The aim of this course is to provide students with a deeper and more detailed knowledge of spoken and written Italian. The course focuses on intensive oral work, reading and writing exercises based on literary prose texts, newspaper articles, authentic listening and reading materials. Literary texts and readings widen vocabulary, reinforce grammatical topics and introduce topics for conversation. The course introduces advanced grammatical structures and more complex vocabulary through activities on word derivation.
Prerequisites:
Four semesters of Italian. Students must pass the on-site language placement test, which covers grammar elements listed below. In order to attend this course students are required to have a detailed knowledge of the following grammar points:
Noun/verb/adjective agreement
Prepositions
Pronouns
Indicative tenses
Conditional tenses
Subjunctive tenses
Imperative
Students who fail the language placement test have two options: (1) move down to the lower level with written approval of their home school advisor; (2) during the language intensive session, review grammatical structures that were incorrect on the placement test and then take a second test to prove that they can follow the course. In the case that the student does not perform well enough on the second test, the student is moved to the lower level language course with written notification to their home advisor.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to:
communicate with native speakers about topics related to current events, Italian culture and lifestyle;
feel at ease with the host language;
understand, analyze, summarize and discuss readings orally;
express their opinion;
produce written commentaries about different topics.
Method of presentation:
Classes are taught with a communicative approach to make students learn using their own resources, to let them present or discuss subjects interacting with other people and produce written texts. The instructor leads the students through the process of learning using various techniques. Working in pairs or small groups is specially emphasized. Students are expected to use only Italian during the class. The course includes multimedia material activities through which students will develop both cultural and language use.
Field study:
Throughout the course students are 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 lifestyle and culture. The assignments are done outside the class time, either individually or in pairs. Findings are presented in class and make up a relevant percentage of the assessment of homework and oral presentations.
Required work and form of assessment:
class participation/completion of at-home assignments (30%); two written tests (20%); oral test (20%); mid-term exam (15%); final exam (15%).
Oral competence: 20%
Oral production and comprehension is crucial to a language course which has the goal to enable 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: 30%
Class participation is crucial for a course such as this based on comunicative 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:
GRAMMAR: Fundamental advanced grammar and syntax - indefinite adjectives and pronouns, quantifiers; the passive with essere / venire / andare, passive structures with si and impersonal si; the partitive ne, other uses of ci and ne; particular uses of conditional and subjunctive form; sequence of tenses with the indicative and with the subjunctive; reported speech hypothetical clauses; indefinite forms: the gerund, present and perfect infinitive, participles; the order of the sentence.
VOCABULARY: Word derivation and alteration; conjunctions and connectives, their use in spoken/written language; idioms.
READINGS: Choice of materials (literary texts, songs, readings and listening) on Italian culture and lifestyle.
Weekly Syllabus
Settimana 1
Unità 5 - Do you speak Italian?
