After an intensive review of basic Italian linguistic principles, this course will cover fundamental grammatical structures and will include oral comprehension exercises based on current events and everyday situations. The activities of the class will concentrate on reading comprehension, vocabulary building and writing skills. The course will focus on intensive oral communication and conversational skills.
Attendance policy:
Attendance is mandatory. After the first two absences each additional unexcused absence will lower the final grade. There will be no make-ups for missed exams/tests.
Method of presentation:
Activities are based on a communicative method designed to build a better understanding of Italian grammatical structures, preparing students to comprehend the spoken language, to speak and to write in Italian.
Required work and form of assessment:
Class participation and engagement (30%); In- class tests (15%); outdoor activities and vocabulary test (15%); oral competence (15%); final (25%).
Final exam: The final exam consists of a series of written exercises based on grammar and most relevant vocabulary covered in class and a reading comprehension, according to the course level.
Oral competence: Oral production and comprehension is crucial to a language course which has the goal to enable students to communicate in a new language. If the midterm and the final exams only include a written part, the students’ oral competence is assessed constantly throughout the course by the course instructor. Students’ oral competence is a result of different components: correctness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Homework: Homework is given to reinforce topics studied in class. Students are expected to memorize, use and build his/her own vocabulary, according to their level.
The correct answers are not necessarily written on the board or checked one by one; it’s the students’ responsibility to ask questions in case of doubts or confusion.
content:
Review:
1) Grammar content:
Prepositions, possessive adjectives and pronouns, direct and indirect object pronouns, double object pronouns.
Impersonal construction, Forms and use of Present Perfect (Passato prossimo) and Imperfect (regular and irregular verbs), Future Tense, Informal Imperative.
2) Elements of basic communication (how to greet, address people formally, speak about nationality, work, family, characters, how to ask and give information, …).
3) Vocabulary: words related to basic communication (nationality, countries, job, family, seasons, weather, etc.).
Course content:
1) Grammar content:
Indicative Form: relationship between Present Perfect and Imperfect, Past Perfect (Trapassato Prossimo).
Imperative Form: use of informal and polite imperative, Imperative + Pronouns.
Conditional Form of regular and irregular verbs: Present and Perfect Conditional, form and use.
Subjunctive (Congiuntivo): forms, agreements and use.
Particles ci and ne.
Comparatives and superlatives.
If Clauses (subjunctive + conditional).
2) Elements of everyday communication (how to ask and to give information, to accept, to refuse, to speak in different daily situations, activities, places, introduce opinions, etc.).
3) Vocabulary: words related to everyday communication and daily activities (habits, tastes, preferences, feelings, food, sports, etc.).
Changes and exceptions to these topics will always be possible, depending on the actual didactic situation.
ORAL ACTIVITIES:
Oral drills.
Listening to dialogues based on current events and everyday situations.
Free oral production based on subjects provided by the instructor (work in pairs, amongst students and with the instructor). Topics will focus on particular grammatical rules or structures of the Italian language.
Listening to contemporary songs: analysis of texts (vocabulary, new words, spoken language, and idioms) and related discussion.
Games (role playing, word games, exercises with photos, articles, materials concerning particular linguistic behaviors or differences between the English and the Italian languages).
WRITTEN ACTIVITIES:
Written grammatical exercises (students must fill-in, reconstruct, choose verbal forms, ask and/or answer questions).
Cloze: students are asked to fill in a text, in which certain words are omitted to develop their linguistic awareness.
Written exercises based on oral comprehension activities.
Reading and analysis of newspapers, magazines and comics and more complex texts like short stories.
Free writing production based on subjects provided by the instructor.
Required readings:
Textbook and workbook will be chosen by the instructor according to the class level.
Intermediate Italian I
After an intensive review of basic Italian linguistic principles, this course will cover fundamental grammatical structures and will include oral comprehension exercises based on current events and everyday situations. The activities of the class will concentrate on reading comprehension, vocabulary building and writing skills. The course will focus on intensive oral communication and conversational skills.
Attendance is mandatory. After the first two absences each additional unexcused absence will lower the final grade. There will be no make-ups for missed exams/tests.
Activities are based on a communicative method designed to build a better understanding of Italian grammatical structures, preparing students to comprehend the spoken language, to speak and to write in Italian.
Class participation and engagement (30%); In- class tests (15%); outdoor activities and vocabulary test (15%); oral competence (15%); final (25%).
Final exam: The final exam consists of a series of written exercises based on grammar and most relevant vocabulary covered in class and a reading comprehension, according to the course level.
Oral competence: Oral production and comprehension is crucial to a language course which has the goal to enable students to communicate in a new language. If the midterm and the final exams only include a written part, the students’ oral competence is assessed constantly throughout the course by the course instructor. Students’ oral competence is a result of different components: correctness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Homework: Homework is given to reinforce topics studied in class. Students are expected to memorize, use and build his/her own vocabulary, according to their level.
The correct answers are not necessarily written on the board or checked one by one; it’s the students’ responsibility to ask questions in case of doubts or confusion.
Review:
1) Grammar content:
2) Elements of basic communication (how to greet, address people formally, speak about nationality, work, family, characters, how to ask and give information, …).
3) Vocabulary: words related to basic communication (nationality, countries, job, family, seasons, weather, etc.).
Course content:
1) Grammar content:
2) Elements of everyday communication (how to ask and to give information, to accept, to refuse, to speak in different daily situations, activities, places, introduce opinions, etc.).
3) Vocabulary: words related to everyday communication and daily activities (habits, tastes, preferences, feelings, food, sports, etc.).
Changes and exceptions to these topics will always be possible, depending on the actual didactic situation.
ORAL ACTIVITIES:
WRITTEN ACTIVITIES: