This course is designed to meet the needs of highly motivated beginner students who want to enhance their experience abroad through a full immersion language course. The course will introduce the students to the most frequent everyday situations to facilitate their ability 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 grounding in grammar will consolidate the understanding and use of the language structures. Vocabulary is based on everyday situations. It is a demanding, challenging and participatory course, with a quick pace: by the end of the course students will realize they are better assimilated into everyday Italian life and culture.
Student Profile
This course is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Italian, but with an interest in an intensive language development experience. Students who have studied another Romance language may be interested in entering this level.
By the end of the course, the successful student will have built a solid foundation in the five skills: intercultural communication, reading, writing, listening, and speaking to accomplish a variety of everyday needs in the host culture as described in the learning outcomes below and should be capable of entering the Emerging Independent Abroad level.
Prerequisites:
Determined by placement test
Attendance policy:
Attendance is mandatory. After the first three absences each unexcused absence will lower the final grade of two points. Absences are to be considered justified only in case of illness (written medical certificate required) and IES academic events. If students miss class it is their responsibility to find out about homework and material covered in class.
No make-ups will be given for exams, the midterm or the final unless you can provide a valid written medical certificate or special approval of the Director.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve the outcomes for the Novice Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
I. Intercultural Communication
Students will be able to meet simple everyday needs using verbal and nonverbal communication, and they will be able to use compensatory strategies when they do not know the word or expression (paraphrasing, repetition, talking around the point, body language, etc.).
Students can recognize some appropriate and inappropriate expressions and behaviors in the host language.
Students will be able to distinguish between simple representations of formality and informality in the language.
Students will identify some differences between cultural stereotypes and generalizations between the home culture and the host culture.
Students will start to make informed comparisons between their host culture and the home culture.
II. Listening
Students will be able to understand simple statements, requests, descriptions, and questions in specific cultural context relevant to them (interactions with hosts, Center interactions, studying, shopping, transportation, meals).
Students will be able to use context to understand the gist of some spoken language they overhear, including the media, conversations between others, and announcements.
III. Speaking
Students will be able to use simple phrases appropriately in everyday situations with increasing accuracy (home, the IES Abroad Center, the community).
Students will be able to express simple needs by asking questions, and get what they need in uncomplicated, everyday situations.
IV. Reading
Students will be able to identify and understand simple sentences and deduce meaning from context if it is relevant to their studies.
Students will be able to interpret main ideas in short passages and news headlines if they are relevant to them.
V. Writing
Students will be able to write short texts about concrete topics, such as themselves, their families, their friends, their likes, their dislikes, plans, experiences, and their daily routines.
Students will be able to send simple emails, text messages, online posts, and postcards, and fill out some simple forms.
Students will be able to write with increased accuracy, although using some native language structures.
Method of presentation:
Classes are taught with a communicative approach to facilitate students' ability to use 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 in class.
Starting from the first intensive week and throughout the rest of the course students will be assigned various "on site" interactive activities, to encourage them to use the language in practical situations, to interact with locals and with their Italian student companions in order to find out about Italian lifestyle and culture.
The instructor will use task-based field trips and class activities to make the students aware of the strong relationship between language and culture. For this purpose the instructor will reinforce students’ independence by providing them with historic and cultural background before they go on field trips.
Required work and form of assessment:
Exclusive use of Italian language in class, active participation in all class activities, homework, research regularly completed as indicated by the instructor, oral and written tests and exams, attendance and punctuality. Students will be required to enter the Moodle course page on a regular basis in order to access readings, exercises, and any other regular and extra material.
Class participation, engagement and homework (30%, including field studies and use of the online Moodle page); 3 Quizzes (15%); Oral competence, including oral tests (20%); Midterm exam (15%); Final exam (20%).
content:
*D:“Dimmi…”, manuale per la comunicazione Primo Livello
**PD.“Praticamente dimmi…”. Esercizi ed attività Primo Livello.
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Intensive week
(D*: Unit 1
PD**: Unit 1)
1.Functional: Greeting people, introducing yourself, asking basic questions (pronunciation, spelling, the meaning and translation of a word, nationality), expressing feelings and needs, interviewing classmates in order to get to know each other (name, address, age, tel. number, reason for choosing Italy).
