Language Learning Center

University of Oklahoma
Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Italian 1115 Spring 2016
Benvenuti!
We are happy that you have decided to take Italian! This syllabus contains valuable information
about the class that you have chosen. Please take the time to read it carefully. If you have any
concerns or questions, please feel free to contact your instructor.
Course: Italian 1115
Meeting Days & Time: MTWRF 11:30 - 12:20
Instructor: Francesca Novello
Instructor email: [email protected]
Section: 001
Location: Kaufman Hall 132
Office: KH 104
Office Hours: TWF 1:30 - 2:30 & by appt.
Required Texts:
Avanti! 3rd ed., Aski & Mesumeci. McGraw-Hill.
Access to FREE e-text and online components:
Go to: http://connect.mheducation.com/class/f-novello-italian-1115-1
Enter access code: Y4NC-38QV-SBD7-8VUH-YTAR
You’re all set!
Optional:
Once you’re registered in Connect, you have the option to buy the loose
leaf version of Avanti! for $40.00 (shipping included) from the Connect
website.
English Grammar for Students of Italian, 6th ed., Adorni, Primorac,
Morton.
Dictionary:
EN-IT / IT-EN Dictionary: www.wordreference.com
Introduction
Learning a foreign language has social, cognitive, economic and many other advantages.
Knowing multiple languages opens up communication possibilities with people from different
cultural contexts, allows you to access and better understand different perspectives, worldviews,
and ways in which different societies and communities organize around beliefs, values, and
practices. Graduates with knowledge of multiple languages as well as cross-cultural knowledge
often have a competitive advantage over monolingual job candidates. Through the courses in the
first and second-year Italian series at the University of Oklahoma, you will come to learn about
how the Italian language is structured (its grammar and vocabulary), how speakers of Italian use
the language to communicate different meanings in different contexts, and how you, yourself,
can use Italian for your own communication purposes and interests and even develop an Italian
identity! You will also learn about some of the more common and conventional cultural practices
associated with Italian speakers around the world.
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Course Objectives & Description
This course covers Chapter 1 through Chapter 5 of Avanti! 3rd edition. The goal of this course is
to give you basic linguistic and cultural tools to:
1. Develop basic communicative competence in Italian by developing skills in reading,
writing, speaking, and listening.
2. Understand most Italian spoken slower than normal pace, understand much Italian spoken
at normal pace, and develop skills and strategies for interpreting a range of
communication situations above your current level.
3. Learn language suitable for everyday topics (e.g. small talk, university life, daily
activities, hobbies, likes and dislikes, food, family, holidays and vacation, etc.)
4. Foster cultural awareness about Italy, and use it when communicating about various
topics. For example: knowing that Italians usually eat dinner between 7pm and 9pm, and
so not asking an Italian whether s/he’s had dinner at 5pm.
5. Gather information and knowledge about Italian culture and habits (daily life in Italy, the
Italian school system, the Italian family, fashion, music, celebrations) and how they differ
from your home culture.
6. Cultivate linguistic awareness about how Italian functions and how it differs from your
native language.
Class Format and Instruction
The format of this class is based on research insights that the best way to learn a foreign
language is through repeated, meaningful exposure to the language as well as for opportunities to
interact with others, even at the beginning levels. For this reason, class time will be dedicated to
communicating in Italian using the structures and vocabulary that you have practiced in
LearnSmart prior to class. The role of the instructor in the classroom is that of "communication
facilitator". Your instructor will not provide extensive grammar or vocabulary instruction. This is
the role of Connect/LearnSmart and your interaction with it. If you desire help with grammar
and/or vocabulary, see your instructor during his/her office hours. However, please do not expect
your instructor to repeat a class for you that you have missed nor answer questions about
material in Connect that you have never covered yourself online. Do this work first and then see
your instructor if you have doubts/questions.
Because you most likely have limited opportunities to speak or hear Italian outside of this class,
your instructor will speak only in Italian to you during class, and you must use every opportunity to
do the same with your instructor and your classmates. It is up to you to seek clarification and raise
your hand if you don’t understand something. In order to keep the conversation in Italian, you will
be given useful expressions that you can use to agree or disagree with others, or ask for clarification
and restating when you do not understand what they are saying (in speech or writing). Within about
one week, you should be familiar with the class format and daily expectations. You are expected to
come prepared, to participate and to contribute, and in the process are expected to be respectful of
your peers and assist in the establishment and maintenance of a positive learning environment.
Your instructor reserves the right to prohibit behaviors that she or he deems inappropriate (e.g.,
eating during class and so forth). To expose you and your classmates to contemporary Italian
language and culture, authentic materials such as ads, brochures, videos, film clips, songs,
newspapers, and magazine articles are alternatively used during class. Should you need additional
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explanations or wish to discuss matters not directly related to course content, your instructor will be
happy to speak to you in English before or after class and during office hours.
Instruction is thematic, inter-related, integrated, and task-based. “Thematic” means that you will
be given the means (grammar, communicative strategies, vocabulary, and relevant expressions in
Italian) to talk about a certain theme. “Inter-related” means that through this theme you may
learn some facts about Italy and use certain grammatical structures: that is, language and culture
are not treated as separate. “Integrated” instruction is one where listening, reading, speaking, and
writing skills are incorporated in the activities. Finally, “task-based” relates to the fact that
communication is based on authentic, realistic situations, not exercises with no immediate
justification other than the practice of a particular grammatical structure.
