The Summer Courses in Romanian Language, Culture and Civilization (26 July – 09 August 2026)

People with a keen interest in Romanian language, culture and civilization.

The courses aim to provide participants with fluency and language competence in Romanian.

A. Intensive Romanian Language Courses

• The Intensive Romanian Language Courses are based on a communicational perspective, in that vocabulary and grammar will be constantly subject to interactive purposes. In other words, we won’t lay stress on theoretical knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, but on the students’ ability to communicate in everyday situations. At the same time, the students will become familiar with the main speech acts (apologies, thanking, and congratulating, complimenting, giving advice, expressing an emotion etc.) and with the Romanians’ cultural manner of speaking. In line with the European Language Passport, our courses focus on the four language skills: listening, speaking (spoken interaction, spoken production), reading, and writing.
• The Romanian language courses are given by the University of Bucharest academics, specialists in linguistics and communication, with a wide national and international experience in teaching and testing Romanian as a foreign language.
• Students will receive a textbook and various handouts (literary and nonliterary texts, newspapers and magazines, etc.), according to their level, and (when possible) to their individual option. We will use audio and video support, mainly for listening classes. Each classroom is equipped with a computer, sound station, video projector and screen.
• There will be an initial test to assess proficiency in Romanian and students will be divided into three or four groups according to their level.

Applicants are requested to specify their presumed language level in the application form.

• Language levels are the following:

Level A1-A2 (beginners) aims at the acquisition of basic phonetic, grammatical and lexical structures, integrated in everyday conversational topics (i.e. ‘Pleased to Meet You’, ‘What time is it?’, ‘On the Street’, ‘At the Supermarket’, ‘At the Market’, ‘At a Restaurant’, ‘At the Bank/Exchange Office’, ‘Weather. Climate’, ‘At the Station’, ‘At a Hotel’, ‘On the Phone’, ‘Hey, taxi!’, ‘My House’, ‘Family’, ‘Daily Schedule’, ‘At the Postal Office’ etc.). By the end of the course, the student will be able to interact in everyday, specific situations.

Level B1-B2 (intermediate) aims at improving grammar and at extending and refining vocabulary. The topics are to be extended based on the study of literary texts of average difficulty, of nonliterary texts (mainly journalistic), and on listening classes (excerpts from radio and television broadcasts). The student will become an independent speaker, improving his abilities of understanding and producing texts.

Level B2-C1 (advanced) aims at improving and refining grammar, vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, specialized terminology, characteristics of spoken Romanian), phraseology, and stylistic registers of contemporary Romanian. The topics are to be widely extended based on the study of literary texts of increased difficulty, of nonliterary texts (according to the students’ interests) and on listening classes (excerpts from radio and television broadcasts). The student will become an experimented speaker, able to attain the native speaker levels of proficiency (C2).

• By the end of the summer school, students will receive an attendance certificate.
• On request, they can take a language proficiency test, based on the model of the European Language Passport. The certificate of language proficiency is issued by the University of Bucharest. Costs of the exam are included in the course participation fee.
• Romanian language courses schedule: 20 class hours per week (4 class hours a day), from 9.00 to 13.30 (coffee break 11:00-11:30). Hours may change slightly on certain days.

B. Lectures on Romanian Culture and Civilization

The Lectures on Romanian Culture and Civilization are given by academics, specialists in culture, artists and are addressed either to all participants, or only for advanced students.

C. Workshops

Students will attend, based on their level/group of Romanian, one of the following workshops, running twice a week from 15.00 to 17.30 (the scheduled hours can be modified according to circumstances):

1. Intensive listening (for advanced leaners): a very useful activity for advanced students and conference interpreters, which aims at improving the understanding of authentic oral texts.

2. Romanian Roots in (Traditional) Dance and Theatre (upper intermediate): a truly creative workshop which helps you express yourself through gesture and mimics and learn Romanian using dance, games and improvisational exercises.

3. Romanian Customs and Folklore Traditions (lower intermediate): a workshop destined to those interested in traditional culture, in folklore and ethnographical aspects.

4. Multimedia workshop (beginners): the workshop is conceived as an appendix to the A1 (beginners) classes. During the workshop, the students will listen to both standard textbook recordings and to fragments of real radio or TV shows. Based on these samples, the students will learn, analyze and acquire new linguistic structures.

EUR 800: Participation fee includes: participants’ registration, language courses, lectures, workshops, handouts for classes, two one-day trips, access to museums, welcome and goodbye cocktails, water, coffee, tea.

Students are expected to:

• participate in Romanian language courses
• attend the lectures as scheduled
• attend the workshop according to their level of Romanian proficiency