Cervantes Institute in Krakow

The Cervantes Institute is a worldwide non-profit organization created by the Spanish government in 1991.It is named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), the author of Don Quixote and perhaps the most important figure in the history of Spanish literature. The Cervantes Institute, a government agency, is the largest organization in the world responsible for promoting the study and the teaching of Spanish language and culture.

This organization has branched out in over 44 different countries with 87 centres devoted to the Spanish and Hispanic American culture and Spanish Language.[2] Article 3 of Law 7/1991, created by the Instituto Cervantes on March 21, explains that the ultimate goals of the Institute are to promote the education, the study and the use of Spanish universally as a second language, to support the methods and activities that would help the process of Spanish language education, and to contribute to the advancement of the Spanish and Hispanic American cultures throughout non-Spanish-speaking countries.

Functions:

• It designs Spanish language courses, offering two kinds of courses: general and special.
• It offers the Diplomas of Spanish as Foreign Language (DELE) examinations on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. This is an official qualification certifying levels of competence in the Spanish language, and is the only certificate for non-native Spanish speakers that is officially recognised in Spain. The diplomas are subdivided into six levels, each one corresponding to a certain proficiency level as described by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.
• It improves the methods of Spanish education.
• On-line Spanish language learning environment Ex) AVE (Aula Virtual de Español).
• Creating a social, cultural and educational environment in each centre.
• A student-centred plan, focusing on the dialogues between teacher and student over objectives and contents.
• It supports Hispanists and "Hispanismo", which is the study of the culture of Spain and Hispanic America.
• Sponsors lectures, book presentations, concerts, art exhibitions, The Spain Film Festival and Festival of Flamenco. Supported by other organisations and communities.
• It organises and promotes the program to spread the Spanish language throughout the world.
• The Institute works with Spain's national radio and television to deliver Spanish language courses.
• Publications, on-line bibliographies, library holdings, the hosting of major conferences on the state of the Spanish language.
• It establishes libraries and centres.
• It also publishes the Anuario del español to analyse and report on the situation and development of the Spanish language in different places.
• It supports the Centro Virtual Cervantes on the internet since 1997.