Strategies for Success
One of the most important aspects of the language learning experience is to use what you know
in a meaningful context. Acquiring a language as a child in a naturalistic setting can take 1-2 two
years before a child can produce single words or chunks of language. Learning another language
as an adult requires certain strategies to compensate for the fact that this same amount of time
and access to naturalistic environments are typically not available. Certain strategies are thus
necessary for developing proficiency in adult second language learning, and particularly in a
classroom context. Here are a few tips:
1. Use the tools and resources available to you through your textbook and other resources to
practice grammar and vocabulary structures outside of class.
2. Volunteer to speak. Making mistakes is normal, expected, and marks progress. Your
command of the language and your comfort level will only increase by speaking Italian
exclusively during in-class activities, mistakes and all.
3. Come to class having practiced language structures so that you can use these
meaningfully in class with your peers.
4. Use what you know with confidence and also take risks to try and say something by using
the Italian you’ve learned creatively. You will be rewarded for trying, not punished!
5. Listen attentively to how your classmates use Italian-- you will learn a great deal from
each other.
6. Expose yourself to a wide variety of authentic texts that use Italian and/or are from
authentic Italian speaking contexts. Use Italian language search engines to find authentic
texts (e.g., google.it.). Use social media to find interesting Italian information (Facebook,
Tumblr, Twitter, etc.) Share ideas for links and search terms with your instructor and
your classmates to find music, art, comics, news articles, sports scores, short comedies,
feature films, social media sites, recipe sharing blogs, etc. that use Italian.
7. Study daily. Expose yourself to Italian daily. A reasonable expectation is to spend at least
one hour a day with Italian at least six days a week above and beyond the hours you
spend in class.
8. If you have any questions relating to your performance and would like help, please see
your instructor. Office hours are specifically scheduled to meet your needs.
Monitoring Your Grade
It is up to students to monitor their own grades. If you have any questions about how to do this
through D2L, ask your instructor. As suggested, after taking one of the chapter tests, students
should examine their grades for online pre-class work and post-class work, exams, pop quizzes,
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as well as their attendance records. Concerns or queries about a grade should be made
immediately. Your instructor will not entertain queries or petitions for missed work at the end of
the semester unless they are related to work immediately prior to the end of the semester. Your
instructor will also not entertain petitions for excused absences for the attendance grade. Please
mindful of your own progress in class.
Emailing Your Instructor
Please use your OU email account when emailing your instructor. If you use a personal e-mail
account (e.g., gmail, yahoo, etc), your message may end up in your instructor’s junk mail folder
or s/he will not know whether the message is junk mail, and therefore may not respond. OU
email is considered by the university to be official communication, and you should therefore
address your instructor appropriately (e.g., Dear Ms., Mr., Dr., etc.), and use a respectful tone.
Instructors may not respond to emails that do not address them directly.
Attendance Policy
Languages are learned and used in community with others, thus your regular attendance and
active participation in this course are vital to your success. It is expected that you come to class
prepared and ready to engage in the discussions and activities. If you need to miss a class due to
unforeseen circumstances, there is a maximum of four (4) unexcused absences in this course.
Please note that missing class due to illness still counts as an absence, even with a doctor’s note.
In the event of more than four unexcused absences, your final class average will be reduced 1
point for the fifth absence and 1 point for each additional absence. After missing 15% or more of
class meetings (11 class meetings in a five day per week class), a grade of F will be assigned for
the course. In the case of a documented extenuating circumstance that may cause you to exceed
your allotted number of absences, please contact your instructor immediately. Should you have
personal emergency circumstances that require extended or frequent absences, it may be
appropriate in some cases to drop that course and consider re-enrolling in a future semester.
Athletes are expected to provide documentation of sports-related activities that may conflict with
class to their instructor within the first two weeks of the semester. Please consult with your
academic advisor concerning enrollment options. If you must miss class one day, it is your
responsibility to find out from a classmate what exactly you missed, obtain any notes or updates.
Please be on time to avoid disrupting your classmates. Four late arrivals will count as one
unexcused absence.
Religious Observances
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious
observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional
required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Please inform your instructor as early as
possible (preferably at the beginning of the semester) of any religious holidays you anticipate
observing during the semester that might conflict with class requirements. Prior to being absent
for religious observances, please remind your instructor in advance, and please take the initiative
in making appropriate arrangements for making up class work and/or rescheduling exams if
applicable.
Disability Statement
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If you have a disability that may prevent the full demonstration of your abilities in this course,
please contact me personally as soon as possible so I can provide an appropriate contact to
discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational
opportunities. Please contact the Disability Resource Center, Goddard Health Center, Room 166,
(405) 325-3852 to make a formal request for accommodation. email [email protected]. For further
information, please visit: http://www.ou.edu/drc/home.html.
Statement of Inclusivity
Pivotal to OU’s educational mission is the need to embrace and value the diversity of the OU
community. Acknowledging the uniqueness of each individual, in this course and on campus we
seek to cultivate an environment that encourages freedom of expression. Because the University
is a community where inquiry is nurtured and theories are tested, every individual has the right to
feel safe to express ideas that differ from those held by other members of the community.