Drawing attention: ordering in a café and in a restaurant, asking about prices, ordering and asking for the check.
2.Grammatical: Sounds and letters. Personal pronouns: first and second person present tense: essere, chiamarsi, idiomatic expressions with avere. Nationality adjectives; nouns ending in “o”, “a” and “e”; definite and indefinite articles; question words; use of the words buono, bello, bravo, bene.
3.Vocabulary: Useful class language; greetings, numbers and money, nationalities, feelings and needs, food and beverages of an Italian bar café.
4.Culture: Greetings used in Italy, the Italian culture of coffee; famous people and images of Italy.
Outdoor activity
“Al bar”: ordering in Italian and trying a variety of coffees.
Field assignment
“Al bar”
Quiz1
I.A. I.C, II.A, III. A, III. B, IV.A, V.A, V.B
Week 1
Unit 2
1.Functional: Talking about yourself: your leisure time and how often you do something; describing a house and places; giving a physical description of someone; giving a description of someone’s personality; asking and telling time; speaking formally.
2.Grammatical: Regular verbs in the present tense; irregular present of fare, stare and andare; adverbs to describe frequency; use of c’è and ci sono; idiomatic use of some simple prepositions; compound prepositions a/alle to tell time.
3.Vocabulary: Free time activities, colors, adjectives to describe physical and personality attributes, days of the week, parts of the body, household items.
Culture: Stereotypes about physical appearances in Italy and in the USA, differences between Italian and American lifestyles.
Field assignment:
Interviewing an Italian person about leisure time
Worksheet:
“My homestay”
I.A, I.D, II.A, III.A, IV. B, V.A
Week 2
Unit 3
1.Functional: Describing food habits; shopping and grocery shopping; expressing likes and dislikes; asking for and giving directions.
2.Grammatical: Uses of fare in idioms; use of mi piace-mi piacciono; indirect object pronouns: first and second person; short tags: anche a me, neanche a me, a me sì, a me no; present continuous.
3.Vocabulary: Food, menu, meals and ingredients, shops: where do you buy what?; adverbs and prepositions to ask for directions.
4.Culture: Importance of food in Italy compared to America; cities and typical products.
Composition:
“An email to a pen pal”
Field assignment:
“Treasure hunt around IES”
Quiz 2
I.A, II.B, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.A
Week 3
Unit 2
1.Functional: Organizing leisure activities; inviting someone to do something; accepting, refusing and offering a different alternative;
2.Grammatical: Irregular present tense of uscire, venire, rimanere, bere; modal verbs potere, dovere, volere plus the infinitive; different uses of sapere and conoscere.
3.Vocabulary: Vocabulary related to going out activities; telling time; parts of the day
4.Culture: Nightlife in Rome
Field assignment:
“Interviewing an Italian
about wishes
and duties.”
I.A, I.C, I.D, II.A, II.B, III.B, IV.A
Week 4
Unit 4
1.Functional: Taking and planning a trip; describing a past event or experience.
2.Grammatical: Passato prossimo; most common irregular participles; expressions and adverbs to describe time and past actions (già, appena, non ancora); use of the adjective and adverb molto.
3.Vocabulary: Adjectives to describe a trip and a vacation; traveling; weather, expressions to describe things that happened in the past.
4.Culture: Cities, monuments and places of interest in Italy.
1.Functional: Identifying family relationships; describing and talking about your family; describing your daily routine.
2.Grammatical: Possessive adjectives;
possessive adjectives with words denoting
family relationship and when to use articles;
reflexive verbs.
3.Vocabulary: Family names; daily routine activities.
4 Culture: The Italian family; stereotypes; Italy compared to USA
Composition:
“My trip diary”
Field assignment:
“Interview an Italian and find out his/her family tree”
I.A, I.C, II.A, III. A. III.B, IV.B, V. A
Week 7
Unit 5
1.Functional: Talking about Italian fashion;
buying clothes; making polite requests;
expressing tastes and preferences.
