English is the lingua franca of social, cultural and professional communication within the University, and is promoted through international exchanges, the study of the English language, and the use of English-language textbooks on specific subjects relevant to future graduates in Law.
An entrance test will be used to group newly enrolled students into different levels, according to their initial knowledge of the language. The English language courses are offered in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year, and students are required to obtain one of the accredited language Certificates offered by the university. Attendance at lessons is compulsory, and indispensable for passing the examinations and obtaining the international Certificates, which in particular include the BEC –Cambridge Business English Certificate, TOLES –Test of Legal English Skills and ILEC – Cambridge International Legal English Certificate. It should be noted, in this regard, that Cattaneo University is an official examination centre for all the above certificates as well as for the TOEFL, which is now offered in a new Internet-based version. The internal examinations may be either written or oral, depending on the year, and are generally preceded by progress tests taken in class.
All students are therefore invited to contact the lecturers at the Language Centre, to discuss their individual cases and obtain further information. There are in fact extra study modules available, as well as an individual language tutoring service, which can be used to supplement the official language course.
Optional second language courses
On request of a sufficient number of students, language courses in Spanish, French and German can be offered.
These courses, which are optional but with compulsory attendance for enrolled students, will be assessed by both written exams (end of 1st semester) and oral exams (end of 2nd semester). Attendance at a second language course and passing of the exam will be recorded in the student's curriculum. Note that the second language may, if desired by the student, substitute for the training internship portion of the specialty degree course.