However, all persons who aspire to be part of our campus community must accept the
responsibility to demonstrate civility and respect for the dignity of others. Recognizing that the
proper balance between freedom of expression and respect for others is not always apparent or
easy to achieve, we must continually challenge ourselves and each other in an atmosphere of
mutual concern, good will and respect. Therefore, expressions or actions that disparage an
individual's or group's ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, age or
disability are contrary to the mission of OU.
Title IX Resources and Reporting Requirement
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault,
dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more
or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at (405) 325-2215 (8am to
5pm, M-F) or [email protected]. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at
(405) 615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Please be advised that an
instructor is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to
the Sexual Misconduct Office. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed
to: Bobby J. Mason, University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at (405)
325-3546 or [email protected]. For more information, please visit http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of
documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact your instructor or the
Disability Resource Center at (405) 325-3852 as soon as possible. Please visit
http://www.ou.edu/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for answers to commonly asked questions.
Auditors
Auditors are expected to do the same work as required of other students; no grades assigned but
all assignments must be completed on time and active, and prepared participation is expected.
Academic Integrity
Academic misconduct is any act that improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic
performance or achievement or fails to give appropriate credit to authorship. All students in
attendance are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a
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community of scholars. The University of Oklahoma expects from its students a higher standard
of conduct than the minimum requires to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts
of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt
to help, or conspiracy to help, another student. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy
will be followed in the event of academic misconduct. Cheating is strictly prohibited at the
University of Oklahoma, because it devalues the degree you are working hard to get. As a
member of the OU community it is your responsibility to protect your educational investment by
knowing and following the rules. For specific definitions on what constitutes cheating, review
the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html.
Any instance of academic misconduct will be handled in accordance with the University policy
and procedures. Please refer to the website maintained by the OU Integrity Council and Office of
Academic Integrity Programs at http://integrity.ou.edu/index.html.
Tutors are best used as guides. In order to improve your Italian skills, you must be able to
identify and learn from your own mistakes and this is impossible is someone else is making the
corrections.
What kind of help is acceptable?
ü Point out errors and help you understand them, but allow you to correct them.
ü Explanation of troublesome concepts or material
ü Aid in identifying problem areas and resolving them
ü Help with exam preparation
What kind of help is unacceptable?
Ð Correcting or doing your written assignments
Ð Help to cut corners or producing last-minute work
Examples of academic misconduct in this class include but are not limited to:
• Using unauthorized material (cheat sheets, answer keys, etc.) on examinations and other
assignments
• Improper collaboration (for example working with a partner to divide the work in half
and copying each other’s half)
• Submitting the same assignment for different classes
• Having someone else do or write your assignments for you
• Submitting plagiarized work (i.e., cutting and pasting from another paper or the internet
without proper citation or paraphrasing from the web or other sources without crediting
the source or using another person’s words, ideas, or research and presenting it as one’s
own)
• Fabricating, forging, or altering documents or lying in order to obtain academic
advantage
• Using an electronic translator such as Google Translate for full sentences and/or
paragraphs.
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For full descriptions, please refer to the academic integrity website. When in doubt about
whether something constitutes academic misconduct, please consult with your instructor who can
help clarify any gray areas.
Grade Breakdown:
Participation (Preparation, Oral performance, Absences):
5 Chapter Tests:
7 Pop Quizzes:
2 Oral Exams:
2 Compositions:
Homework:
20%
20%
15%
15%
15%
15%
100%
Participation 20%
You will be graded on your participation on a weekly basis using this rubric:
EXCELLENT Student speaks only in Italian (even to ask for clarifications), is wellprepared, volunteers often without dominating the class, participates in group/pair
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activities, and contributes positively to the class.
GOOD Student speaks mostly in Italian, is generally well-prepared, volunteers
4
sometimes, participates in pair/group activities, and contributes to the class in general.
FAIR Student occasionally speaks in Italian, is less well-prepared than s/he should be,
3
only really answers when called on, and has little to contribute to the class in general.
UNSATISFACTORY Student often speaks in English, is essentially ill-prepared, can
2
sometimes answer when called on, and/or in general has little to contribute to the class.
ABSENT
0
Participation in class involves a number of variables, including but not limited to:
• Using Italian in the classroom (even for clarifying/asking a grammar question!)
• Your willingness to participate actively in all class activities
• Your cooperation during group and pair work
• Your respect and attitude toward the class and your peers
• Your daily preparation for each class.
• Using technology for class purposes and/or when asked to. If you need to use your cell
phone for another purpose, please briefly exit the classroom. Using a cell phone during an
exam will result in a zero on the exam.
Participation involves taking active part in the interpersonal, interpretive and presentational
activities in Italian.
• “Active” means that you must make an effort to concentrate on getting the gist of what’s
being said in class, focus on the activities, speak as often as possible, ask questions,
volunteer, take notes when important points are explained, write and read in Italian.
• “Interpersonal activities” require that you share ideas in Italian with your classmates and
instructor both orally and in writing on the topics that are being discussed, and work on your
skills on how to ask for clarifications or explanations about those topics.
