IE · Subject guide
Italian
Leaving Certificate Italian (NCCA specification), Higher and Ordinary Level, with the SEC examination.
01 · Overview
Italian
Leaving Certificate Italian (NCCA specification), Higher and Ordinary Level, with the SEC examination.
- Subject guide
- Leaving Certificate
- Topics mapped
- 14
02 · Complete topic map
Complete topic map
Every topic recorded for this subject in the curriculum is reproduced below in its full hierarchy. The descriptions reflect the mapped scope without implying additional exam rules.
- 01
Oral Communication
Spoken proficiency assessed through a general conversation with the examiner, a prepared picture sequence and a role-play. Marked on vocabulary range, grammatical accuracy, fluency and pronunciation, and conducted by a visiting SEC examiner.
- 02
Listening Comprehension (Aural)
An externally administered listening examination on authentic spoken Italian — dialogues, monologues, interviews and news-style items. Answers are mainly in English at Ordinary Level, with some required in Italian at Higher Level.
- 03
Reading Comprehension
Comprehension of written Italian: an unseen journalistic passage with questions answered mostly in Italian, plus a literary-comprehension element at Higher Level. Ordinary Level uses lighter, more straightforward contemporary prose.
- 04
Written Production
Written expression in Italian: a short opinion piece linked to the reading passage and extended composition tasks such as guided narrative, formal and informal letters or an open essay. Higher Level demands greater length, range and accuracy; Ordinary Level focuses on guided compositions.
- 05
Meeting People and Social Interaction
The communicative functions of greeting, introducing oneself, exchanging personal details, maintaining social relations, expressing feelings and attitudes, and managing conversational conventions — the entry-point theme of the shared modern-language syllabus.
- 06
Daily Life and Family
Personal and domestic life in Italy and the wider Italian-speaking world: family, home and neighbourhood, food and meals, shopping for goods and services, daily routines and health. A recurring oral and reading-comprehension theme.
- 07
Education and School Life
How young people are educated in Ireland and Italy: the school systems, subjects and timetables, study habits, relationships with teachers and peers, and future academic plans.
- 08
Leisure, Sport and Entertainment
How people spend their free time — sport, music, cinema, theatre, television and social media — with reference to leisure habits in Italy. A regular focus of the oral examination.
- 09
Travel, Tourism and Transport
Planning and discussing travel, coping with transport, holidays in Italy and abroad, and tourist experiences. Italy as a tourist destination is a key theme of the compositions and the oral.
- 10
The World of Work
Employment, careers and working life in Italy, job-seeking, and economic issues including unemployment and equality in the workplace. Higher Level compositions extend to application and formal professional letters.
- 11
Social and Contemporary Issues
Wider social themes from the shared syllabus: the generation gap, changing family and relationships, immigration and minorities, gender and racial equality, health and lifestyle, youth culture and the media. These appear in chosen journalistic passages and compositions.
- 12
The Environment
Environmental concerns — pollution, climate, ecology and sustainability — understood locally and globally, including the European and global dimension, as encountered in reading passages and written tasks.
- 13
Language Awareness and Grammar
Understanding how meaning is organised in Italian: grammar and syntax, word-formation, vocabulary-building strategies, the use of dictionaries and references, and reflection on one's own language learning. Grammatical accuracy is assessed across all four skills.
- 14
Cultural and Literary Awareness
Contemporary Italian society and culture through media and everyday-life comparisons between Ireland and Italy, and transcultural issues. At Higher Level this extends to the study of prescribed literary texts, with analysis of theme and style in Italian.
03 · Where this subject applies
Where this subject applies
These pathways and regions are explicitly connected to the subject in the curriculum.
Levels and pathways
Higher Level
Higher Level — the more demanding level, with broader and deeper content and the H1–H8 grade scale.
Ordinary Level
Ordinary Level — the foundational level covering the core of the syllabus, graded O1–O8.
Regions
All registered regions
04 · Official sources
Official sources
The public sources below are referenced directly by this subject or by one of its topics.
This editorial selection points to the relevant official bodies. Always confirm current requirements, dates and exceptional arrangements with your school and the responsible authority.
2
Public references
IE · EuraStudy Guides
Place this subject inside the complete curriculum.
Open the curriculum guide to see every subject and topic, or continue to EuraStudy Summa to begin working with the material.