Study Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 029: Italian
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes* |
| Passing Score | 220 |
*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial
Test Objectives
| Subarea | Range of Objectives | Approximate Percentage of Questions on Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading and Vocabulary | 001–008 | 20% |
| 2 | Syntax and Usage | 009–030 | 51% |
| 3 | Cultural Understanding and Expression | 031–037 | 16% |
| 4 | Language Instruction | 038–043 | 13% |
Hover over each subarea for details of subtest content or see table above.
Sub area 1 20%, Sub area 2 51%, Sub area 3 16%, and Sub area 4 13%.
Subarea 1—READING AND VOCABULARY
Objective 001—Apply literal comprehension skills in Italian.
Includes:
- paraphrasing content
- interpreting information
- drawing conclusions from arguments presented in written Italian passages
Objective 002—Apply skills of inference in Italian.
Includes:
- drawing inferences from the context of a sentence or a passage
- recognizing implied steps and drawing implied conclusions from arguments
Objective 003—Apply interpretive comprehension skills in Italian.
Includes:
- comprehension of the author's point of view or purpose
- cause-and-effect relationships
- expository and persuasive techniques
- distinctions between fact and opinion in a written Italian passage
Objective 004—Understand everyday Italian prose (e.g., instructions, newspapers).
Includes:
- written instructions, newspaper and magazine articles, and popular technical language
Objective 005—Understand the use of language in Italian literature (prose and poetry).
Includes:
- narrative elements, figures of speech, the author's point of view or purpose, and compositional devices in a literary passage
Objective 006—Apply word-level vocabulary skills in Italian.
Includes:
- interpreting multiple-meaning and uncommon words by using context clues
- recognizing false cognates
- differentiating ranges of meaning for commonly equated English and Italian words
- distinguishing between Italian words and expressions commonly confused by native English speakers
Objective 007—Understand Italian idiomatic expressions.
Includes:
- Italian idiomatic expressions and their use in various contexts
- the use of verbs that require prepositions in English but not in Italian, or vice versa
- the use of proverbs and proverbial expressions in various contexts
Objective 008—Demonstrate breadth of Italian vocabulary in given contexts.
Includes:
- extensions of vocabulary in various social, cultural, and functional contexts
- numerical expressions, quantities, decimals, fractions, dates, time, and ordinal numbers
Subarea 2—SYNTAX AND USAGE
Objective 009—Use the present and future as appropriate for given contexts.
Includes:
- the present indicative and the future of regular and irregular verbs in various functional contexts
Objective 010—Use the imperfect, the passato prossimo, and the passato remoto as appropriate for given contexts.
Includes:
- the imperfect, the passato prossimo, and the passato remoto of regular and irregular verbs in various functional contexts
- the appropriate auxiliary verb (essere, avere) in all tenses
Objective 011—Use the future perfect, pluperfect, conditional, and conditional perfect as appropriate for given contexts.
Includes:
- the future perfect, the pluperfect, the conditional, and the conditional perfect of regular and irregular verbs in various functional contexts
Objective 012—Use the present, imperfect, present perfect, and pluperfect subjunctive in given functional contexts.
Includes:
- the present, imperfect, present perfect, and pluperfect subjunctive after certain verbs, conjunctions, and impersonal expressions
- the present and imperfect subjunctive after relative superlatives and indefinite antecedents
Objective 013—Use the imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive in hypothetical clauses.
Includes:
- the imperfect and the pluperfect subjunctive in hypothetical clauses
Objective 014—Express commands appropriately for given contexts.
Includes:
- direct commands with and without object pronouns using the imperative of regular and irregular verbs
- substitutes for the imperative in polite and indirect commands, as appropriate for various contexts
- appropriate negative commands for various contexts
Objective 015—Use participles, gerunds, and infinitives as appropriate for given contexts.
Includes:
- participles, infinitives, and gerunds in various contexts
Objective 016—Express passive notions appropriately for given contexts.
Includes:
- the passive voice with essere and venire, the past participle, and substitutes for the passive voice in various functional contexts
Objective 017—Use constructions with fare, lasciare, and perception verbs as appropriate for given contexts.
Includes:
- the use of fare and lasciare with infinitives plus direct and indirect objects
- perception verbs with infinitives
Objective 018—Understand usage of nouns in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of singular and plural forms (regular and irregular) of nouns and irregular feminine forms of masculine nouns for various contexts
Objective 019—Understand usage of adjectives in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of descriptive adjectives (including adjectives of nationality)
- possessive adjectives (including agreement and position), demonstrative adjectives, and interrogative and indefinite adjectives in various contexts
Objective 020—Understand usage of personal and possessive pronouns in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of personal pronouns as subjects or objects
- prepositional, disjunctive, and possessive pronouns in various contexts
Objective 021—Understand usage of interrogative, demonstrative, relative, and indefinite pronouns in Italian.