2.Grammatical: Present conditional; use of “più, meno, troppo”; demonstratives.
3.Vocabulary: Colors; clothing items.
4.Culture: Italian fashion
Field assignment
“Going shopping””
I.A, II.A, II.B, III.A, IV.A, IV.B, V.A
Week 8
Unit 6
1.Functional: Describing animals; talking about your childhood; describing past situations; talking about habitual activities in the past.
2.Grammatical: Imperfetto
3.Vocabulary: Animals; childhood memories.
4.Culture: Italian attitude towards pets.
Composition:
“When I was a child…”
Field study:
“A visit in a centro anziani
(different from a nursing home)
Quiz 3
I.A, I.B, II.A, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.A, V.B
Week 9
Unit 6
1.Functional: Telling stories
2.Grammatical: The use of Imperfetto compared to Passato prossimo.
3.Vocabulary: Words to describe love; slang used by young people.
4.Culture: Habits, customs and behaviour when dating.
Composition:
“Invent a love story”
I.C, II.A, II.B, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.A
Week 10
Unit 7
1.Functional: Going back home; taking stock of your experience in Italy;
2.Grammatical: Direct object pronouns; ci as an expression to indicate a place; indirect object pronouns and their different uses; piacere in the past; use of mancare; future tense.
3.Vocabulary: Abbreviations used in text messaging, horoscopes.
4.Culture: Differences and similarities between student life in Italy and America.
Composition:
“The most exciting experience I’ve had abroad”
I.A, I.B, II.A, III.A, III.B, V.A
Week 11
General review
Week 12
General review
Oral presentation 2
Final exam
Required readings:
A. Battaglia, L. Tarini, Dimmi… Manuale per la comunicazione. Primo livello, Perugia, Guerra edizioni, 2008
A. Battaglia, L. Tarini, Praticamente dimmi… Esercizi e attività. Primo livello, Perugia, Guerra edizioni, 2008
Supplementary materials (handouts, pictures, readings, videos and films scenes, song lyrics, games, etc.) will be provided by the teacher or available on the Moodle course page.
This course is designed to meet the needs of highly motivated beginner students who want to enhance their experience abroad through a full immersion language course. The course will introduce the students to the most frequent everyday situations to facilitate their ability 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 grounding in grammar will consolidate the understanding and use of the language structures. Vocabulary is based on everyday situations. It is a demanding, challenging and participatory course, with a quick pace: by the end of the course students will realize they are better assimilated into everyday Italian life and culture.
Student Profile
This course is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Italian, but with an interest in an intensive language development experience. Students who have studied another Romance language may be interested in entering this level.
By the end of the course, the successful student will have built a solid foundation in the five skills: intercultural communication, reading, writing, listening, and speaking to accomplish a variety of everyday needs in the host culture as described in the learning outcomes below and should be capable of entering the Emerging Independent Abroad level.
Determined by placement test
Attendance is mandatory. After the first three absences each unexcused absence will lower the final grade of two points. Absences are to be considered justified only in case of illness (written medical certificate required) and IES academic events. If students miss class it is their responsibility to find out about homework and material covered in class.
No make-ups will be given for exams, the midterm or the final unless you can provide a valid written medical certificate or special approval of the Director.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve the outcomes for the Novice Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
I. Intercultural Communication
Students will be able to meet simple everyday needs using verbal and nonverbal communication, and they will be able to use compensatory strategies when they do not know the word or expression (paraphrasing, repetition, talking around the point, body language, etc.).
Students can recognize some appropriate and inappropriate expressions and behaviors in the host language.
Students will be able to distinguish between simple representations of formality and informality in the language.
Students will identify some differences between cultural stereotypes and generalizations between the home culture and the host culture.
Students will start to make informed comparisons between their host culture and the home culture.
II. Listening
Students will be able to understand simple statements, requests, descriptions, and questions in specific cultural context relevant to them (interactions with hosts, Center interactions, studying, shopping, transportation, meals).