• “Interpretive activities” require that you listen to oral speech and make an effort to
understand the main idea by using interpretive strategies (for ex. by identifying known
words and infer logical connections between them, or interpreting gestures and body
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•
language).
“Presentational activities” require that you present your ideas and opinions in Italian about
the topics that are being discussed. These activities are conducted in pairs, small groups, or
as a whole class.
My instruction will strive to create a cooperative learning environment. Keep in mind that no
questions are too small or too big. Also, consider that no language learning process happens without
making mistakes. In a sense, the more mistakes, the more learning occurs. I will work with you and
you need to work with me to be successful and have a great experience.
Chapter Tests 20%
There will be a fifty-minute exam after each chapter in the textbook. Each student is required to
take every chapter exam on the dates indicated. If you show up late for a test, you will still have
to finish the test at the same time as the other students. No listening comprehension sections will
be repeated due to tardiness. If the tardiness is the result of an excusable and documented
situation, you must speak to your instructor immediately after the exam. There are no make-up
exams unless there is a documented emergency. If you do not show up for an exam at the
appointed time without having obtained permission from the instructor in advance, you will not
receive any credit for the exam. For religious holy days, students must speak with their instructor
prior to missing class. Again, the student must request to make-up the missed work and provide
the appropriate documentation within one week from the date of the absence. There are no
exceptions to this policy. Your instructor will not entertain these requests at the end of the
semester.
Pop Quizzes 15%
There will be one short quiz about every other week (7 pop quizzes total.) In the course calendar
you are told which weeks you will have a pop quiz, but not the day. Quizzes will include both
oral and written work. There are no make-up quizzes, but your instructor will drop the lowest
quiz grade at the end of the semester.
Oral Exams: 15%
The first oral exam, administered by your instructor after Capitolo 3, will be a “mini oral exam”
and will count as 5% of your oral exam grade. The second oral exam will count 10% and will be
administered to you by your instructor after Capitolo 5 at the end of the semester. The best
preparation for these tests is regular and active participation in class. The more you speak, the
better and more fluently you will speak.
Compositions 15%
You will write two compositions based on the topics provided by your instructor. The text and
length must be according to the topic provided. It must be your composition without the help of a
friend or a translation program! Using an online translation program or similar technology to
write your essay constitutes academic misconduct and will result in a zero as your grade. The
composition must be typed and double-spaced; use font Times New Roman size 12. The first
composition is worth 5%, the second composition is worth 10%. Compositions that are handed in
late will automatically lose 5 points for each day that they are late. Emailing compositions to
your instructor is unacceptable.
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Homework 15%
ITAL 1115 involves textbook and online assignments that are a substantial component of your
homework in this class. Homework is assigned daily on your Connect course website:
http://connect.mheducation.com/class/f-novello-italian-1115-1. These activities will help prepare
you for the in-class work, which requires interaction between you and your classmates and your
instructor. In order to access Connect, you must create a user account. Do all of the activities
assigned in Connect in order to learn, not just to earn points. Experience shows that the students
who do the homework conscientiously are the ones who do well on the tests. Connect and
LearnSmart are valuable resources that consist of a variety of activities for practice and
application of what you learn in the textbook and in class. They consist of writing, listening,
pronunciation, spelling, and cultural items. They can be done at home or in the Language
Learning Center (KH 228). Readings in the textbook should be completed BEFORE class each
day. Each day you will have some activities to review language structures (grammar and
vocabulary) in preparation for class in which you will have opportunities to use these structures
in context. Connect will generate one homework grade for the entire chapter, which your
instructor will enter into the D2L grade book at the end of the chapter. Please make sure to read
carefully all the material found in the grammar and vocabulary sections relating to forms and use
and complete all activities assigned to you. Since the purpose of homework is to help you
prepare for meaningful participation in class, no late homework will be accepted.
If you experience connectivity or any other type of problem with your own computer it is your
responsibility to complete assignments by the established deadlines. So, don’t wait until the last
minute to try and complete your activities. If you experience problems, use a computer in one of
the Language Learning Center in Kaufman Hall, at the library, or in another computer lab. The
only tech excuse we accept for not completing online activities on time is if the Connect website
itself goes down. Such situations are extremely rare but are monitored by the Italian Language
Program.
Your Next Course
Your next course is ITAL 1225. A grade of ‘C’ or higher in 1115 is strongly recommended in
order to advance. Please do not take a semester off between courses!
Extra Credit Opportunities
There will be multiple opportunities to gain extra credit for this course. You can gain up to 3
points extra credit added to your final grade for this course by attending cultural events and
activities such as guided museum tours, film nights, food tastings, game nights, and lectures
offered throughout the semester, many sponsored by the Italian Club, Baccano. Your instructor
will announce them in class and send you information about them. Make sure to get on the
Baccano mailing list and like their Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/Baccano-ClubItaliano-di-OU-334643833364678/?fref=ts. Please make sure to check your OU email and the
D2L course page at least once per day for any pertinent messages/announcements.
Italian Films
The best way to experience Italian culture outside of being in Italy and being around Italians is to
watch Italian films! The Language Learning Center in Kaufman Hall has a large variety of
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Italian films that you can stream for free at any time from the comfort of your own computer.
Visit http://llc.ou.edu, click on “Film Collection” and select Italian. You will also notice that at
the end of each chapter in Avanti, there is a film clip from a famous Italian movie. You can view
all these clips in a single video file on http://llc.ou.edu as well. Another website to find streaming
Italian movies to watch is: www.iloveitalianmovies.com. Enjoy!
Inquiries
If you have questions or concerns about your class, direct them first to your instructor. If you
cannot resolve problems with your instructor or have questions or concerns about the overall
Italian language program, then the OU Italian Language Program Coordinator, Dr.
Busciglio, will be glad to assist you. Dr. Busciglio’s contact information: Kaufman Hall 116,
email: [email protected]. Please be sure to include in your email the course and section number
in which you are enrolled.
Checklist for study:
• Have I learned the new vocabulary for the chapter we’re on at the end of each chapter?
• Have I read and understood the side boxes throughout each chapter entitled “Study Tip”,
“In Italia”, “In italiano” and “Retro”?
• Have I checked the course calendar (below) to know what is due today and what we are
covering today in class?
• Have I completed the homework due for today?
Programma di studio
The course calendar may be subject to changes in the event of class cancellations due to
inclement weather, etc. Compito means homework. For writing assignments: 2 paragraphs, 4
substantial (long, cohesive, coherent) sentences minimum per paragraph. Double-spaced. Times
New Roman font size 12 double-spaced if typed.
Data
SETTIMANA 1
19 gennaio
20 gennaio
21 gennaio
22 gennaio
Programma (to be covered IN class)
Compito (to be completed BEFORE class)
Benvenuti! Introduzione al corso;
sillabo; orientamento al libro di testo;
saluti; espressioni utili; presentazioni
Introduzione al corso, al sito Connect
e D2L; sillabo; saluti; espressioni utili;
presentazioni
Avanti Cap 1: pp. 1-4
Introduzione al corso, al sito Connect
e D2L; sillabo
Greetings and salutations
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 1-4
Familiarize yourself with the D2L course
page.
Greetings, finding out someone’s
name, where they’re from, saying
goodbye; pronouncing letters and
sounds of the Italian alphabet
Studiare: Avanti pp. 1-4
Read syllabus completely and thoroughly
Preparare: questions about syllabus
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 1-4
Ripassare: Espressioni Utili
Do course profile survey online (link on
D2L)
Compito su Connect
Studiare Avanti pp. 5-12
Ripassare: pp. 1-4
Compito su Connect
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Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 5-9
SETTIMANA 2
25 gennaio
26 gennaio
Greetings, finding out someone’s
name, where they’re from, saying
goodbye; pronouncing letters and
sounds of the Italian alphabet
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 5-9
Months, seasons, numbers
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 10-12
27 gennaio
Months, seasons, numbers
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 10-12
28 gennaio
Strutture 1.1 (Gender and Articles)
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 13-15
29 gennaio
Strutture 1.2 (Gender and Articles)
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 13-15
SETTIMANA 3
1 febbraio
Pop Quiz 1
Strutture 1.3 (Singular, Plural, and
Agreement)
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 16-17
Strutture 1.4 (Definite articles)
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 18-19
2 febbraio
3 febbraio
4 febbraio
5 febbraio
SETTIMANA 4
8 febbraio
9 febbraio
Strutture 1.5 Expressing likes and
dislikes
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 19-21
I gesti italiani: making and
interpreting common gestures
Avanti Cap. 1: p. 22
Avanti Cap. 1: pp. 23-25
Leggiamo! p. 23-24 Famous Italians
Guardiamo! p. 25 Mimì metallurgico
Esame scritto capitolo 1
Asking how someone is doing and
asking their nationality
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 28-32
Studiare: Avanti pp. 5-12
Ripassare: pp. 1-5
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 10-12
Ripassare: pp. 1-9
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 10-12
Ripassare: pp. 1-9
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 13-15
Ripassare: pp. 1-12
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 13-15
Ripassare: pp. 1-12
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 16-17
Ripassare: pp. 13-15
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 18-19
Ripassare: pp. 16-17
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 19-21
Ripassare: pp. 18-19
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti p. 22
Ripassare: Capitolo 1
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 23-25
Ripassare: Capitolo 1
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 1
Studiare: Capitolo 1
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 28-32
Compito su Connect
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10 febbraio
Asking about nationality
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 32-33
11 febbraio
Describing people, places, and things
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 34-37
12 febbraio
Describing people, places, and things
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 34-37
SETTIMANA 5
15 febbraio
Pop Quiz 2
Describing people, places, and things
Strutture 2.1
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 37-39
Describing people, places, and things
Strutture 2.1
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 37-41
Strutture 2.2 Expressing age
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 41-43
16 febbraio
17 febbraio
18 febbraio
Strutture 2.2
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 41-44
19 febbraio
Strutture 2.3 Saying what is and isn’t
there
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 45-46
SETTIMANA 6
22 febbraio
Pop Quiz 3
Strutture 2.4 Describing what belongs
to you and others
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 47-49
Strutture 2.4 Describing what belongs
to you and others
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 47-49
Strutture 2.4 Describing what belongs
to you and others
Avanti Cap. 2: pp. 47-49
Recognizing the origins of different
family names in Italian and talking
about European identity
Avanti Cap. 2: p. 50
Ascoltiamo! p. 50
Leggiamo! p. 50
Avanti Cap. 2: p. 52-53
23 febbraio
24 febbraio
25 febbraio
26 febbraio
Studiare: Avanti pp. 23-25
Ripassare: Capitolo 1
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 34-37
Ripassare: pp. 28-33
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 34-37
