Introduction to Italian Language and Culture

Course goals

This course aims at providing students with a level of Italian to use familiar expressions and basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type: they will introduce themselves and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have. Furthermore, they will becoming familiar with aspects of Italian culture and society.

The language of instruction will be Italian, supported by English.

At the end of his course students will have completed the A1 level of the Common European Framework for Languages. They will be able to:

1. Understand spoken language (listen) from media and spontaneous conversations. Students will interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
2. Understand written language (reading) in texts of the general life (greetings, habits, needs, frequency and describing places, persons, and experiences in the present).
3. Write general texts about personal information, daily routines, preferences, and choices.
4. Interact orally in Italian to describe experiences and events in present and in past. Students will be able to introduce themselves and others and ask answer questions about personal details, daily routines, preferences, and choices.
5. Compare similarities and differences regarding habits, values, norms, and practices of the target culture and their own, while demonstrating an intercultural awareness and understanding when they communicate.

Relationship between assessment and learning goals:

Weekly assignments: learning goals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Mid-term test: learning goals 1, 2 and 3

Final test:  learning goals 1, 2 and 3

Oral exam: learning goals 1, 2, 4 and 5

Group project: learning goals 1, 2, 4 and 5

Content