BSc Medical Physiology with a Modern Language

Tuition fees are considerably lower for your placement year. Please see the fees page for full details.

Tuition fees are considerably lower for your placement year. Please see the fees pages for full details.

Students participating in placements outside the UK may be able to apply for funding from the UK's Turing scheme depending on eligibility. Priority will be given to students from low income households.

This is a course unit for intermediate students who possess an A-Level qualification or equivalent competence in Italian. 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.

Pre-requisite: ITAL51022, A-Level in Italian or equivalent competency in the language

Through this course, students will be able to:

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

A booklet with a detailed week-by-week language programme for the course will be distributed at the start of the academic year during week 1 of each term.

Students will also be expected to buy the following core text for the course:  

Gruppo Italiaidea, New Italian Espresso (Intermediate/Advanced), Florence: Alma Edizioni, 2021  

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
• An active knowledge of Italian linguistic diversity and some key linguistic features of the language

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

Semester 1

Assessment task	Formative or Summative	Weighting within unit
One piece of ACW (reading & writing)	Summative	10%
Oral presentations	Summative	10%
Linguistics exercise	Formative	N/A
Weekly take-home activities	Formative	N/A

 

Semester 2

Assessment task	Formative or Summative	Weighting within unit
Weekly take-home activities	Formative	N/A
One piece of ACW (listening & writing)	Summative	10%
Linguistics exercise	Summative	10%
An Oral examination	Summative	15%
A written examination with a grammar section	Summative	45%

 

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
Individual written feedback on completed and marked assignments plus face-to-face discussion if desired.	Both
In-class comments on homework, presentations and other exercises.	Formative
After each of the scheduled assignments, global feedback on frequent errors or omissions to identify problem areas and allow questions and discussion (delivered orally in class/posted to blackboard/as a handout).	Both

 

• 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) 

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

• S. Nocchi, Gnuova grammatica pratica della lingua italiana (Firenze, Alma, 2015 2009) 

• Dizionario inglese-italiano, italiano-inglese, 3rd ed. (Turin: Paravia and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, ebook 2001) 

• 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 3 hours per week to work on the various language skills. 

Free Choice only in agreement with Programme Director for Italian and Language Tutor