Attività di icebreaking, presentazione corso e metodo, regole da osservare in classe; autovalutazione ed aspettative;
Funzioni comunicative: Funzioni comunicative:raccontare esperienze passate
Grammatica grammatica: concordanza dei tempi del passato
(passato prossimo, imperfetto, trapassato prossimo)
Unità 6 - Vivere in città
Funzioni comunicative: funzioni comunicative:descrivere una città, esprimere lamentele e critiche, esprimere rimpianti
Grammatica Grammatica: condizionale passato
Field assignment: Segreti e curiosità di Roma
Settimana 2
Unità 7 - I luoghi comuni sugli Italiani
Funzioni comunicative - Esprimere opinioni personali
Grammatica - Congiuntivo presente e passato
Pronomi e aggettivi indefiniti
Test 1
Unità 8 - Parole, parole,parole
Funzioni comunicative: Esprimere opinioni personali al passato. Discutere e argomentare
Grammatica: Congiuntivo imperfetto e trapassato, Connettivi
Field assignment: Intervista a studenti italiani
Settimana 3
Unità 9 - Invito alla lettura
Funzioni comunicative: Motivare una scelta / un gusto, esprimere giudizi, sintetizzare idée altrui, Raccontare / commentare un libro, Parlare di libri
Grammatica: Congiuntivo e indicativo in dipendenza da connettivi e congiunzioni, Forma passiva
Midterm
Unità 10 - La famiglia cambia faccia
Funzioni comunicative: Fare previsioni, Riferire notizie non confermate
Grammatica: Avverbi, Congiuntivo in dipendenza da congiunzioni
Field assignment: Ricerca sulla famiglia italiana
Settimana 4
Unità 11 - Tradizioni italiane
Funzioni comunicative: Esprimere delusione e rammarico per promesse non mantenute
Grammatica: Condizionale composto ( futuro nel passato ), Avverbi, Altri usi di ci e ne
Unità 12 - Salviamo il nostro pianeta
Funzioni comunicative: Protestare, giustificarsi, Fare ipotesi, discutere, lamentarsi
Grammatica: Periodo ipotetico, Verbi pronominali
Field assignment: La musica popolare italiana
Settimana 5
Unità 13 - Noi e gli altri
Funzioni comunicative: Esprimere desideri e preferenze, Fare richieste in modo cortese
Grammatica: Concordanza dei tempi al congiuntivo, Congiuntivo in dipendenza dal condizionale
Test 2
Unità 14 - Italia da scoprire
Funzioni comunicative: Raccontare un viaggio, Descrivere un luogo
Grammatica: Si impersonale, Pronome relativo chi, Forma passiva con il verbo andare, Gerundio
Field assignment: Il nuovo cinema italiano
Settimana 6
Completamento del programma precedente con materiale aggiuntivo fornito dall’insegnante
Lettura di un racconto
Funzioni comunicative: Riassumere, analizzare le strutture narrative e stilistiche
Revisione degli argomenti trattati durante il corso in preparazione dell’esame finale
Oral Test
Final Exam
Required readings:
ITALIAN ESPRESSO 12, Textbook and Workbook by Gruppo Italiaidea,
Alma Edizioni,Firenze 2006
Additional material from a broad range of sources will be distributed by the instructor.
The aim of this course is to provide students with a deeper and more detailed knowledge of spoken and written Italian. The course focuses on intensive oral work, reading and writing exercises based on literary prose texts, newspaper articles, authentic listening and reading materials. Literary texts and readings widen vocabulary, reinforce grammatical topics and introduce topics for conversation. The course introduces advanced grammatical structures and more complex vocabulary through activities on word derivation.
Four semesters of Italian. Students must pass the on-site language placement test, which covers grammar elements listed below. In order to attend this course students are required to have a detailed knowledge of the following grammar points:
Students who fail the language placement test have two options: (1) move down to the lower level with written approval of their home school advisor; (2) during the language intensive session, review grammatical structures that were incorrect on the placement test and then take a second test to prove that they can follow the course. In the case that the student does not perform well enough on the second test, the student is moved to the lower level language course with written notification to their home advisor.
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Classes are taught with a communicative approach to make students learn using their own resources, to let them present or discuss subjects interacting with other people and produce written texts. The instructor leads the students through the process of learning using various techniques. Working in pairs or small groups is specially emphasized. Students are expected to use only Italian during the class. The course includes multimedia material activities through which students will develop both cultural and language use.
Throughout the course students are 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 lifestyle and culture. The assignments are done outside the class time, either individually or in pairs. Findings are presented in class and make up a relevant percentage of the assessment of homework and oral presentations.
class participation/completion of at-home assignments (30%); two written tests (20%); oral test (20%); mid-term exam (15%); final exam (15%).
