A course for advanced students of Italian. The class adopts a communicative- affective method focused on the acquisition of integrated skills, which allow the students to understand texts (interpretive mode), to present both their own and other person’s ideas and thoughts (presentational mode) and to interact with other people (interpersonal mode).
Prerequisites:
Good fluency in both written and oral expression, and knowledge of the Italian morphological structures and syntax. At least five semester of Italian and/or a previous IT250 course. Students have to know the following grammar topics:
regular verbs
main irregular verbs
personal and relative pronouns
comparisons
singular and plural of irregular nouns
basic uses of subjunctive
conditional clause
A review activity of some of those and other grammar topics will be promoted in class during the course.
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. For language classes, more than THREE 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.
Learning outcomes:
communicate effectively with native speakers about topics related to current events, Italian culture and lifestyle
read different kinds of authentic written texts
discuss various aspects of Italian culture
write texts presenting subjects and expressing opinions
distinguish different uses of Italian in different contexts
Method of presentation:
Introduction to some contemporary Italian customs and cultural topics.
Reading, analysis and comment of newspaper articles and passages of contemporary fiction.
Outlines of Italian morphology and syntax.
Reading, writing, listening and speaking exercises, with particular focus on the interpersonal mode.
Use of monolingual dictionaries
Students will learn how to write texts and talk about concrete and abstract topics. During the course the instructor will give the students some linguistic means which will allow them to incorporate in their paragraphs some more complex and structured clauses.
Required work and form of assessment:
Active participation and class discussion (10%)
Weekly homework and assignments (10%)
2 quizzes (20%)
Mid-term written exam (25%)
Final written exam and oral presentation (35%)
Grading Policy Assessment Methods
Listening: In-class listening activities: students will listen to the instructor and to recorded texts of varying length. Students will have to answer (orally and in writing) an increasing number of questions that test their comprehension of what they have heard
Speaking: In-class oral activities and exams: conversations, monologues and role play will be elicited by visual stimuli, texts, or questions from the instructor. The multiplicity of situations and the request to express personal opinions will increase from elementary level to advanced level. Students are expected to do oral presentations
Reading: In-class activities and exams: students will have to read an increasing number of texts of increasing length, complexity and of different genres. They will have to answer in writing several questions that test their comprehension of what they have read
Writing: Homework assignments and exams: students will have to answer written questions and produce written texts of increasing length, formality and complexity
Grading Scale
A 100-96; A- 95-91; B+ 90-86; B 85-81; B- 80-76; C+ 75-71; C 70-66; C- 65-61; D60; F 59 and below
content:
Each class session will consist of:
Warm up, short conversation, correction of assignments; introduction of a specific subject
Listening or reading comprehension
General questions by the instructor to the class
Stimulus-response and interactive exercises, oral and written works
Week 1 (intensive) Logistic tour
Presentation of the course, textbook and expectations
Unit 1 “Parliamo d’infanzia” Grammar review:
Use of passato prossimo and imperfetto pp 5-9
Unit 2 “La famiglia italiana: nuovi scenari” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo presente pp 40-41
Pronomi combinati p 52
Communicative functions:
Expressing opinions, uncertainty, advices, conditions; talking about the past, expressing fear and anger, describing people’s appearance and personality
Lexicon: verbi pronominali
Field study: the market
Week 2 (intensive)
Unit 3 “Il tempo libero degli italiani” Grammar review:
Comparative and superlative pp 78-79
Trapassato prossimo pp 82-83
Indefiniti p 85
Unit 4 “Dalla scuola all’università” Grammar review:
Passive form pp 114-115
Congiuntivo presente pp 117-118
Indefiniti p 124
Communicative functions:
Comparing facts, expressing satisfaction, describing indefinite quantities; expressing opinions and desires, taking notes
Lexicon: School and university, slang
Week 3 (extensive)
Unit 5 “Panorama lavoro” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo in relative clauses
and congiuntivo passato pp 153-154
Pronoun: ne p 160
Communicative functions:
Understanding advertisements, writing a CV and a letter of introduction, talking about advantages and disadvantages Quiz 1
Week 4 (extensive)
Unit 7 “La situazione linguistica in Italia oggi” Grammar review:
Accordo con participio passato pp 236-237
Ordini marcati: dislocazioni pp 240-241
Concordanza verbale p 256
Communicative functions and lexicon:
Distinguishing different varieties of Italian; Using monolingual dictionaries for idiomatic expressions, word-games and loans
Movie vision
Oral presentation
Week 5
Unit 8 “Il piacere della lettura” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo imperfetto pp 270-271
Condizionale passato pp 272-273
Concordanza verbale pp 295-296
Conditional clause
Communicative functions:
Explaining choices and preferences, expressing past facts, expressing others’ thoughts
Telling and commenting a book, writing a book review
Lexicon: books
Week 6 (extensive)
Unit 9 “Il cinema italiano” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo trapassato p 332
Concordanza verbale (congiuntivo) pp 333-334
Communicative functions:
Expressing desires and preferences, telling and commenting a film, writing a film review
Lexicon: cinema Final Exam
The schedule is flexible and can change during the semester, according to the situation of the class or to particular needs. New field-studies and activities (as visits to museums, exhibitions, watching of a movie or assigned interviews to local people) can be introduced at any time, according to the students’ interests and commitments.
Required readings:
Textbook: Rossella Bozzone Costa (ed.). Viaggio nell’italiano. Torino: Loescher, 2004
Reading book: Niccolò Ammaniti, Io non ho paura. Torino: Einaudi, 2001
Supplementary material will be provided by the teacher during the course: games, readings, songs, exercises, etc.