Ripassare: pp. 28-37
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 1 versione finale
Studiare: Avanti pp. 37-39
Ripassare: pp. 28-39
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 37-41
Ripassare: pp. 37-39
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 41-43
Ripassare: pp. 37-41
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 41-44
Ripassare: pp. 37-41
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 45-46
Ripassare: pp. 37-44
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 2
Studiare: Avanti pp. 47-49
Ripassare: pp. 37-46
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 47-49
Ripassare: pp. 46-49
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 47-49
Ripassare: pp. 41-49
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti p. 50
Ripassare: pp. 37-49
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 52-53
12
SETTIMANA 7
29 febbraio
1 marzo
2 marzo
3 marzo
Scriviamo! e Parliamo! p. 52
Guardiamo! p. 53 Cinema Paradiso
Ripassare: pp. 37-51
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 2 versione finale
Esame scritto capitolo 2
Studiare: Capitolo 2
Ripassare: Capitolo 1
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 56-59
Ripassare: Captolo 2
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 56-59
Ripassare: Capitolo 2
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 60-61
Ripassare: pp. 56-59
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 62-63
Ripassare: pp. 56-61
Compito su Connect
Getting someone’s attention; asking
and telling time
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 56-59
Getting someone’s attention; asking
and telling time
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 56-59
Asking when events occur
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 60-61
4 marzo
Saying what you like to do in your
free time
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 62-63
SETTIMANA 8
7 marzo
Pop Quiz 4
Talking about your daily activities and
routine
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 64-66
Talking about your daily activities and
routine
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 66-67
Talking about your daily routine
Strutture 3.1
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 68-71
Strutture 3.2
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 71-74
8 marzo
9 marzo
10 marzo
11 marzo
Strutture 3.3
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 74-77
SETTIMANA 9
Lo spring break! Buone vacanze!
SETTIMANA 10
21 marzo
Strutture Ripasso
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 68-77
Studiare: Avanti pp. 64-66
Ripassare: pp. 56-63
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 66-67
Ripassare: pp. 64-66
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 68-71
Ripassare: pp. 66-67
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 71-74
Ripassare: pp. 68-71
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 74-77
Ripassare: pp. 71-74
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 3
Studiare: Avanti pp. 68-77
Ripassare: 68-77
Compito su Connect
13
22 marzo
Strutture 3.4
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 77-79
23 marzo
Strutture 3.4
Avanti Cap. 3: pp. 77-79
Guardiamo! p. 85 Maccheroni
Esame orale 1
Pratica e attività varie pp. 81-84
24 marzo
25 marzo
SETTIMANA 11
28 marzo
29 marzo
30 marzo
31 marzo
1 aprile
SETTIMANA 12
4 aprile
5 aprile
6 aprile
Esame orale 1
Pratica e attività varie pp. 81-84
Esame scritto capitolo 3
Meeting people and finding out what
they do for a living
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 87-90
Talking about your family
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 90-93
Talking about your family
Strutture 4.1
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 94-96
Talking about your family
Strutture 4.1
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 94-96
Pop Quiz 5
Formulating questions
Strutture 4.2
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 96-98
Formulating questions
Strutture 4.2
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 96-98
Formulating questions and talking
about hobbies and pastimes
Strutture 4.3
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 100-103
Studiare: Avanti pp. 77-79
Ripassare: pp. 68-77
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 77-79
Ripassare: pp. 68-77
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 81-84
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 81-84
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 3 versione finale
Studiare: Capitolo 3
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 87-90
Ripassare: Capitolo 3
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 90-93
Ripassare: pp. 87-90
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 94-96
Ripassare: pp. 87-93
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 94-96
Ripassare: pp. 87-93
Compito su Connect
Composizione 1 da consegnare nel D2L
Dropbox entro le 23.59
Studiare: Avanti pp. 96-98
Ripassare: pp. 87-95
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 96-98
Ripassare: pp. 87-95
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 100-103
Ripassare: pp. 96-99
Compito su Connect
14
7 aprile
8 aprile
SETTIMANA 13
11 aprile
12 aprile
13 aprile
14 aprile
Formulating questions and talking
about hobbies and pastimes
Strutture 4.3
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 100-103
Comparing and contrasting people and
things
Strutture 4.4
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 104-106
Studiare: Avanti pp. 100-103
Ripassare: pp. 96-99
Compito su Connect
Comparing and contrasting people and
things
Strutture 4.4
Avanti Cap. 4: pp. 104-106
How the Italian family has changed
over the past 50 years
Ascoltiamo! p. 107
La famiglia Gonzaga nella Camera
degli Sposi
Leggiamo! p. 108
Peter Pan syndrome (Mamma’s boys)
Scriviamo! p. 109
Parliamo! P. 109
Ripasso generale
Guardiamo! p. 110 Ricordati di me
Studiare: Avanti pp. 104-106
Ripassare: pp. 94-103
Compito su Connect
15 aprile
Esame scritto capitolo 4
SETTIMANA 14
18 aprile
Pop Quiz 6
Inviting someone to do something
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 113-116
19 aprile
Declining an invitation and making
excuses
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 117-118
Restaurant terms and items on an
Italian menu
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 119-123
Restaurant terms and items on an
Italian menu
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 119-123
Gastronomic culture in Italy and
talking about superlative qualities
20 aprile
21 aprile
22 aprile
Studiare: Avanti pp.
