but it admits only students from foreign diplomats and Slovenes who had been schooled abroad for several years. Undergraduate courses are run in Slovene, therefore applicants from foreign countries must prove an adequate level of knowledge of Slovene to be eligible to enroll. Graduate courses for foreign exchange students are offered in English, as well. The Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language encourages the learning of Slovene as foreign language, offers different courses in Slovene, and grants certificates of language proficiency. One may sit for the Slovene Language Exam at three levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. After having passed the exam, the applicant receives the certificate of knowledge of the Slovene language, issued by the Faculty of Arts of University of Ljubljana, which is valid throughout the European Union, and makes the holder eligible to apply to any school or university in Slovenia. With the accession of Slovenia to the European Union on May 1, 2004, Slovene became an official language of the European Union, requiring that all Acts and Directives be translated into Slovene. Additionally, Slovenian citizens may write to any EU institution in Slovene and expect a response in the same language. Dialects Slovene is divided into seven regional dialectal groups, further subdivided into local dialects. Mutual comprehension between certain dialects is limited. Prekmurje Slovene This is the only Slovene dialect that has ever been attempted to be declared an official language in the Prekmurje region. It has a limited standardized written form, has been used in the liturgy, and has been used in modern literature, music, television and film. Languages of the minorities and ex-Yugoslav languages Italian Italian is officially recognised as the mother tongue of the protected Italian minority and co-official language in Slovenian Istria near the Slovenian-Italian border and at the Slovenian coastline. Public usage of Italian is permitted and protected by minority protection laws. Members of the Italian minority are entitled to primary and secondary education in their native language, as well as to radio and television programmes in Italian, and to communicating in Italian with the authorities. Italian is co-official with Slovene in 25 settlements in 4 municipalities (all of them officially bilingual): Municipality of Ankaran (Občina Ankaran, ital. Comune di Ancarano) Ankaran, ital. Ancarano Municipality of Izola (Občina Izola, ital. Comune di Isola) Dobrava, ital. Dobrava presso Isola Izola, ital. Isola Jagodje, ital. Valleggia Urban municipality of Koper (Mestna občina Koper,