PLE Certificates

INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF PORTUGUESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

According to a Protocol signed on the 2nd of March 1999, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, represented by the Camões Institute and the Department of Basic Education of the University of Lisbon, respectively, agreed to recognize the creation of the Evaluation and Certification System of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PLE).

CAPLE (Centre for Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language), University of Lisbon.

The exams grant the acquisition of the following certifgicates and Diplomas, recognized by ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe):

• CIPLE (Initial Certificate of Portuguese as a Foreign Language)
  Certificates a communicative competence to interact in a limited number of daily communication situations.
• DEPLE (Elementary Diploma of Portuguese as a Foreign Language)
  Recognizes the competence to interact in daily communication situations as well as related to work situations, which require predictable language usage.
• DIPLE (Intermediate Diploma of Portuguese as a Foreign Language)
  Recognizes a communicative level of competence that allows the language user to interact with independence in less predictable communication situations of the daily routine, as well as related to the work situations.
• DAPLE (Advanced Diploma of Portuguese as a Foreign Language)
  Recognizes a communicative level of competence that allows the language user to interact freely and with confidence in predictable and unpredictable situations culturally acceptable. It also recognizes a communicative competence to study at universities and work in contexts where Portuguese is the language of communication.
• DUPLE (University Diploma of Portuguese as a Foreign Language)
  Recognizes a communicative level of competence that allows the language user to interact freely and with confidence in predictable and unpredictable situations, and culturally acceptable. It also certificates a thoroughly language knowledge of discursive, grammatical and lexical structures. It recognizes a level of communicative competence that permits the user to continue university studies and to deepen the language and culture or any technical-scientific areas of the candidate’s interest.

Certificates and diplomas are issued by CAPLE (Centre for the Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon).

APPLICATION

Examinations in Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PLE) can be taken by any person aged 14 years or above, who wants to prove his/her competence in the Portuguese language for educational, professional or other reasons in terms recognised by each certificate.

Presently there are the following Examination Centres in Japan:

• Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (November 2007) registration takes place during the month of October 2007.
• Osaka University of Foreign Studies (November 2007).