The translation into Italian of the "CercleS" European Language Portfolio (ELP) was undertaken by AICLU (Associazione Italiana Centri Linguistici Universitari) and based on the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR; Council of Europe 2001), translated into Italian for La Nuova Italia Edizioni, and the EAQUALS/ALTE version of the European Language Portfolio, which includes Italian. The main problems arose when choosing between a simpler and a more technical way of translating the source text (e.g. "to correspond with a pen friend": "corrispondere con un 'amico di penna', tenere una corrispondenza con un amico all'estero" or "instaurare una corrispondenza epistolare?"). The team responsible for the translation decided to opt for the simple approach, since the descriptors have to be expressed in a straightforward way in order to accommodate a student-oriented approach. The CEFR, being a teacher-oriented text, understandably maintains a higher level of formality and a higher frequency of technical words. In terms of rendering the equivalent meaning in Italian, it was at times necessary to abandon consistency and seek the most appropriate term to fit the context. The article presents some examples of the choices adopted.