The international world
Talk about countries, languages, customs and celebrations with curiosity and respect for differences.
Section E · The international world
Exam scope and assessment notes
All Italian passages, prompts, model answers, listening scripts and tasks are original StudyForA material, not Cambridge assessment content. Cambridge's separate 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet is linked through its subject page but has not been reconciled word by word. Grammar groups need item-by-item specialist checking, and an Italian-language teacher should review the original Italian before publication is described as complete. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee a regional accent, natural pace or pronunciation. Speaking is rehearsal and self-review, not a centre assessment or examiner mark; writing answers are self-checked, not Cambridge-marked. No complete timed specimen or 130-hour course is included. Confirm your exam year, entry option and centre availability with Cambridge and your school. Use the 2025–2027 or 2028–2030 paper lesson that matches your exam year. Cambridge lists 7164 as available in a limited number of administrative zones; for June, the published notice names zone 3 and centres in Oman and UAE. Confirm the applicable series and entry with your centre.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which sentence avoids a cultural stereotype?
What you will learn
- Name countries, nationalities and languages and ask where someone is from.
- Describe customs, faiths, beliefs and celebrations with specific, respectful language.
- Compare experiences without treating a country as culturally uniform.
- Explain a visit or exchange plan with time, place and purpose.
Ask before making assumptions
Area E covers countries, nationalities and languages, and culture, customs, faiths and celebrations. Nationality forms change with gender and number: «italiano/italiana», «italiani/italiane».
Ask «Di dove sei?» (Where are you from?) or «Che lingue parli?» (What languages do you speak?). A country name does not tell you a person's language, beliefs or customs.
Describe a community, not a stereotype
Use a specific place, event or source: «Nel mio quartiere alcune famiglie festeggiano...» is more careful than «Tutti in Italia...».
When visiting a celebration, check local guidance and whether visitors may participate. Say what you observed and what you still need to ask; don't guess what a practice means to every person.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 subject page
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus for exams in 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus update for 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 syllabus for exams in 2028–2030
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Italian 7164 2028 vocabulary list
Pause and explain
A visitor wants to join a local celebration. What is a respectful first step?
Worked example
A notice says: «La festa del quartiere comincia sabato. Ci saranno musica, bancarelle e una mostra organizzata da alcune associazioni locali.» What activities are listed and who organised the exhibition?
Show the worked solution
- Find the start day.
- List only the named activities.
- Read who organised the exhibition.
Answer The local festival begins Saturday and includes music, stalls and an exhibition organised by some local associations. The notice does not say that every resident attends.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Introduce a visitor to one local celebration in Italian: say where and when it takes place and name one activity without claiming everyone attends.
Give me a hint
Use «si svolge», a time phrase and «alcune persone».
Compare my reasoning
- Name the event and place.
- Give the date or time.
- Describe an activity with a careful quantifier.
Example: «La festa si svolge in piazza sabato. Alcune persone ascoltano musica e visitano le bancarelle; ognuno può partecipare in modo diverso.»
Look for these in your work
- Names place
- Gives time
- Avoids a universal claim
Read: «Nadia parla arabo a casa e studia italiano a scuola. La sua famiglia partecipa a una festa della comunità, ma lei vuole conoscere anche altre tradizioni del quartiere.» What languages and intentions are stated?
Give me a hint
Report the stated actions; don't infer nationality or religion.
Compare my reasoning
- Find the language spoken at home.
- Find the language studied.
- Separate family participation from Nadia's interest.
Arabic is spoken at home and Nadia studies Italian at school. Her family takes part in a community celebration, and she wants to learn about other local traditions. The text does not state their nationality or religion.
Look for these in your work
- Names both languages
- Reports the family activity
- Does not infer identity
Plan a school exchange visit. Write two polite Italian questions about languages spoken and local guidance for a celebration.
Give me a hint
Use «Che lingue...?» and ask openly about what visitors should know.
Compare my reasoning
- Ask which languages people speak.
- Ask what visitors should know before attending.
- Avoid presuming a practice.
Example: «Che lingue si parlano nella comunità? Potreste spiegarci che cosa dobbiamo sapere prima di partecipare alla festa?»
Look for these in your work
- Asks about languages
- Requests local guidance politely
- Avoids assumptions
Common mistakes
- Assuming a person's language or religion from nationality
- Generalising one custom to a whole country
- Presenting a visitor's guess as a community view
What can you explain now?
Why is «alcune associazioni locali» safer than «tutti gli italiani» here?
Compare with the explanation
It names only the organisers identified by the notice
A local event does not support a claim about everyone in a country.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Before leaving the international world, explain one idea from memory, answer the checkpoint and name one point to practise again.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.