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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "IT 101-9"
COURSE NAME: "Introductory Italian I"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2022
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Rosa Napoli
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: This course carries 3 semester hours of credit.
OFFICE HOURS: W 1030-1130 pm by appointment-

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.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course presents the first principles of Italian language, geography and culture in a student-centered learning environment.
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; Present tense of regular and irregular verbs; Presentation of the Past tense (Passato Prossimo); Agreement nouns / adjectives;

        Possessive adjectives (first 3 persons); Present  of reflexive verbs.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Comprehension

-          Listening:  students will be able to understand familiar words and basic sentences concerning themselves and familiar topics when people speak slowly and clearly.

-          Reading: students will be able to read short, simple texts, such as advertisements, menus, brief articles from magazines. They will be able to develop reading strategies to find specific, predictable information in texts and brief personal communications.

Production

-          Speaking: students will be able to use the target language with a basic level of conversational fluency on familiar topics. They will be able to ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on familiar topics.

-          Writing: students will be able to write short, simple messages dealing with everyday issues and to describe, in basic sentences, themselves, their friends and families, their immediate surroundings and their daily routines.

Cultural awareness

Students will be able to identify some characteristics of the target language culture(s) and distinguish between patterns and stereotypes. They will be able to note similarities and differences between target cultures and their own. They will be able to give examples of the relationship between language and culture.

Reflectivity

Students will be able to reflect, in English, on personal experiences while learning a new language and living in a different culture. They will work towards identifying their personal learning style. Particular emphasis will be placed on awareness and use of language learners’ strategies.

Numerical scale for grades:

A Excellent 94-100

A- 90-93

B+ 87-89

B Good 84-86

B- 80-83

C+ 77-79

 C Satisfactory 74-76

C- 70-73

D+ 67-69

D Poor but Passing 64-68

D- 60-63

F Failing Below 60 INC Incomplete P Passing (C or higher) NP Not Passing (C- or lower) W Withdrawal 

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
New Italian Espresso_Textbook_Beginner and pre-intermediate Updated edition Textbook+ebookGruppo ItaliaideaAlma edizioni978-88-61827240 Hard copy+ ebookHard Copy  
New Italian Espresso_Workbook_Beginner and pre-intermediate_UPDATED EDITION ebook interattivoGruppo ItaliaideaAlma edizioni978-88-61827301  Ebook  
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
MidtermThe midterm designed to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary covered, their reading comprehension skills and writing ability.25%
Final ExamThe final exam is designed to evaluate the student's knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary covered,their reading and listening comprehension, and the written ability. 25%
Oral activities and presentationsIn-class and on-Moodle oral activities and two (mid-term and final) presentations. Students are examined singularly and in pairs. The types of activities are: conversation between the two students or in small groups, monologues and role playing. Conversations, monologues and role playing are elicited by visual stimuli or questions from the instructor. 15%
Class participationStudents are expected to come prepared to class and participate in all activities. Active participation is crucial in class since the learning process requires considerable practice. Students must show interest through asking questions, responding to the professor or other students, overcome shyness and showing interest in what they are learning Students must try to use the Italian language in group or pair activities and follow class rules.It is mandatory for the students to have and use both the student’s book and the workbook in the format required. Students are expected to log into the Moodle platform at least once a week and complete all the required Moodle activities (forum, assignments, videos etc.). The activity completion and the login activity will be tracked by the platform.10%
Quizzes on MoodleThere will be 2 quizzes on Moodle designed to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary covered, reading and listening comprehension. The quizzes have a fixed time limit. 15%
HomeworkHomework must be done using the dedicated platforms (BlinkLearning and Moodle). 10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AExcellent command of the language consistent with the level of proficiency. Appropriate command of sentence structure, lexis, register and idiom
BGood command of the language, consistent with the level of proficiency. Competent manipulation of sentence structure, with some evidence of development and complexity; small occurrence of grammatical errors. Work will be broadly coherent and comprehensible, good manipulation of sentence structure; grammatical and other errors will not impede comprehension
CEvidence of the ability to control the language for the purpose of effective communication, consistent with the level of proficiency. Work will be comprehensible; sentence structure will be very simple and grammatical and other errors will be frequent but not as serious to impede comprehension
DLittle evidence of the ability to control the language for the purpose of making oneself understood. Little awareness of sentence structure and numerous grammatical and other errors
FNo evidence of the ability to control the language; failure to make oneself understood.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Students are expected to come prepared to class and participate in all activities. Active participation is crucial, since the learning process requires considerable practice. Regular attendance is an essential component of class participation.

Students are allowed three  absences. The final grade will be lowered by 2 points for each additional absence.
After you use all your absences you should fill the Petition to have an excused absence and   sent it to Associate Dean Harris. 
This  form for the Petition should only be completed if students have exhausted all absences allowed by the attendance policy . Until you have used all the allowed absences, you should NOT request an exemption from the attendance policy, regardless of the cause for the absence (no matter how dramatic or mundane—from a broken leg to a broken alarm clock). 

