The course is designed to meet the needs of intermediate students participating in a study abroad program. The course will introduce the students to the most frequent everyday situations to make them able to communicate and function in a new environment. Grammar and vocabulary will always be presented, analyzed and practiced in a context which is meaningful to the students. Oral skills will be emphasized while a foundation in grammar will consolidate the understanding and use of the language structures. Vocabulary is based on everyday situations.
Prerequisites:
Two semesters of Italian or knowledge of the following grammar elements: gender and number of nouns, articles and adjectives; possessives adjectives; interrogatives; present and past tense of regular verbs and some of the most common irregular verbs; reflexive and reciprocal verbs; imperfect tense; present conditional ; direct and indirect pronouns; formal/informal.
Additional requirements:
Additional student cost:
Attendance policy:
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the course students will be able to:
communicate simply but effectively with native speakers about topics related to daily
life and needs
write short texts in present and past tense
understand main topics of simple written texts
follow key topics of simple conversations
understand and discuss various aspects of Italian culture
feel at ease, if not completely confident, with the target language
Method of presentation:
Classes are taught with a communicative approach to make students learn by using their own resources and to develop confidence and familiarity with the target language. The instructor will lead the students through the process of learning using various techniques. Working in pairs or small groups is especially emphasized. Students are expected to use only Italian during the class.
Field study:
Starting from the first intensive week and throughout the course students will be required to complete various independent field assignments, in order to use the language in practical situations, to interact with locals and with their Italian students companions, and to find out about Italian life style and culture. The assignments will be done outside the class time, either individually or in pairs, according to the guidance provided by the instructor. The findings will be presented in class and will become a relevant percentage in terms of homework and oral presentation.
Required work and form of assessment:
Exclusive use of Italian language in class, active participation to all class activities, homework, interactive activities regularly completed as indicated by the instructor, oral and written tests and exams, attendance and punctuality.
Attendance is mandatory
Class participation, engagement and homework (30%); Field Assignments (10%); Oral competence, including one oral test (20%); Mid-term exam (20%); Final exam (20%).
Be aware that all classes are taught exclusively in Italian, at all levels, including complete beginner.
Oral competence: Oral production and comprehension is crucial to a language course such as this one which has the goal of enabling students to communicate in a new language. The students’ oral competence is assessed constantly throughout the course as well as through the oral tests by the course instructor. Students’ oral competence is a result of different components: correctness, fluency, vocabulary and listening comprehension.
Class participation and engagement: Class participation is crucial for a course such as this one based on communicative teaching methods. Students might be used to different language teaching approaches, therefore a clarification follows of what is meant by participation and engagement:
Speaking only and always in ITALIAN in class
Trying to use structures and vocabulary studied in class as much as possible
Working in pairs or groups according to instructions given in class
Helping other students while working together
Participating in homework correction
Asking questions every time something is not clear
Memorizing and widening vocabulary, even if not listed
Participating in all class activities
Speaking Italian with your classmates, even if you finish your assignment/task before the others.
Not falling asleep in class
content:
Week 1 - Day 1 Topics and Communicative Functions
Roma: lettura, esercizi di vocabolario, pratica con il dizionario e esercizi di comprensione del testo; strategie di ascolto: ripasso del presente indicativo ed esercizi
Grammar
ripasso del presente indicativo ed esercizi; concordanza tra genere e numero
Week 1 - Day 2 Topics and Communicative Functions
Roma e l’autobus: da anima mundi di Susanna Tamaro,.
Descrivere una situazione (clima, atmosfera, situazione)
Dal film Campo de’ Fiori: descrivere la scena e l’atmosfera usando il passato prossimo.
Grammar
Ripasso del passato prossimo anche con i verbi modali e riflessivi
Week 1 - Day 3 Topics and Communicative Functions
Lettura una giornata nera di A. Moravia: esercizi di vocabolario e comprensione del testo; descrizione fisica delle persone; lessico relativo al cibo
Grammar
Imperfetto e imperfetto e passato prossimo
Week 1 - Day 4 Topics and Communicative Functions
Field study a Campo de’ Fiori
Raccontare un fatto al passato
Week 2 - Day 1 - MIDTERM Topics and Communicative Functions
Ripasso per il mid-term
Il quartiere San Lorenzo e la guerra: documentario dell’Istituto Luce sul bombardamento di Sal Lorenzo; la canzone san Lorenzo di Francesco De Gregori, analisi del testo
Lettura tratta de La storia di Elsa Morante: lessico relativo al cibo, all’abbigliamento, parole alterate
Grammar
pronomi diretti, indiretti e riflessivi
Week 2 - Day 2 Topics and Communicative Functions
Preparazione alla lezione di cucina: lessico relativo al cibo
Ascolto: una videoricetta
Scrivere una ricetta
Grammar
Imperativo informale plurale con pronomi diretti, indiretti e riflessivi
Week 2 - Day 3 - Cooking Lesson Topics and Communicative Functions Mettere in pratica quanto studiato e cucinare piatti tipici italiani usando il lessico imparato in classe
Week 3 - Day 1 Topics and Communicative Functions
Lettura: San Lorenzo oggi, mangiare e bere, piatti tipici romani.
