BA Politics and Italian / Course details

This is a course unit for intermediate students who have successfully completed the Level 1 Italian Language 1 and Italian Language 2 course units (ITAL51011 and ITAL51022). It aims to revise, consolidate and extend students’ prior knowledge of Italian through a structured programme of taught classes and assessed coursework with a strong focus on a programme of independent language learning made available through Blackboard. The course also comprises discussions and on-line surgeries as well as a complementary series of oral classes to enhance listening and speaking skills as part of the preparation for the period of compulsory residence in Italy.

Through this course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate a sound understanding of the aspects of Italian grammar covered in class;
• write compositions and summaries in Italian of Italian texts of an appropriate level of difficulty;
• demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the sounds and structures of Italian;
• reflect upon and improve their language-learning capabilities;
• use spoken Italian to cope with real-life situations and to discuss a variety of topics;
• take responsibility for their own learning of Italian;
• make use of the resources of the Language Centre, of the Internet and of the Blackboard virtual learning environment

The course will develop:

-          An active knowledge of the topics covered in the grammar classes

-          An active knowledge of Italian grammar and basic awareness of the different registers of language

-          The ability to communicate with a degree of confidence and accuracy in written and spoken Italian, in a variety of real-life situations

 -          Knowledge of aspects of the culture, communities and languages of Italy

-  An awareness of, and responsiveness to, the nature and extent of cultural diversity

This course develops abilities to:

-          Use language creatively and precisely for purposes and audiences at an intermediate level

-          Extract and synthesise key information from written and spoken sources

-          Organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured argument

-          Engage in critical and analytical thinking

These include:

-          Use and present material in the target language in written and oral forms in a clear and effective manner

-          Ability to manage own learning

-          Use target language source materials appropriately

-          Access electronic resources and use information and communication technologies (ICT) appropriately, including the Internet and  Blackboard

These include:

-          Communication and presentation skills: oral, written and IT

-          The ability to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team

-          Mediating skills and qualities of empathy

-          Self-reliance and adaptability

-          Intercultural awareness

-          Autonomy and independence

-          Time management skills

• CORE: Racconti italiani / Italian Short Stories, Parallel Text, ed. N. Roberts, (Penguin: 1999)  

• RECOMMENDED: A. Proudfoot and F. Cardo, Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide (London: Routledge, 2012, 3rd Edition)  

• S. Adorni and K. Primorac, English Grammar for Students of Italian (London: Arnold, 1995) 

• D. De Rôme, Soluzioni! (London: Arnold, 2003) 

• M. Fernandez-Toro and F. Jones, DIY Techniques for Language Learners (London: Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research, 2001) 

• S. Nocchi, Nuova grammatica pratica della lingua italiana (Firenze, Alma, 2015) 

• Dizionario inglese-italiano, italiano-inglese, 3rd edn (Turin: Paravia and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010 ebook) 

• De Mauro, T., Dizionario della lingua italiana (Turin: Paravia, 2000) 

In order to meet the learning outcomes students are required to engage in regular independent language learning devoting an average of 4 hours per week to work on the various language skills. 

Free Choice by agreement from the Programme Director for Italian and the Language Tutor