Frequentare To attend
Il liceo The high school
Gli istituti tecnici Technical institutes
Gli istituti professionali Vocational institutes

Exercise 2: Text

Instruction: 1. Read the text in pairs. 2. Memorize the phrases by covering the translation.

Breve testo su come si struttura la scuola italiana.

Brief text on how the Italian school system is structured.
In Italia la scuola si divide in tre livelli: scuola primaria, scuola media e scuola superiore. (In Italy, school is divided into three levels: primary school, middle school, and high school.)
La scuola primaria, chiamata anche elementari, dura cinque anni: si frequenta da sei a undici anni. (Primary school, also called elementary school, lasts five years: it is attended from six to eleven years old.)
Le scuole medie durano tre anni, dagli undici ai quattordici anni. (Middle schools last three years, from eleven to fourteen years old.)
La scuola superiore dura cinque anni, dai quattordici ai diciannove anni. (High school lasts five years, from fourteen to nineteen years old.)
Ci sono tre tipi di scuole superiori: i licei, gli istituti tecnici e gli istituti professionali. (There are three types of high schools: liceums, technical institutes, and vocational institutes.)
I licei sono: classico, scientifico, linguistico, delle scienze umane, artistico e musicale. (The liceums are: classical, scientific, linguistic, human sciences, artistic, and musical.)
Gli istituti tecnici sono scuole superiori più pratiche rispetto ai licei. (Technical institutes are high schools more practical compared to liceums.)
Ci sono diversi tipi di istituti tecnici: alcuni sono economici e altri tecnologici. (There are different types of technical institutes: some are economic and others technological.)
Gli istituti professionali sono scuole superiori molto orientate al mondo del lavoro. (Vocational institutes are high schools very oriented towards the world of work.)
Anche gli istituti professionali si dividono in due gruppi: quelli dei servizi e quelli dell'industria. (Vocational institutes are also divided into two groups: those of services and those of industry.)

Exercise 3: Questions about the text

Instruction: Read the text above and choose the correct answer.

1. Come si divide la scuola in Italia?

(How is school divided in Italy?)

2. Quanto durano le scuole medie in Italia?

(How long does middle school last in Italy?)

3. Quali tipi di licei esistono in Italia?

(What types of high schools exist in Italy?)

4. In quali gruppi si dividono gli istituti tecnici?

(Into which groups are technical institutes divided?)

Exercise 4: Open conversation questions

Instruction: Discuss the following questions with your teacher using the vocabulary from this lesson, and write down your answers.

  1. Come sono strutturate le scuole superiori in Italia?
    2. How are high schools structured in Italy?
  2. Quali differenze conosci tra gli istituti tecnici e quelli professionali?
    3. What differences do you know between technical institutes and professional ones?
  3. Racconta un ricordo della tua esperienza alla scuola media.
    4. Tell a memory from your experience in middle school.
  4. In che modo pensi che la tua infanzia a scuola sia diversa da quella in Italia?
    5. In what way do you think your childhood at school is different from that in Italy?