Ripassare: pp. 87-93
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 4
Studiare: Avanti pp. 107-108
Ripassare: Capitolo 4
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 109
Ripassare: Capitolo 4
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 110
Ripassare: Capitolo 4
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Capitolo 4
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 4 versione finale
Studiare: Avanti pp. 113-116
Ripassare: Capitolo 4
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 117-118
Ripassare: pp. 113-116
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 119-123
Ripassare: pp. 113-118
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 119-123
Ripassare: pp. 113-118
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 124-127
Ripassare: pp. 113-123
15
Strutture 5.1
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 124-127
SETTIMANA 15
25 aprile
26 aprile
27 aprile
28 aprile
29 aprile
SETTIMANA 16
2 maggio
3 maggio
4 maggio
Pop Quiz 7
Talking about what you have to do,
can do, and want to do
Strutture 5.2
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 127-131
Talking about what you have to do,
can do, and want to do
Strutture 5.2
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 127-131
Specifying where, when and with
whom activities take place
Strutture 5.3
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 131-134
Specifying where, when and with
whom activities take place
Strutture 5.3
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 131-134
Expressing unspecific quantities of
things
Strutture 5.4
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 135-137
Expressing unspecific quantities of
things
Strutture 5.4
Avanti Cap. 5: pp. 135-137
About Italian meals and dining
etiquette
Ascoltiamo! p. 138
Leggiamo! p. 139-140
Parliamo! p. 141
Guardiamo! p. 142 Big Night
5 maggio
Preparazione per esame orale 2
6 maggio
Preparazione per esame orale 2
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 127-131
Ripassare: pp. 113-126
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 127-131
Ripassare: pp. 113-126
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 131-134
Ripassare: pp. 113-130
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 131-134
Ripassare: pp. 124-130
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 135-137
Ripassare: pp. 124-134
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 5
Studiare: Avanti pp. 135-137
Ripassare: pp. 124-134
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 138-140
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Compito su Connect
Studiare: Avanti pp. 141-142
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Compito su Connect
Studiare per l’esame orale
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Compito su Connect
Scrittura 5 versione finale
Studiare per l’esame orale
Ripassare: Capitolo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Compito su Connect
16
10 maggio
12 maggio
19.30 - 21.30 Esame orale 2
(location to be determined)
Consegnare Composizione 2 nel D2L
Dropbox entro le 23.59
How does learning a foreign language work?
We know that people learn second languages by engaging in meaningful communication
(meaningful communication is defined as the expression, interpretation, and negotiation of
meaning in a particular context.) This does not refer only to speaking, although oral fluency is
often the immediate goal of most learners even though it is the one that takes the longest to
develop. Instead, meaningful communication may be oral or written; it may be interpretive
(understanding through listening or reading) or expressive (speaking or writing). Spoken texts
(conversations, interviews, film, lectures) and written texts provide learners with models of
language and language use that they use to construct their mental models—“mental
grammars”—of how the language works. This is completely separate and different from learning
“grammar rules”. Interestingly, your ability to derive meaning is heavily dependent on multiple
factors, including background knowledge and context, which explains why you are capable of
understanding much more than you can produce, even at very early stages of language learning
and even when the language contains words and forms that you have notyet formally studied.
We know that lots of exposure to meaningful language—these good models of language use—is
essential for language learning to happen. That said, just because you understand a grammar rule
and are able to conjugate verbs does not mean you are able to communicate in the foreign
language. Speaking a language is not formulaic, like an algebra equation. Instead, it’s very
complex, has layers of meaning, and has lots of moving parts. Focus on the meaning and getting
your meaning across in a coherent, holistic way. Don’t focus too much on getting all the
conjugations down all at once, for instance. Those things take time and lots of meaningful
practice (speaking and writing).
Your teacher will use Italian exclusively in class. At first you will not understand every single
word. Do not worry. You will get the gist and soon enough, you will understand everything.
Remember that you will always be able to understand more than you are able to produce (orally
or written). This is the nature of language learning. Furthermore, mistakes are not only natural
but they are absolutely expected. In fact, language learning research shows that you need to
make mistakes to improve your language learning! Fascinating, no?