A good pocket dictionary Italian/Italian is strongly recommended
Levi Primo, Se questo è un uomo, Torino: Einaudi, 1958
Saviano Roberto, Gomorra, Milano: Mondadori, 2006
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:
Alice Friscelli studied at the Università per Stranieri di Siena and received her degree in Italian Language and Culture – Teaching Italian to Foreign Students – in 2003. She studied at the Università degli Studi di Siena as well, and received her Masters in The Art of Writing – Models of Creative Writing – in 2004. She was in the administrative committee of the first International Meeting on Italian Studies in Latin America (Siena, 25-27 November 2004), organized by the Università per Stranieri di Siena. She received her PhD in Italian Philology, Literature and History at the Università per Stranieri di Siena in 2008. Her research focus is on contemporary Italian poetry, especially on Vittorio Sereni’s work. She has published an article on Alda Merini’s poetry (e.g. Allegoria, 47, 2004). Alice Friscelli has been teaching Advanced Italian in IES Siena since 2006. - alicefriscelli@libero.it[2]
Advanced Italian
A course for advanced students of Italian. The class adopts a communicative- affective method focused on the acquisition of integrated skills, which allow the students to understand texts (interpretive mode), to present both their own and other person’s ideas and thoughts (presentational mode) and to interact with other people (interpersonal mode).
Good fluency in both written and oral expression, and knowledge of the Italian morphological structures and syntax. At least five semester of Italian and/or a previous IT250 course. Students have to know the following grammar topics:
A review activity of some of those and other grammar topics will be promoted in class during the course.
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. For language classes, more than THREE 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.
Students will learn how to write texts and talk about concrete and abstract topics. During the course the instructor will give the students some linguistic means which will allow them to incorporate in their paragraphs some more complex and structured clauses.
Grading Policy Assessment Methods
Grading Scale
A 100-96; A- 95-91; B+ 90-86; B 85-81; B- 80-76; C+ 75-71; C 70-66; C- 65-61; D60; F 59 and below
Each class session will consist of:
Week 1 (intensive) Logistic tour
Presentation of the course, textbook and expectations
Unit 1 “Parliamo d’infanzia” Grammar review:
Use of passato prossimo and imperfetto pp 5-9
Unit 2 “La famiglia italiana: nuovi scenari” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo presente pp 40-41
Pronomi combinati p 52
Communicative functions:
Expressing opinions, uncertainty, advices, conditions; talking about the past, expressing fear and anger, describing people’s appearance and personality
Lexicon: verbi pronominali
Field study: the market
Week 2 (intensive)
Unit 3 “Il tempo libero degli italiani” Grammar review:
Comparative and superlative pp 78-79
Trapassato prossimo pp 82-83
Indefiniti p 85
Unit 4 “Dalla scuola all’università” Grammar review:
Passive form pp 114-115
Congiuntivo presente pp 117-118
Indefiniti p 124
Communicative functions:
Comparing facts, expressing satisfaction, describing indefinite quantities; expressing opinions and desires, taking notes
Lexicon: School and university, slang
Week 3 (extensive)
Unit 5 “Panorama lavoro” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo in relative clauses
and congiuntivo passato pp 153-154
Pronoun: ne p 160
Communicative functions:
Understanding advertisements, writing a CV and a letter of introduction, talking about advantages and disadvantages
Quiz 1
Week 4 (extensive)
Unit 7 “La situazione linguistica in Italia oggi” Grammar review:
Accordo con participio passato pp 236-237
Ordini marcati: dislocazioni pp 240-241
Concordanza verbale p 256
Communicative functions and lexicon:
Distinguishing different varieties of Italian; Using monolingual dictionaries for idiomatic expressions, word-games and loans
Movie vision
Oral presentation
Week 5
Unit 8 “Il piacere della lettura” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo imperfetto pp 270-271
Condizionale passato pp 272-273
Concordanza verbale pp 295-296
Conditional clause
Communicative functions:
Explaining choices and preferences, expressing past facts, expressing others’ thoughts
Telling and commenting a book, writing a book review
Lexicon: books
Week 6 (extensive)
Unit 9 “Il cinema italiano” Grammar review:
Congiuntivo trapassato p 332
Concordanza verbale (congiuntivo) pp 333-334
Communicative functions:
Expressing desires and preferences, telling and commenting a film, writing a film review
Lexicon: cinema
Final Exam
The schedule is flexible and can change during the semester, according to the situation of the class or to particular needs. New field-studies and activities (as visits to museums, exhibitions, watching of a movie or assigned interviews to local people) can be introduced at any time, according to the students’ interests and commitments.
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.
Alice Friscelli studied at the Università per Stranieri di Siena and received her degree in Italian Language and Culture – Teaching Italian to Foreign Students – in 2003. She studied at the Università degli Studi di Siena as well, and received her Masters in The Art of Writing – Models of Creative Writing – in 2004. She was in the administrative committee of the first International Meeting on Italian Studies in Latin America (Siena, 25-27 November 2004), organized by the Università per Stranieri di Siena. She received her PhD in Italian Philology, Literature and History at the Università per Stranieri di Siena in 2008. Her research focus is on contemporary Italian poetry, especially on Vittorio Sereni’s work. She has published an article on Alda Merini’s poetry (e.g. Allegoria, 47, 2004). Alice Friscelli has been teaching Advanced Italian in IES Siena since 2006. - alicefriscelli@libero.it [2]