This course focuses on intermediate-level grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Students read and analyze various texts, and complete aural/oral exercises based on current events and everyday situations. Students also practice, rehearse, revise and apply the grammar principles learned in class through a variety of communicative activities. By improving their fluency, students gradually realize they are able to assimilate to everyday Italian life and culture. Special attention is given to the extension of vocabulary, and activities are based on communicative skills.
Prerequisites:
Students are required to have a detailed knowledge of the following:
Formal/informal forms (tu,lei).
Gender and number of nouns (masculine, feminine, plural).
Definite and indefinite articles (il, un…).
Possessives (il mio…).
Direct and indirect pronouns (mi, ti, ci…).
Present tenses
Formal and informal imperative
Basic use of past tenses: imperfetto e passato prossimo
Reflexive verbs
Attendance policy:
Successful progress of the program depends on the full cooperation of both students and faculty members: regular attendance and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings and field-studies are required. More than TWO unjustified absences (that are not medically excused with a written certificate of the doctor or caused by serious sudden family and/or personal occurrences, as for example death of a family member) will result in a lowering of your grade. No extra lessons are foreseen for those who frequently miss class or those who are tardy.
Learning outcomes:
Upon completing this course, students will possess the ability to:
communicate effectively with native speakers about topics related to current events, Italian culture and lifestyle
understand main topics of authentic written texts
understand and discuss various aspects of italian culture
express opinions ,feelings, needs, approval and disapproval
write texts presenting subjects and expressing opinions using present, past, future, conditional, imperative and subjunctive
feel at ease with the target language.
Method of presentation:
The activities are based on a communicative method aimed at building a better understanding of Italian grammatical structure, preparing students to understand the spoken language and speaking and writing in Italian.
Required work and form of assessment:
Active participation and class discussion (10%); weekly homework and special assignments (10%); 2 quizzes (20%); mid-term written exam and oral presentation (25%); final written final exam and oral presentation (35%).
content:
Each class session will consist of:
Warm up, short conversation, introduction of a specific subject; correction of assignments
Listening or reading comprehension
Students exchanging the information they have picked up
General questions by the instructor to the class
Stimulus-response and interactive exercises, oral and written drill
Week 1
Presentation of the course syllabus, objectives and expections.
Icebreaking, presentation and knowlede of the class.
Logistic tour
Grammar:
Review
Prepositions p.49
Possessives adjectives and pronouns pp.118-121
Direct and indirect object pronouns pp.125-128
Communicative functions:
Introducing oneself, describing personal characteristic.
Apologizing, complaning
Lexicon:The weather, the time
Week 2
Grammar:
Review
Past tense pp.54-55
Double object pronouns pp.131-132
Forms and use of Present Perfect and Imperfect tense pp.59-60
Future Tense p.72
Reflexive verbs p.82, p.90
Communicative functions:
Describing past experience
Expressing commands and giving instructions, report events.
Lexicon: Clothing and food
Visit the market
Quiz
Week 3
Grammar:
Piacere and similar verbs
Indicative Form: relationship between pp.59-60
Present Perfect and Imperfect
Past Perfect p.61
Communicative functions:
Telling a story
Lexicon:Health, the family.
Week 4
Phonetics:
Italian vowels and consonant
Grammar:
Imperative Form:
Use of informal and polite imperative p.144
Imperative + Pronouns p.151
Conditional Form of regular and irregular verbs p.194
Present and Perfect Conditional, form and use pp.198-199
Communicative functions:
Giving advice, asking information
Lexicon:Describing people
Movie vision
Oral presentation
Week 5
Grammar:
Subjunctive (Congiuntivo): forms, pp. 205-211
Agreements and use. pp. 222-223
Comparatives and superlatives pp.159, pp. 162-165
If Clauses (subjunctive + conditional) pp. 228-230
Communicative functions:
Expressing opinions, doubts, hopes, feelings
Formulating hypotheses and drawing conclusion
Motivating, supporting and discussion one's opinion
Lexicon:Mostly frequently used expression
Italian music, listening and comprehension
Week 6
General review
Final exam
The schedule indicated in the syllabus regarding visits to museums, exhibitions or watching of a movie can change during the semester.
Required readings:
A textbook: “Parla e Scrivi” by E. Jafrancesco, ed. Cendali Firenze, January 2007 (available at “ Liberia Feltrinelli International via Banchi di Sopra n° 64)
Supplementary material will be provided by the teacher during the course: ex. Games, readings, songs, Italian movies and videos from TV.
Course-packet.
A good pocket dictionary (Italian/Italian) is strongly recommended. (medium size)
Recommended readings:
Alessandro Baricco “Oceano mare” Rizzoli, 1993, Feltrinelli 2007, “Novecento” Un monologo, Feltrinelli, 1994, “Seta” Rizzoli 1996 (available at IES library).
Carlo Collodi “Le avventure di Pinocchio”(available at IES library).
