A continuation of the study of Italian at the intermediate level. Emphasis on strengthening the students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Conversation, compositions, reading of texts, and expanded grammar study to include more advanced structures, including the conditional, the subjunctive, and the imperative.
Athena Title
Intermediate Italian
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in ITAL 2001E
Prerequisite
ITAL 1110 or ITAL 1110E or ITAL 1002 or ITAL 1002E or ITAL 1003
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, successful students will have attained the ACTFL “Novice High” level in all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through incremental learning of the basics of the Italian language.
When the successful student speaks in Italian, they will be able to successfully manage a number of uncomplicated communication tasks in straightforward social situations using short and sometimes incomplete sentences in the present, simple past, imperfect, and future tenses. They will be able to converse on many familiar topics that are necessary for survival, such as basic personal information, basic objects, and a limited number of activities, preferences, and immediate needs. They will be able to respond to simple, direct questions or requests for information, and they are also able to ask a few formulaic questions. They will also be able to express personal meaning by using and recombining rehearsed phrases and on occasion by recycling what they hear from their communication partner(s). They will be able to use repetition or rephrasing to repair their miscommunication.
When the successful student writes in Italian, they will be able to meet basic practical writing needs using lists, short messages, and simple notes. They will be able to express a simple message within the context in which the language was learned, relying mainly on practiced material. Their writing will rely on common elements of daily life, and they will be able to demonstrate an ability to recombine vocabulary and structures that they have rehearsed to create simple sentences on very familiar topics.
The successful student will learn how to interact in basic cultural contexts and will use culturally appropriate formulaic expressions. They will recognize opportunities for own turn (turn-taking conventions) in highly practiced formulaic communication. They will show awareness of the most obvious cultural differences. Through cultural explanations in the textbook and supplementary materials, students will be able to connect cultural concepts to their language learning. This approach encourages critical thinking while sparking their interest in Italian culture.
The successful student will engage in routine conversations in class - both free form and simulated - with peers. Students write periodic journal entries on relevant thematic topics and write compositions that highlight the skills learned during the semester.
The students’ language and cultural skills are assessed by oral and written tests, as well as by their daily in-class performance. By completing exercises and receiving feedback, they can reflect on mistakes and develop strategies to improve their work.
Students will practice expressing their own opinions about travel, navigating physical environments, and the workforce. Through cultural topics, they help their peers construct a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Students will speak spontaneously about themselves and familiar topics, maintain a simple conversation with someone who speaks only the target language, and influence the course of a conversation by asking questions and proposing topics.
Topical Outline
In-class conversation and discussions to develop speaking and listening skills. Readings from magazine articles, literary works, and a variety of other sources on a variety of topics which will provide students with information for in-class discussions and compositions. Writing in Italian to further knowledge of oneself, one's culture, and of Italian speakers and their cultures. Review of principles of Italian grammar.
General Education Core
CORE IV: World Languages and Global Culture
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Leadership & Collaboration
The capacity to engage in the relational process of optimizing personal and collective strengths toward a common goal.