Includes:
- the use of interrogative, demonstrative, relative, and indefinite pronouns in various contexts
Objective 022—Understand usage of prepositions in Italian.
Includes:
- the use of prepositions with verbs to govern infinitives or nouns
- prepositions with nouns and pronouns
- prepositions with geographical terms
- idiomatic prepositions with nouns
Objective 023—Understand usage of articles in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of definite and indefinite articles
- the partitive
- the omission or inclusion of articles in various contexts
Objective 024—Understand usage of adverbs, conjunctions, and interjections in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of adverbs (including adverbs of quantity), conjunctions, and interjections in various contexts
- the formation of adverbs from adjectives
Objective 025—Use conventions of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and format as appropriate for given contexts.
Includes:
- the correct spelling of words (including diacritical marks and contractions)
- appropriate capitalization, punctuation, and format conventions for various contexts
Objective 026—Construct sentences from specified elements in Italian (e.g., phrases, clauses).
Includes:
- the formation of sentences by combining words, phrases, and clauses
- the formation of complex sentences by subordinating one of two independent clauses
Objective 027—Transform sentences or passages in Italian according to given instructions.
Includes:
- the transformation of sentences and passages from active to passive voice (and vice versa) and from direct to indirect discourse (and vice versa)
- the transformation of the mood, tense, and number of sentences and passages
Objective 028—Use interrogative and negative constructions in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of interrogative constructions and negative constructions for various functional contexts
Objective 029—Use reflexive constructions in Italian.
Includes:
- reflexive constructions in simple and compound tenses
- reflexive verbs with parts of the body and clothing
Objective 030—Use comparative and superlative constructions in Italian.
Includes:
- regular and irregular comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs for various contexts
Subarea 3—CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND EXPRESSION
Objective 031—Understand historical and geographical features of the culture of Italy.
Includes:
- geographical features of Italy
- achievements of the society of Italy and their cultural significance
- historical events and figures in Italy, their cultural significance, and their relationship to other events and figures in the world
Objective 032—Understand political, social, and economic features of modern-day Italy.
Includes:
- political features, social features and institutions, and economic features of modern-day Italy
- the role of Italy in international affairs
Objective 033—Understand the arts and sciences as features of the culture of Italy.
Includes:
- the works and cultural significance of artists, architects, musicians, composers, scientists, and inventors of Italy
- the artistic and scientific contributions of Italy to world culture
Objective 034—Understand literary features of the culture of Italy.
Includes:
- Italian writers and their works
- literary achievements of Italy and their cultural significance
Objective 035—Understand aspects of daily life and leisure activities in Italy.
Includes:
- the cultural significance of aspects of family life in Italy
- sports and leisure activities prevalent in Italy
- features of daily life in Italy
Objective 036—Understand influences of Italian culture on the United States.
Includes:
- the origins of features of U.S. culture in the culture of Italy
- the cultural contributions of persons, events, and immigrants from Italy
Objective 037—Use language in an Italian cultural context.
Includes:
- language appropriate for travel situations and for socializing in various environments
Subarea 4—LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION
Objective 038—Understand theories and principles of foreign language instruction.
Includes:
- methodologies, techniques, materials, and equipment used for foreign language instruction
- appropriate methods and approaches of foreign language instruction for various learning situations
Objective 039—Understand classroom techniques and activities appropriate for the development of grammar and reading skills.
Includes:
- teacher and student activities and their appropriate sequence
- appropriate student goals for the development of grammar and reading skills
Objective 040—Understand classroom techniques and activities appropriate for the development of writing and communicative skills.
Includes:
- teacher and student activities and their appropriate sequence
- appropriate student goals for the development of writing and communicative skills
Objective 041—Understand techniques for foreign language assessment and evaluation.
Includes:
- appropriate evaluative techniques for assessing students' grammar, reading, writing, and communicative skills
Objective 042—Use language appropriate for classroom management in Italian.
Includes:
- appropriate language for adjusting climate and controlling learning processes in the classroom
- appropriate terminology for organizing and structuring classes
Objective 043—Use technical language appropriate for foreign language instruction in Italian.
Includes:
- the appropriate use of grammatical terminology and terminology for teaching equipment and materials