This course is designed to provide students with a general knowledge of Italian language. They will be able to express themselves in a simple and clear manner, other than write on familiar topics on daily life expressing their own opinions. Students will also understand the essential points of clear messages spoken in standard language and will describe experiences, events, hopes and ambitions.
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. No extra lessons are foreseen for those who frequently miss class or those who are tardy.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to:
communicate simply but effectively with native speakers about topics related to daily life and needs;
perform in everyday situations;
talk about present, past and future events;
express wish;
write short texts;
describe people and places;
understand main topics of authentic written texts;
understand and discuss various aspects of Italian culture;
feel at ease with the target language.
Method of presentation:
The teaching method is based on a communicative approach. This involves: accent on communication, with the objective to enable the student, from the beginning, to speak and interact in Italian. Each lesson is structured with an activity to build vocabulary and an oral or written text. The text guides the student to recognize and analyze grammatical structures. Those structures are used in oral and written exercises that the students tackle in pairs or in small groups. Free oral and/or written production exercises give students the opportunity to communicate between themselves in Italian in realistic situations.
Required work and form of assessment:
Active participation and class discussion (10%); homework and special assignments (10%); 2 quizzes (20%); mid-term written exam and oral presentation (25%); final written 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 drills
Week 1
Presentation of the course syllabus, objectives and expectations.
Logistic tour
Grammar:
Present simple (essere, avere and main regular verbs) pp. 6-18; 28-36
Feminine, masculine, singular and plural forms of nouns and adjectives pp. 19-20
Definite and indefinite articles pp. 21-25; 39
Time and numbers from 1 to 100 pp. 40-43
Communicative functions:
Presenting oneself, asking information, saying hallo, expressing time, describing an apartment.
Lexicon: people, greetings, time, house.
Week 2
Grammar:
Present simple (modal and main irregular verbs) pp. 52-59; 66-69
Some prepositions (simple and with articles) pp. 54-57
Passato prossimo pp. 72-78
Use of essere and avere as auxiliary verbs pp. 72-78
Numbers from 100 to 3.000.000 pp. 81-82
Communicative functions:
Describing daily actions; ordering at the bar; talking on the phone; asking tourist information.
Lexicon: Food , habits, holidays.
Visit to the market
Week 3
Grammar:
Possessive adjectives and pronouns pp. 92-101
Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns pp.93-94
Ordinal numbers pp. 105
Simple and perfect future pp. 108-123
Prepositions with articles pp. 124
Communicative functions:
Describing clothes; talking about one’s family; projecting; promising; talking about weather.
Lexicon: family, clothes, university, hobbies.
Quiz
Week 4
Phonetics:
Italian vowels and consonant
Grammar:
Reflexive verbs and verbs with pronouns pp. 126-138
Imperfetto pp. 164-169
Trapassato prossimo pp.177-179
Communicative functions:
Talking about one’s habits; ordering at the restaurant; accepting and refusing; talking about past events.
Lexicon: food and wine, restaurant, holidays, events of the past.
Movie vision
Oral presentation
Week 5
Grammar:
Direct and indirect pronouns pp. 182-189; 206-212
Verbs piacere and dispiacere pp.213-217
Communicative functions:
Expressing opinions, doubts, like and dislike; asking in a gentle way.
Lexicon: shopping, clothes, Italian style, free time, cultural and artistic interests.
Week 6
Grammar:
Conditional: present and past pp. 226-247
Plural of some irregular nouns pp. 247
Communicative functions:
Expressing desires; asking something in a gentle way.
Lexicon: job
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:
ITALIAN ESPRESSO 1, Textbook and Workbook by Gruppo Italiaidea, Alma Edizioni, Firenze 2006.
Supplementary material will be provided by the teacher during the course.
Strongly recommended a good pocket dictionary Italian/English.
Recommended readings:
A. De Giuli: “Dolomiti” Alma Edizioni
A. De Giuli e C,M,Naddeo: “Dov’è Yukio?”; “La commissaria”; “Fantasmi” Alma Edizioni
E. De Amicis, Ottobre, racconto tratto da Cuore, ed. M. A. C. Bisaccia and M. Didonna, Perugia: Guerra Edizioni, 2010
E. De Amicis, Il piccolo Patriota Padovano, racconto tratto da Cuore, ed. M. A. C. Bisaccia and M. Didonna,Perugia: Guerra Edizioni, 2010
L. da Vinci, La regola francescana, ed. M. A. C. Bisaccia and M. R. Francomacaro, Perugia: Guerra Edizioni, 2010
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:
Rita Rossi earned a degree in Foreign Modern Languages and Literature at the University of Perugia, she has completed specialization courses in Teaching Methodology of Foreign languages and Linguistics. In 1995 she earned the DITALS certificate: a specific certificate of competence in Italian Didactics for Foreigners. She instructed the series L2 training and refresher courses for teachers of Italian L2 at the Dante Alighieri Society of Siena. Since 1993, she has taught Italian language and culture at private Italian Institutes, University of California in Siena, Università per Stranieri di Siena and since 2009 for IES Abroad in Siena.