Preparazione al field study a San Lorenzo
Week 3 - Day 2 Topics and Communicative Functions Visita al quartiere san Lorenzo: l’eredit? del bombardamento, l’universit?, l’atmosfera, i ristoranti e i locali. Esprimere opinioni usando il presente e il passato all’ indicativo
Week 3 - Day 3 Ripasso di quanto fatto in classe per l’esame finale
Intermediate Italian
The course is designed to meet the needs of intermediate students participating in a study abroad program. The course will introduce the students to the most frequent everyday situations to make them able to communicate and function in a new environment. Grammar and vocabulary will always be presented, analyzed and practiced in a context which is meaningful to the students. Oral skills will be emphasized while a foundation in grammar will consolidate the understanding and use of the language structures. Vocabulary is based on everyday situations.
Two semesters of Italian or knowledge of the following grammar elements: gender and number of nouns, articles and adjectives; possessives adjectives; interrogatives; present and past tense of regular verbs and some of the most common irregular verbs; reflexive and reciprocal verbs; imperfect tense; present conditional ; direct and indirect pronouns; formal/informal.
At the end of the course students will be able to:
Classes are taught with a communicative approach to make students learn by using their own resources and to develop confidence and familiarity with the target language. The instructor will lead the students through the process of learning using various techniques. Working in pairs or small groups is especially emphasized. Students are expected to use only Italian during the class.
Starting from the first intensive week and throughout the course students will be required to complete various independent field assignments, in order to use the language in practical situations, to interact with locals and with their Italian students companions, and to find out about Italian life style and culture. The assignments will be done outside the class time, either individually or in pairs, according to the guidance provided by the instructor. The findings will be presented in class and will become a relevant percentage in terms of homework and oral presentation.
Exclusive use of Italian language in class, active participation to all class activities, homework, interactive activities regularly completed as indicated by the instructor, oral and written tests and exams, attendance and punctuality.
Attendance is mandatory
Class participation, engagement and homework (30%); Field Assignments (10%); Oral competence, including one oral test (20%); Mid-term exam (20%); Final exam (20%).
Be aware that all classes are taught exclusively in Italian, at all levels, including complete beginner.
Oral competence: Oral production and comprehension is crucial to a language course such as this one which has the goal of enabling students to communicate in a new language. The students’ oral competence is assessed constantly throughout the course as well as through the oral tests by the course instructor. Students’ oral competence is a result of different components: correctness, fluency, vocabulary and listening comprehension.
Class participation and engagement: Class participation is crucial for a course such as this one based on communicative teaching methods. Students might be used to different language teaching approaches, therefore a clarification follows of what is meant by participation and engagement:
Week 1 - Day 1
Topics and Communicative Functions
Roma: lettura, esercizi di vocabolario, pratica con il dizionario e esercizi di comprensione del testo; strategie di ascolto: ripasso del presente indicativo ed esercizi
Grammar
ripasso del presente indicativo ed esercizi; concordanza tra genere e numero
Week 1 - Day 2
Topics and Communicative Functions
Roma e l’autobus: da anima mundi di Susanna Tamaro,.
Descrivere una situazione (clima, atmosfera, situazione)
Dal film Campo de’ Fiori: descrivere la scena e l’atmosfera usando il passato prossimo.
Grammar
Ripasso del passato prossimo anche con i verbi modali e riflessivi
Week 1 - Day 3
Topics and Communicative Functions
Lettura una giornata nera di A. Moravia: esercizi di vocabolario e comprensione del testo; descrizione fisica delle persone; lessico relativo al cibo
Grammar
Imperfetto e imperfetto e passato prossimo
Week 1 - Day 4
Topics and Communicative Functions
Field study a Campo de’ Fiori
Raccontare un fatto al passato
Week 2 - Day 1 - MIDTERM
Topics and Communicative Functions
Ripasso per il mid-term
Il quartiere San Lorenzo e la guerra: documentario dell’Istituto Luce sul bombardamento di Sal Lorenzo; la canzone san Lorenzo di Francesco De Gregori, analisi del testo
Lettura tratta de La storia di Elsa Morante: lessico relativo al cibo, all’abbigliamento, parole alterate
Grammar
pronomi diretti, indiretti e riflessivi
Week 2 - Day 2
Topics and Communicative Functions
Preparazione alla lezione di cucina: lessico relativo al cibo
Ascolto: una videoricetta
Scrivere una ricetta
Grammar
Imperativo informale plurale con pronomi diretti, indiretti e riflessivi
Week 2 - Day 3 - Cooking Lesson
Topics and Communicative Functions
Mettere in pratica quanto studiato e cucinare piatti tipici italiani usando il lessico imparato in classe
Week 3 - Day 1
Topics and Communicative Functions
Lettura: San Lorenzo oggi, mangiare e bere, piatti tipici romani.
Preparazione al field study a San Lorenzo
Week 3 - Day 2
Topics and Communicative Functions
Visita al quartiere san Lorenzo: l’eredit? del bombardamento, l’universit?, l’atmosfera, i ristoranti e i locali. Esprimere opinioni usando il presente e il passato all’ indicativo
Week 3 - Day 3
Ripasso di quanto fatto in classe per l’esame finale