ML8189: Beginners Italian Language Year 1

School Italian
Department Code MLANG
Module Code ML8189
External Subject Code 100326
Number of Credits 40
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Angelo Silvestri
Semester Double Semester
Academic Year 2022/3

Outline Description of Module

This is an intensive beginner’s language programme. 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, and to build towards the use of the language at a high level. Study focuses on the four major language skills

  • receptive skills (listening and reading)
  • productive skills (speaking and writing)
  • mediation skills (translation)
  • inter-cultural awareness skills (awareness of cultural diversity)

These skills, as well as the study of the grammatical and lexical patterns of the language are practiced and developed through classwork exercises, online activities and written work, use of video and audio material, and interaction with native speakers where possible - including native speaker exchange students hosted by the school.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  1. Read, understand and speak Italian to a level comparable with A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR)
  2. Speak Italian confidently and with appropriate grammatical correctness and spontaneity about topics that are familiar and routine
  3. Write coherent  texts in Italian in a range of registers on a range of topics with appropriate grammatical accuracy
  4. Extract data and ideas from a range of authentic written texts

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through a range of interactive teaching sessions supplemented by online teaching and learning activities and materials – and may include, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as lecture recordings. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year – and may be, in part, determined by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance.  

Independent Learning: You will be expected to spend a significant amount of time studying and participating in in individual and collaborative activities outside the live sessions. 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 language learning by learning vocabulary and linguistic structures, and by reading, watching and/or listening to material in the Italian language. You will also be expected to prepare and complete exercises and activities online, to complete written, listening and oral tasks and to engage with tutors and peers through discussion boards and forums. Over the course of the year you will begin to acquire a repertoire of effective language learning strategies.

 

Skills that will be practised and developed

Students will develop:

  1. An understanding of the principles of learning a foreign language intensively and organise their learning with guidance with the tutor
  2. Subject-specific language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in the Italian language at the appropriate level
  3. The ability to use language creatively and precisely for a range of purposes and audiences
  4. The abilities to extract and synthesize key information from written, spoken and other sources
  5. A greater awareness of how languages (including the mother tongue) function
  6. The skills to be effective, independent  and self-aware Iearners, including active reflection on learning processes and preferences so as to independently develop appropriate strategies and linguistic skills to ensure progression
  7. The ability to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team
  8. Skills in intercultural awareness, understanding and competence, including a critical understanding of other cultures and practice other than one’s own
  9. Enhanced skills in effective communication, presentation and interaction – both in an online environment and face-to-face
  10. Enhanced digital literacy skills
  11. The ability to actively participate in online group discussions with an online community of learners through chats, discussion boards or forums

How the module will be assessed

The key language skills are receptive (reading and listening), production (speaking and writing), mediation (translation between two languages) and intercultural awareness. Developing these skills involves acquiring metalinguistic and lexical competence, i.e. studying the building blocks of the language including grammatical and lexical patterns and structures. All of these skills are assessed through continuous assessment over the course of the module which reflects the progressive and accumulative nature of language learning.

The method(s) of assessing the learning outcomes for this module are set out in the Assessment Table, which also contains the weightings of each assessment component.

Mapping of Assessments to Intended Learning Outcomes:

Coursework 1 assesses ILOs 1, 3, 4

Coursework 2 assesses ILOs 1, 3, 4

Coursework 3 assesses ILOs 1, 3, 4

Written exam assesses ILOs 1, 3, 4

Oral Examination assesses ILOs 1, 2

Reassessment

You may be required to resit one or more of the assessments in this module if you fail the module. The Examination Board will advise you which assessments you need to resit during the August resit period. Resit assessments that are not supported by extenuating circumstances will be capped at the pass mark applicable to your programme.

 

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Class Test 15 Listening Comprehension N/A
Written Assessment 15 Reading Comprehension N/A
Class Test 20 Oral Exam N/A
Written Assessment 20 Translation Into Italian N/A
Exam - Spring Semester 30 Beginners Italian Language Year 1 1.5

Syllabus content

The course will focus on:

  • Consolidating and building on knowledge of grammar points (articles, agreements, indicative mood, pronouns)
  • Developing more complex sentence structures
  • Developing the range of vocabulary relevant to contemporary society, as specified in the European Common Framework of Reference, level A2 (relative to: family, asking and giving directions, describing, expressing preferences).
  • Developing a sense of different registers (tu and Lei)
  • Making the most of independent learning and learning technologies
  • Developing an awareness of the cultural contexts of Italian target culture

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