This is an intensive beginner’s Italian language programme which involves grammar work, reading and writing skills, and oral and aural comprehension. The course is designed to enable students with no previous knowledge of Italian to reach a level of intermediate proficiency by the end of the year. 

Study focuses on the four major language skills – reading, writing, speaking and listening – through classwork exercises and written work, use of video and audio material, and interaction with native speakers (including Italian Erasmus students hosted by the department). Teaching, learning and assessment are designed to enable you to achieve the learning outcomes via pair work, role play, and individual or group presentations.

While part of any class is likely to involve direct teaching, the emphasis is on student participation. You will be required to prepare materials in advance of classes and you will be expected to actively take part in discussions and in-class tasks like small group presentations. 

• Understand the principles of learning a foreign language intensively and organise his/her learning with guidance from the tutor
• Have established a sound knowledge of and ability to handle the basic grammatical structures of Italian.
• Have gained confidence in their ability to express themselves in speech and writing on everyday matters in Italian
• Extended and refined their vocabulary through reading and other work.
• Have developed an awareness of different ways of reading and interpreting Italian texts
• Understand spoken and written Italian on everyday matters and topics of personal interest
• Be able to identify, assess and make good use of appropriate reference materials (e.g. dictionaries; online resources; self-study tools)

Students have four hours of language per week, organised as follows:

3 hours of language study (grammar and development of reading and writing skills), 1 hour of oral/aural work.

We regularly use a flipped classroom format for the teaching of Italian language. This means that students are required to engage with and study grammar materials provided by the tutors in advance of the class. This allows students the time to identify any problematic areas in advance of the class and use class time to actively use the language.

Independent Learning: You will be expected to spend a significant amount of time studying outside the class. Materials will be provided on Learning Central which will help you develop your expertise as an independent language learner. You will be asked to consolidate your class work by learning vocabulary and linguistic structures, and by reading, watching and/or listening to material in Italian. You will also be expected to prepare exercises and activities for the class, to write assignments and generally begin to acquire a repertoire of effective language learning strategies. Independent Learning logbooks will be provided on Learning Central to help structure your language learning outside class time.

• An awareness of and sensitivity to a foreign culture
• Independent study skills:  active reflection on learning processes and preferences so as to independently develop appropriate strategies and relevant skills to ensure linguistic progression
• The ability to work productively with others as part of a team
• Oral and Audio-visual Presentation and public speaking skills
• Advanced IT skills

Weekly homework on Learning Central - 10%

Grammar Test 1 - 10% - Week 7 - Autumn semester

Writing composition 1 - 5% - Week 11 - Autumn semester

Grammar Test 2 - 10% - Week 7 -  Spring semester

Translation  Assignment - 5% - Week 5 - Spring semester

Writing composition 2 - 5% - Week 9 - Spring semester

Oral Exam - 10% - Spring semester

Aural Exam - 5% - Week 10 - Spring semester

Exam - 2 hours - 40% - Spring exam period

The course provides a systematic approach to acquiring essential grammar structures in a communicative context and in accordance with the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. It covers the following grammar / topics:

Grammar

Nouns (masculine & feminine), Formal/informal registers, to be/to have, Nouns (singular & plural) /definite/indefinite articles/adjectives, Present indicative regular verbs/negative form/piacere, Adverbs of time, Present indicative irregular and reflexive verbs, Possessive adjectives/agreement with noun, Prepositions/prepositions + det. Article, C'é/ci sono, irregular verbs, Preposition of place, Ci vuole/ci vogliono/modal verbs, Partitive/impersonal/more preposition + det. Article, Voglio vs vorrei, Stare+gerund, Passato prossimo with avere of regular verbs, Passato prossimo with essere/reflexives/piacere, Future tense, Imperfect indicative, Imperfect vs perfect, direct/indirect pronouns, Present conditional of regular verbs, Present conditional of irregular verbs/modals, connection words: quando, quindi, siccome, perché relative superlative

Main Topics

Alphabet/pronunciation/spelling, Greetings/introducing oneself/giving and asking for personal information, asking for general information,  Free time/entertaining activities, Exchanging information about daily activities, Daily routine, preferences, describing places, Finding a place/asking and giving directions, Talking about events in the past, speaking about  overseas experiences, Shopping for food & clothes, Describing habitual past actions, talking about your childhood, Talking about home, Talking about family/describing people, talking about traditions and festive events, making requests, accepting and refusing invitations, making a counter argument, making an appointment, talking about the weather, describing /renting a house, expressing desires, formulating hypotheses

Matteo La Grassa, L’italiano all’università 1: corso di lingua per studenti stranieri A1-A2 (Edilingua)

Extensive materials will also be made available through Learning Central

Titles of Italian readers to be provided in class 

The following texts are recommended to complement contact time activities and for revision.

Oxford/Paravia Italian Dictionary

Nocchi, S. Italian Grammar in Practice, Alma, 2002