Oral competence: 20%
Oral production and comprehension is crucial to a language course which has the goal to enable 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: 30%
Class participation is crucial for a course such as this based on comunicative 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
GRAMMAR: Fundamental advanced grammar and syntax - indefinite adjectives and pronouns, quantifiers; the passive with essere / venire / andare, passive structures with si and impersonal si; the partitive ne, other uses of ci and ne; particular uses of conditional and subjunctive form; sequence of tenses with the indicative and with the subjunctive; reported speech hypothetical clauses; indefinite forms: the gerund, present and perfect infinitive, participles; the order of the sentence.
VOCABULARY: Word derivation and alteration; conjunctions and connectives, their use in spoken/written language; idioms.
READINGS: Choice of materials (literary texts, songs, readings and listening) on Italian culture and lifestyle.
Weekly Syllabus
Settimana 1
Unità 5 - Do you speak Italian?
Attività di icebreaking, presentazione corso e metodo, regole da osservare in classe; autovalutazione ed aspettative;
Funzioni comunicative: Funzioni comunicative:raccontare esperienze passate
Grammatica grammatica: concordanza dei tempi del passato
(passato prossimo, imperfetto, trapassato prossimo)
Unità 6 - Vivere in città
Funzioni comunicative: funzioni comunicative:descrivere una città, esprimere lamentele e critiche, esprimere rimpianti
Grammatica Grammatica: condizionale passato
Field assignment: Segreti e curiosità di Roma
Settimana 2
Unità 7 - I luoghi comuni sugli Italiani
Funzioni comunicative - Esprimere opinioni personali
Grammatica - Congiuntivo presente e passato
Pronomi e aggettivi indefiniti
Test 1
Unità 8 - Parole, parole,parole
Funzioni comunicative: Esprimere opinioni personali al passato. Discutere e argomentare
Grammatica: Congiuntivo imperfetto e trapassato, Connettivi
Field assignment: Intervista a studenti italiani
Settimana 3
Unità 9 - Invito alla lettura
Funzioni comunicative: Motivare una scelta / un gusto, esprimere giudizi, sintetizzare idée altrui, Raccontare / commentare un libro, Parlare di libri
Grammatica: Congiuntivo e indicativo in dipendenza da connettivi e congiunzioni, Forma passiva
Midterm
Unità 10 - La famiglia cambia faccia
Funzioni comunicative: Fare previsioni, Riferire notizie non confermate
Grammatica: Avverbi, Congiuntivo in dipendenza da congiunzioni
Field assignment: Ricerca sulla famiglia italiana
Settimana 4
Unità 11 - Tradizioni italiane
Funzioni comunicative: Esprimere delusione e rammarico per promesse non mantenute
Grammatica: Condizionale composto ( futuro nel passato ), Avverbi, Altri usi di ci e ne
Unità 12 - Salviamo il nostro pianeta
Funzioni comunicative: Protestare, giustificarsi, Fare ipotesi, discutere, lamentarsi
Grammatica: Periodo ipotetico, Verbi pronominali
Field assignment: La musica popolare italiana
Settimana 5
Unità 13 - Noi e gli altri
Funzioni comunicative: Esprimere desideri e preferenze, Fare richieste in modo cortese
Grammatica: Concordanza dei tempi al congiuntivo, Congiuntivo in dipendenza dal condizionale
Test 2
Unità 14 - Italia da scoprire
Funzioni comunicative: Raccontare un viaggio, Descrivere un luogo
Grammatica: Si impersonale, Pronome relativo chi, Forma passiva con il verbo andare, Gerundio
Field assignment: Il nuovo cinema italiano
Settimana 6
Completamento del programma precedente con materiale aggiuntivo fornito dall’insegnante
Lettura di un racconto
Funzioni comunicative: Riassumere, analizzare le strutture narrative e stilistiche
Revisione degli argomenti trattati durante il corso in preparazione dell’esame finale
Oral Test
Final Exam
ITALIAN ESPRESSO 12, Textbook and Workbook by Gruppo Italiaidea,
Alma Edizioni,Firenze 2006
Additional material from a broad range of sources will be distributed by the instructor.