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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "IT 101-1"
COURSE NAME: "Introductory Italian I (Summer: This course carries three semester hours of credit.)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session II 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Elisa Marani
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MTWTH 4:00 PM 5:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed to give students basic communicative ability in Italian. By presenting the language in a variety of authentic contexts, the course also seeks to provide an introduction to Italian culture and society. Students work on all four language skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Note: This course carries 4 semester hours of credit during the Fall and Spring terms, 3 hours in Summer.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Upon completing this course, students will possess the ability to:

  • Satisfy a limited number of immediate needs. 
  • Understand and convey some spoken Italian through the knowledge and usage of familiar and memorized structures, on the most common features of daily life that require the interchange of simple and direct information.
  • Understand the general meaning of oral announcements and brief texts on familiar subjects with simple morphology and lexicon.
  • Produce one-paragraph texts with limited formulaic information by using elementary functions
Students will study in depth the following grammar points:
        Definite and indefinite articles; Agreement nouns / adjectives; Present tense of regular and irregular verbs; Past tense (Passato prossimo);   
        Possessive adjectives; Present and past tense of reflexive verbs; Simple and combined w/articles prepositions.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Listening

  • In-class listening activities: Students will listen to the instructor and to recorded texts the duration of which will be at least 250 words. Students will have to answer (orally and in writing) an increasing number of questions that test their comprehension of what they have heard.

Speaking

  • In-class oral activities and exams: Students will be examined singularly and in pairs. The type of tests will be: conversation between two students, monologues, role playing. The multiplicity of situations and the request to express personal opinions will increase from elementary level to advanced level. Conversations, monologues and role playing will be elicited by visual stimuli, texts, or questions from the instructor.

Reading

  • In-class activities and exams: Students will have to read an increasing number of texts of increasing length, complexity and of different genres. They will have to answer in writing several questions that test their comprehension of what they have read.

Writing

Homework assignments and exams: Students will have to answer written questions and produce written texts of increasing length, formality and complexity on topics of every day life.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Spazio Italia livello A1Tommasini - DiacoLoescher 9788820133481     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
2 Oral Presentations  25 %
Final Exam 25 %
2 Tests 25 %
Homework, Active participation and absences  25 %

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

Letter grades and corresponding percentages for this class: 

94 – 100 points = A

90 – 93.99 pts = A-

87 – 89.99 = B+

83 – 86.99 = B

80 – 82.99 = B-

77 – 79.99 = C+

70 – 76.99 = C

60 – 69.99 = D

59.99 – 0 = F
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

Please note that the schedule is subject to change at the professor’s discretion

WEEK 1    July 3 – July 6  (Friday Make-up day for Tuesday, July 4)



Chapter 1 - Introducing yourself - Present tense of  the verbs Essere (to be), Chiamarsi (my name is....), Stare (to be - to stay), Abitare (to live), and Studiare (to study) - The Italian Alphabet - Pronunciation of soft and hard sounds - Numbers from 0 to 20.               



Chapter 2 - Singular feminine and masculine nouns ending in -a -o -e - Singular definite articles - Indefinite articles - Adjectives ending in  a - o - e  and agreement with nouns -  Restaurant Vocabulary - Numbers from 20 to 1000 - Singular and plural personal pronouns - Present tense of Avere ( to have) - Idiomatic expressions with Avere - Dates, days of the week, and months - Vocabulary for a coffee shop.

Chapter 3 - Plural definite articles, nouns, and adjectives - Present tense of Essere (to be) - Directions vocabulary



WEEK 2    July  10 – July 12  



Test 1 review

                                 TEST 1: July 11

Chapter 3 - Description of people - Present tense of Piacere (to like) in  I and You forms - Infinitive of the most important verbs.



Chapter 4 - Present tense of regular verbs ending in -ARE - Introduction to the 3 conjugations - Food shopping vocabulary - How much is it? - The present tense of the verb Andare (to go) - Vocabulary for the 3 meals.      


WEEK  3    July  17 – July 20  (Friday Make-up  day for Thursday 13)  



Chapter 5 - Vocabulary to describe an apartment - Vocabulary to describe a town - There is and there are (C'è - ci sono) - The Present Tense of the 3 regular conjugations -  Time adverbs.     



Chapter 6 - Present tense of verbs in -ISC (pulire / to clean; finire / to finish; preferire / to prefer; capire / to understand) - Vocabulary to interact at the university - What time is it? - Present tense of Fare (to do, to make) - Idiomatic expressions with Fare - Review of regular and irregular verbs.      



WEEK 4      July 24 – July 27  



           ORAL PRESENTATION 1: July 25 



Chapter 7 - Vocabulary to talk about family members- Possessive adjectives - Vocabulary for shopping - Colors - Clothes - Vocabulary for a clothing store - Intro to direct pronouns - Difference between Conoscere and Sapere ( to know).  

 

Chapter 8 - Vocabulary for making plans on the phone - Present tense of Dovere, Potere, and Volere (must, can, and to want) - Vocabulary for house works - The seasons - Present tense of the irregular verbs Uscire (to go out) and Venire (to come) - Simple and combined prepositions



WEEK 5    July 31- August 4 

                                TEST 2: July 27



Chapter 9 - Vocabulary for talking about the week-end - Past tense (Passato prossimo) - Past tense time adverbs.      



Chapter 10 - Vocabulary for talking about daily activities - Present tense of reflexive verbs. 





ORAL PRESENTATION 2: August 2



Final review



                                                                                  

 

                           FINAL EXAM: August 4