This course is designed to provide students with a general knowledge of Italian language. They will be able to express themselves in a simple and clear manner, other than write on familiar topics on daily life expressing their own opinions. Students will also understand the essential points of clear messages spoken in standard language and will describe experiences, events, hopes and ambitions.
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. No extra lessons are foreseen for those who frequently miss class or those who are tardy.
By the end of the course, students are able to:
The teaching method is based on a communicative approach. This involves: accent on communication, with the objective to enable the student, from the beginning, to speak and interact in Italian. Each lesson is structured with an activity to build vocabulary and an oral or written text. The text guides the student to recognize and analyze grammatical structures. Those structures are used in oral and written exercises that the students tackle in pairs or in small groups. Free oral and/or written production exercises give students the opportunity to communicate between themselves in Italian in realistic situations.
Active participation and class discussion (10%); homework and special assignments (10%); 2 quizzes (20%); mid-term written exam and oral presentation (25%); final written exam and oral presentation (35%).
Each class session will consist of:
Week 1
Presentation of the course syllabus, objectives and expectations.
Logistic tour
Grammar:
Present simple (essere, avere and main regular verbs) pp. 6-18; 28-36
Feminine, masculine, singular and plural forms of nouns and adjectives pp. 19-20
Definite and indefinite articles pp. 21-25; 39
Time and numbers from 1 to 100 pp. 40-43
Communicative functions:
Presenting oneself, asking information, saying hallo, expressing time, describing an apartment.
Lexicon: people, greetings, time, house.
Week 2
Grammar:
Present simple (modal and main irregular verbs) pp. 52-59; 66-69
Some prepositions (simple and with articles) pp. 54-57
Passato prossimo pp. 72-78
Use of essere and avere as auxiliary verbs pp. 72-78
Numbers from 100 to 3.000.000 pp. 81-82
Communicative functions:
Describing daily actions; ordering at the bar; talking on the phone; asking tourist information.
Lexicon: Food , habits, holidays.
Visit to the market
Week 3
Grammar:
Possessive adjectives and pronouns pp. 92-101
Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns pp.93-94
Ordinal numbers pp. 105
Simple and perfect future pp. 108-123
Prepositions with articles pp. 124
Communicative functions:
Describing clothes; talking about one’s family; projecting; promising; talking about weather.
Lexicon: family, clothes, university, hobbies.
Quiz
Week 4
Phonetics:
Italian vowels and consonant
Grammar:
Reflexive verbs and verbs with pronouns pp. 126-138
Imperfetto pp. 164-169
Trapassato prossimo pp.177-179
Communicative functions:
Talking about one’s habits; ordering at the restaurant; accepting and refusing; talking about past events.
Lexicon: food and wine, restaurant, holidays, events of the past.
Movie vision
Oral presentation
Week 5
Grammar:
Direct and indirect pronouns pp. 182-189; 206-212
Verbs piacere and dispiacere pp.213-217
Communicative functions:
Expressing opinions, doubts, like and dislike; asking in a gentle way.
Lexicon: shopping, clothes, Italian style, free time, cultural and artistic interests.
Week 6
Grammar:
Conditional: present and past pp. 226-247
Plural of some irregular nouns pp. 247
Communicative functions:
Expressing desires; asking something in a gentle way.
Lexicon: job
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.
Rita Rossi earned a degree in Foreign Modern Languages and Literature at the University of Perugia, she has completed specialization courses in Teaching Methodology of Foreign languages and Linguistics. In 1995 she earned the DITALS certificate: a specific certificate of competence in Italian Didactics for Foreigners. She instructed the series L2 training and refresher courses for teachers of Italian L2 at the Dante Alighieri Society of Siena. Since 1993, she has taught Italian language and culture at private Italian Institutes, University of California in Siena, Università per Stranieri di Siena and since 2009 for IES Abroad in Siena.
Rita Rossi rossi_rita@virgilio.it