 A link to the form is placed in both the student and faculty sections of MyJCU and on the Registrar’s webpage.   

Make sure your travel plans do not interfere with the class schedule.
If you should miss a class, please contact another student to find out what was covered that day so that you will be prepared for the next class.

DURING CLASS, PLEASE DO NOT:

-arrive late or  leave the room as it is distracting to the professor and to your classmates;

- answer your cell phone, read or send text messages;

- use your computer for anything not related to the class (e.g. Instagram)

MAKE-UPS

If you miss an exam or an assignment The professor  decides  to have the weight of the missed exam shifted to another assessment or if is really necessary to organize a make up.


 

FLRC

The JCU Foreign Language Resource Center offers tutoring sessions free of charge. The FLRC is located at the Tiber Campus on the first floor. To schedule an appointment with a tutor (or a writing coach for upper-level courses), please use the online booking system.

How to get the most out of your tutoring session:

  • Come early in the semester. You will benefit more from tutoring if you come when you first begin having problems. 
  • Come prepared. Bring your textbook, notes, and review sheets with you. 
Attend classes regularly. Tutoring is designed to supplement class instruction, not to replace it. refer to the university catalog for the attendance and
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



COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS/VOCABULARY

GRAMMAR

CULTURE

Week 1

Lezione 1

Primi contatti

 

Introducing yourself.

Asking the country of origin.

The Italian Alphabet.

Pronunciation of soft and hard sounds. Numbers from 0 to 20.

Giving one’s phone number, asking someone to repeat something

Nationality adjectives

Greetings. Classroom objects.

Asking the meaning, pronunciation and spelling of a word
Present tense of the verbsEssere(to be),Chiamarsi(my name is....).

Saluti

Week 2

Lezione 2

Buon appetito!


Ordering in a café/restaurant

Asking in a polite way. Asking for the bill. Asking for price.

Food and beverage. Meals.

Plural and singular nouns.Interrogatives

Che cosa?,Quanto?.

Definite articles.Indefinite articles. Numbers from 20 to 100.

Ristornate,

Trattoria...

o?

Week 3

 

Lezione 3

Io e gli altri

 

Introducing someone.

Describing feelings and sensations.

.Idiomatic expressions with Avere or Essere.

Notizie

sull’Italia

 

Week 4

Lezione 3

Io e gli altri

 

Moodle Quiz 1

Talking about things that you own..

Asking someone’s age.
Introducing someone

Present of the verb To Have.


Week 5

Lezione 3

Io e gli altri

 

 

Describing people’s activities. Talking about professions. Telling dates.Speaking formally

 

Professions. Days of the week. Workplaces.

 

Verbs in –ARE

Verb Fare

Peculiarities of nouns

Simple prepositions

Numbers from 100 onwards

Formal and informal

 

Il lavoro in Italia

Week 6

Lezione 4

Tempo libero

 

 

Talking about free time. Talking about how often one does something. Talking about people’s interests. Expressing preferences

Talking about people’s interests. Expressing preferences.

Present tense of regular verbs

Adverbs of frequency. Interrogatives.

Present tense of irregular verbs.

The verb piacere

I luoghi più visitati d’Italia..

Week 7

Lezione 4 cont.

MIDTERM EXAM IN CLASS

 

Midterm review

MIDTERM EXAM

 

.

 

Week 8

 

Lezione 5

In giro per l’Italia

ORAL PRESENTATION   1

 

Describing a city. Submitting a questionnaire. Asking and telling time.

 

 

Present tense of irregular verbs

 

Week 9

 

Lezione 5

In giro per l’Italia

 

 

Following and giving directions.

 

Italy’s cities and monuments. Street directions.Shops and stores.

 

 

 

Prepositions a, in.

C’è, ci sono. Adjectives. Noun-adjective agreement.

Video

Una strada molti nomi.


Week 10

Lezione 6

In albergo

 

 

Understanding hotel brochures

Describing one’s favorite hotel. Describing a room. Asking for information on accommodation. Talking about one’s holiday activities.

Months and seasons.

 

Present tense of modal verbs.

Adverbs: bene and male. Asking for and giving timetable information, talking about one’s holiday activities.

Mancia e scontrino, come funziona?

Week 11

Lezione 8

Vita

Quotidiana

 

 

 

Describing a typical day

Describing your daily routine


Present tense of

reflexive verbs

Position of reflexive

Cosa regalano gli italiani.

 

 

I gesti italiani

Week 12

Lezione 8

MOODLE QUIZ 2

Describing your daily routine


Everyday actions

. Possessive adjective+nouns

(mio,tuo,suo)

 

Week 13

Lezione 7

Un finesettimana

Talking about past actions. Understanding descriptions of past events.Specifying when a past event took place

Time expressions.

Introduction of the Past tense Passato prossimo .Forms and agreement of past participle.

Dove Andiamo in vacanza?

Week 14

ORAL PRESENTATION 2

Final Review


 

Final Examination