Students will be able to use context to understand the gist of some spoken language they overhear, including the media, conversations between others, and announcements.
III. Speaking
Students will be able to use simple phrases appropriately in everyday situations with increasing accuracy (home, the IES Abroad Center, the community).
Students will be able to express simple needs by asking questions, and get what they need in uncomplicated, everyday situations.
IV. Reading
Students will be able to identify and understand simple sentences and deduce meaning from context if it is relevant to their studies.
Students will be able to interpret main ideas in short passages and news headlines if they are relevant to them.
V. Writing
Students will be able to write short texts about concrete topics, such as themselves, their families, their friends, their likes, their dislikes, plans, experiences, and their daily routines.
Students will be able to send simple emails, text messages, online posts, and postcards, and fill out some simple forms.
Students will be able to write with increased accuracy, although using some native language structures.
Classes are taught with a communicative approach to facilitate students' ability to use 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 in class.
Starting from the first intensive week and throughout the rest of the course students will be assigned various "on site" interactive activities, to encourage them to use the language in practical situations, to interact with locals and with their Italian student companions in order to find out about Italian lifestyle and culture.
The instructor will use task-based field trips and class activities to make the students aware of the strong relationship between language and culture. For this purpose the instructor will reinforce students’ independence by providing them with historic and cultural background before they go on field trips.
Exclusive use of Italian language in class, active participation in all class activities, homework, research regularly completed as indicated by the instructor, oral and written tests and exams, attendance and punctuality. Students will be required to enter the Moodle course page on a regular basis in order to access readings, exercises, and any other regular and extra material.
Class participation, engagement and homework (30%, including field studies and use of the online Moodle page); 3 Quizzes (15%); Oral competence, including oral tests (20%); Midterm exam (15%); Final exam (20%).
*D:“Dimmi…”, manuale per la comunicazione Primo Livello
**PD.“Praticamente dimmi…”. Esercizi ed attività Primo Livello.
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Intensive week
(D*: Unit 1
PD**: Unit 1)
1.Functional: Greeting people, introducing yourself, asking basic questions (pronunciation, spelling, the meaning and translation of a word, nationality), expressing feelings and needs, interviewing classmates in order to get to know each other (name, address, age, tel. number, reason for choosing Italy).
Drawing attention: ordering in a café and in a restaurant, asking about prices, ordering and asking for the check.
2.Grammatical: Sounds and letters. Personal pronouns: first and second person present tense: essere, chiamarsi, idiomatic expressions with avere. Nationality adjectives; nouns ending in “o”, “a” and “e”; definite and indefinite articles; question words; use of the words buono, bello, bravo, bene.
3.Vocabulary: Useful class language; greetings, numbers and money, nationalities, feelings and needs, food and beverages of an Italian bar café.
4.Culture: Greetings used in Italy, the Italian culture of coffee; famous people and images of Italy.
Outdoor activity
“Al bar”: ordering in Italian and trying a variety of coffees.
Field assignment
“Al bar”
Quiz1
I.A. I.C, II.A, III. A, III. B, IV.A, V.A, V.B
Week 1
Unit 2
1.Functional: Talking about yourself: your leisure time and how often you do something; describing a house and places; giving a physical description of someone; giving a description of someone’s personality; asking and telling time; speaking formally.
2.Grammatical: Regular verbs in the present tense; irregular present of fare, stare and andare; adverbs to describe frequency; use of c’è and ci sono; idiomatic use of some simple prepositions; compound prepositions a/alle to tell time.
3.Vocabulary: Free time activities, colors, adjectives to describe physical and personality attributes, days of the week, parts of the body, household items.
Culture: Stereotypes about physical appearances in Italy and in the USA, differences between Italian and American lifestyles.
Field assignment:
Interviewing an Italian person about leisure time
Worksheet:
“My homestay”
I.A, I.D, II.A, III.A, IV. B, V.A
Week 2
Unit 3
1.Functional: Describing food habits; shopping and grocery shopping; expressing likes and dislikes; asking for and giving directions.