Learning Italian: Background and Tips
SKILL ACQUISITION. You learned your native language by acquiring it naturally, over a number of
years, in everyday living situations in which that language was spoken by other native speakers. It
is unlikely that you ever heard talk about “adjectives,” “definite articles” and so on, yet by the time
you were four years old or so, you were a fluent speaker. (A useful analogy: you don’t need to
know how an engine works in order to drive a car.) You acquired a skill—speech– through
practice. Although learning a language in a classroom setting is quite a different experience from
natural childhood acquisition, the two are alike in one basic way: you are acquiring a skill. A
language course is unlike most other university courses in that your main task is not to build a
store of information but to acquire mastery of a set of skills: production and understanding of
17
spoken and written language (reading, writing, speaking and listening). Furthermore, if you take
Chemistry 101, you don’t expect to be a chemist at the end of the course. But with a language
course, you become a speaker of that language on Day 1. Like any skill, the more you use it, the
more proficient you will be. One of the major ways in which your classroom language learning
differs from childhood acquisition is that you are already proficient in (at least) one language and
your intellectual skills are such that you can analyze things consciously. Both of these factors can
be very helpful if a few thoughts are kept in mind…
RULES. We normally think of language rules as being of the sort “Don’t use ain’t”, “A double
negative makes a positive”, “Never end a sentence with a preposition.” These are prescriptive rules,
designed as guides for native speakers who wish to avoid negatively stigmatized forms in speech or
writing. They may be expressions of social judgment, rather than linguistic observation. In learning
another language, you will encounter a distinctly different type of rule. Descriptive rules describe
how a language really works-- that is, what native speakers actually do. They stem not from value
judgments, but from observation of native speakers’ linguistic behavior. An example of an English
descriptive rule would be “Plurals are normally formed by adding –s.” Language rules are not strict
but more like patterns and guiding principles. The Italian language patterns which you will be
exposed to are similar descriptions of the way Italian works.
PRODUCTIVITY AND MEMORIZATION. Note that you do not have to be able to express a descriptive
rule in order to speak a language correctly. Few five-year-old native speakers of English could
articulate the English pluralization rule but any five-year-old can supply a regular plural if given the
singular. Memorizing rules may not do any harm but it probably won’t do much good, either. It’s
much more profitable to use the “rules” as guides to establishing patterns, so that you can apply the
rule productively. The more productive a rule is, the less there is to memorize and the more there is
to practice. Italian pluralization is a good example. If you know consciously that singulars ending in
–o and –e form their plurals by replacing the final vowel with –i, you may or may not be able to
produce the plural of a new word quickly and effortlessly, without thinking. But if you have
practiced orally so much that you can automatically produce i libri, i cani, and so forth, it is all but
guaranteed that the plural of a new word in one of these two classes will come to you automatically
as well. Note that this is not memorization in the usual sense; it’s acquiring and applying a skill.
Memorization might be necessary for the exceptions to the general descriptive rules (which are
awkward in any language: notice the child’s mouses, sheeps, etc, evidence of perfect application of
an internalized rule).
TRANSLATION. Translation is useful as practice in making sure that you know how to express ideas
in the language you’re learning and it can be helpful in clarifying misunderstandings. At the same
time, the limitations and dangers of translation should be borne in mind. Translation is an exercise
in finding expression equivalents, not word equivalents. Of course, there will be many cases in
which word-for-word substitution works just fine (I have a dog = Io ho un cane). But there are far
more cases in which it doesn’t work at all. I’m going home = Vado a casa. The word-for-word
equivalent of the English might be understood but it is no more Italian than I go to house is English.
In your early attempts to produce Italian, you will probably translate just about everything from
English. This is a natural first phase. You will probably never be rid of it completely but you will
find that as you progress, more and more will make itself available directly in Italian. By all means
take advantage of this and make efforts to reinforce it. When writing creatively, do not write first in
18
English and then attempt to translate into Italian: trying to equate the two will be frustrating. It is
more advisable to have a clear and simply-worded composition in basic Italian than an attempt at
complex and sophisticated translation. Additionally, if you make flash cards, don’t label in English.
Instead of labeling the object or idea in English, sketch the object and the Italian label or
expression. You may have to stretch your imagination a bit to draw some concepts but it can be
done.
CHUNKS. Not only is one language not a word-for-word translation of another but it is also the case
that people speak and write in utterances larger than just the word. Of course, you must know
equivalents of one-word utterances such as Sure., Wow!, Maybe., Why? and so on, and a
construction such as I have a ____ can allow an incalculable number of words to be inserted. But if
you are to use Italian effectively, you must be able to use more complex chains as well, ranging
from short bits such as equivalents of I don’t know., Great car!, We have two of ‘em. to much
longer utterances. Since it is more likely than not that word-for-word translation will not provide
the appropriate equivalent, you should keep an eye out for not just words but chunks, that is, chains
of words which are likely to be conventionalized and repeated over and over. Chunking can also be
very useful in studying. Again, if you make flash cards, try to include information beyond the level
of the individual word. The Italian term for summer, for example, estate, bears no hint of its gender,
which is necessary to know. Using the definite article with it, l’estate, doesn’t help; the article
would be l’ whether feminine or masculine. But if you include an adjective that must show
agreement, you can practice a meaningful utterance which reinforces acquisition of the gender:
l’estate italiana. You can expand verbs in this way (sketch a scene, put 1992 or 1994 to signal tense
other than present), embed adverbs in a meaningful chunk, and so on.
19
BENCHMARKS. At the end of
the semester, you should be at
Novice High proficiency level.
This chart shows what that
looks like. Check back every
so often over the course of the
semester to see what you can
do with the Italian language,
how well you can do them, and
where you need to improve.
20