Niccolò Ammaniti “Io non ho paura” Edizioni Einaudi (available at IES library).
Andrea Camilleri “Ancora tre indagini per il Comissario Montalbano”, Sellerio Editore Palermo, 2009. Le favole di Fedro.
Notes:
This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Roberta Resti earned a degree in Literature at the University of Siena with a dissertation in Italian Literature, in 1999 she earned a degree in Teaching of Italian Language to Foreign Students at the University of Foreign in Siena. In 2002 she earned the Ditals certificate: a specific certificate of competence in methods of teaching Italian to foreign students. She is been teaching Italian to foreign students since 1993 for private Italian Institutes, since 1999 for University of Foreign and since 2006 for IES Institute in Siena.
She participated in IES faculty seminar: “Language Placement and Assessment” 19/22 April 2007, Granada, Spain and in IES Abroad Language Project Development, 18/25 April 2010, Rabat, Morocco.
Intermediate Italian
This course focuses on intermediate-level grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Students read and analyze various texts, and complete aural/oral exercises based on current events and everyday situations. Students also practice, rehearse, revise and apply the grammar principles learned in class through a variety of communicative activities. By improving their fluency, students gradually realize they are able to assimilate to everyday Italian life and culture. Special attention is given to the extension of vocabulary, and activities are based on communicative skills.
Students are required to have a detailed knowledge of the following:
Successful progress of the program depends on the full cooperation of both students and faculty members: regular attendance and active participation in class are essential parts of the learning process. Attendance at and participation in all class meetings and field-studies are required. More than TWO unjustified absences (that are not medically excused with a written certificate of the doctor or caused by serious sudden family and/or personal occurrences, as for example death of a family member) will result in a lowering of your grade. No extra lessons are foreseen for those who frequently miss class or those who are tardy.
Upon completing this course, students will possess the ability to:
The activities are based on a communicative method aimed at building a better understanding of Italian grammatical structure, preparing students to understand the spoken language and speaking and writing in Italian.
Active participation and class discussion (10%); weekly homework and special assignments (10%); 2 quizzes (20%); mid-term written exam and oral presentation (25%); final written final exam and oral presentation (35%).
Each class session will consist of:
Week 1
Presentation of the course syllabus, objectives and expections.
Icebreaking, presentation and knowlede of the class.
Logistic tour
Grammar:
Review
Prepositions p.49
Possessives adjectives and pronouns pp.118-121
Direct and indirect object pronouns pp.125-128
Communicative functions:
Introducing oneself, describing personal characteristic.
Apologizing, complaning
Lexicon:The weather, the time
Week 2
Grammar:
Review
Past tense pp.54-55
Double object pronouns pp.131-132
Forms and use of Present Perfect and Imperfect tense pp.59-60
Future Tense p.72
Reflexive verbs p.82, p.90
Communicative functions:
Describing past experience
Expressing commands and giving instructions, report events.
Lexicon: Clothing and food
Visit the market
Quiz
Week 3
Grammar:
Piacere and similar verbs
Indicative Form: relationship between pp.59-60
Present Perfect and Imperfect
Past Perfect p.61
Communicative functions:
Telling a story
Lexicon:Health, the family.
Week 4
Phonetics:
Italian vowels and consonant
Grammar:
Imperative Form:
Use of informal and polite imperative p.144
Imperative + Pronouns p.151
Conditional Form of regular and irregular verbs p.194
Present and Perfect Conditional, form and use pp.198-199
Communicative functions:
Giving advice, asking information
Lexicon:Describing people
Movie vision
Oral presentation
Week 5
Grammar:
Subjunctive (Congiuntivo): forms, pp. 205-211
Agreements and use. pp. 222-223
Comparatives and superlatives pp.159, pp. 162-165
If Clauses (subjunctive + conditional) pp. 228-230
Communicative functions:
Expressing opinions, doubts, hopes, feelings
Formulating hypotheses and drawing conclusion
Motivating, supporting and discussion one's opinion
Lexicon:Mostly frequently used expression
Italian music, listening and comprehension
Week 6
General review
Final exam
The schedule indicated in the syllabus regarding visits to museums, exhibitions or watching of a movie can change during the semester.
This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.
Roberta Resti earned a degree in Literature at the University of Siena with a dissertation in Italian Literature, in 1999 she earned a degree in Teaching of Italian Language to Foreign Students at the University of Foreign in Siena. In 2002 she earned the Ditals certificate: a specific certificate of competence in methods of teaching Italian to foreign students. She is been teaching Italian to foreign students since 1993 for private Italian Institutes, since 1999 for University of Foreign and since 2006 for IES Institute in Siena.
She participated in IES faculty seminar: “Language Placement and Assessment” 19/22 April 2007, Granada, Spain and in IES Abroad Language Project Development, 18/25 April 2010, Rabat, Morocco.
robertaresti@libero.it [2]
robertaresti@yahoo.it [3]