2.Grammatical: Uses of fare in idioms; use of mi piace-mi piacciono; indirect object pronouns: first and second person; short tags: anche a me, neanche a me, a me sì, a me no; present continuous.
3.Vocabulary: Food, menu, meals and ingredients, shops: where do you buy what?; adverbs and prepositions to ask for directions.
4.Culture: Importance of food in Italy compared to America; cities and typical products.
Composition:
“An email to a pen pal”
Field assignment:
“Treasure hunt around IES”
Quiz 2
I.A, II.B, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.A
Week 3
Unit 2
1.Functional: Organizing leisure activities; inviting someone to do something; accepting, refusing and offering a different alternative;
2.Grammatical: Irregular present tense of uscire, venire, rimanere, bere; modal verbs potere, dovere, volere plus the infinitive; different uses of sapere and conoscere.
3.Vocabulary: Vocabulary related to going out activities; telling time; parts of the day
4.Culture: Nightlife in Rome
Field assignment:
“Interviewing an Italian
about wishes
and duties.”
I.A, I.C, I.D, II.A, II.B, III.B, IV.A
Week 4
Unit 4
1.Functional: Taking and planning a trip; describing a past event or experience.
2.Grammatical: Passato prossimo; most common irregular participles; expressions and adverbs to describe time and past actions (già, appena, non ancora); use of the adjective and adverb molto.
3.Vocabulary: Adjectives to describe a trip and a vacation; traveling; weather, expressions to describe things that happened in the past.
4.Culture: Cities, monuments and places of interest in Italy.
Composition: “Message in a bottle”
Worksheet:
“Traveling through Italy”
I.A, I.B, I.C, II.A, II.B, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.B
Week 5
Intensive review
Oral presentation 1
Mid-term exam
Week 6
Unit 5
1.Functional: Identifying family relationships; describing and talking about your family; describing your daily routine.
2.Grammatical: Possessive adjectives;
possessive adjectives with words denoting
family relationship and when to use articles;
reflexive verbs.
3.Vocabulary: Family names; daily routine activities.
4 Culture: The Italian family; stereotypes; Italy compared to USA
Composition:
“My trip diary”
Field assignment:
“Interview an Italian and find out his/her family tree”
I.A, I.C, II.A, III. A. III.B, IV.B, V. A
Week 7
Unit 5
1.Functional: Talking about Italian fashion;
buying clothes; making polite requests;
expressing tastes and preferences.
2.Grammatical: Present conditional; use of “più, meno, troppo”; demonstratives.
3.Vocabulary: Colors; clothing items.
4.Culture: Italian fashion
Field assignment
“Going shopping””
I.A, II.A, II.B, III.A, IV.A, IV.B, V.A
Week 8
Unit 6
1.Functional: Describing animals; talking about your childhood; describing past situations; talking about habitual activities in the past.
2.Grammatical: Imperfetto
3.Vocabulary: Animals; childhood memories.
4.Culture: Italian attitude towards pets.
Composition:
“When I was a child…”
Field study:
“A visit in a centro anziani
(different from a nursing home)
Quiz 3
I.A, I.B, II.A, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.A, V.B
Week 9
Unit 6
1.Functional: Telling stories
2.Grammatical: The use of Imperfetto compared to Passato prossimo.
3.Vocabulary: Words to describe love; slang used by young people.
4.Culture: Habits, customs and behaviour when dating.
Composition:
“Invent a love story”
I.C, II.A, II.B, III.A, III.B, IV.B, V.A
Week 10
Unit 7
1.Functional: Going back home; taking stock of your experience in Italy;
2.Grammatical: Direct object pronouns; ci as an expression to indicate a place; indirect object pronouns and their different uses; piacere in the past; use of mancare; future tense.
3.Vocabulary: Abbreviations used in text messaging, horoscopes.
4.Culture: Differences and similarities between student life in Italy and America.
Composition:
“The most exciting experience I’ve had abroad”
I.A, I.B, II.A, III.A, III.B, V.A
Week 11
General review
Week 12
General review
Oral presentation 2
Final exam