This course presents students with integrative studies of various aspects of Italian 
culture, civilization, literature, language, and literary theory. This is the most 
advanced Italian course we offer, and it is only taught by tenured or tenure track 
faculty members.  In ITAL 4120 students read and discuss important literary texts
in the target language (Italian).  Since much of the work students do for this 
course is reflected in their discussions on the assigned texts, a significant part 
of their final grade takes into account their oral/aural skills, their ability to 
answer the study questions, to paraphrase and analyze the assigned readings, and 
their participation in classroom discussions.  In addition to this, students also 
give several oral presentations in Italian on an assigned reading.  Furthermore, 
students write a midterm paper of approximately 1000 words, and a term paper of 
approximately 3000 words; both papers are written in Italian.  For each paper the 
student gets two grades: one for the first draft, and one for the rewrite.  Finally, 
they take a final exam which tests not only their linguistic abilities in Italian, 
but also their ability to analyze the literary texts studied in this course.
Like practically every course taught in our department, this course examines a 
Romance language, literature, and culture in an integrated manner, and does so in 
the target language (not in English).  Therefore, oral communication and writing 
skills are given the same importance as analytical skills.

Topics will vary.  The following are topics that have been taught in the past by 
the tenured and/or tenure track faculty (this course is never taught by Instructors 
or Lecturers):
1) Dante's Divine Comedy
2) Italian Lyric Poetry
3) Italian Culture and Civilization
4) Italian Theatre
5) The Nineteenth Century Italian Novel
6) Boccaccio's Decameron and the Novella
7) Petrarch and Petrarchism
8) Contemporary Italian Writers
9) Italian Renaissance Writers