Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "IT 103"
COURSE NAME: "Intensive Italian I"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Franceschi
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MTWTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 6
PREREQUISITES: This course, which is the equivalent of IT 101 + IT 102, carries 6 semester hours of credit.
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course meets four times per week and covers the equivalent of a full year of elementary language study (Introductory Italian I and II) in one semester. Designed for highly motivated students who wish to develop communicative ability in Italian in a relatively short time. This course cannot be taken by students who have already completed IT 101 and/or IT 102.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

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

- understand written and spoken Italian, through the knowledge of simple structures. Situations will be varied, but general and such as to require an interchange of every day information and routine tasks.

- participate in simple, direct conversations on generally predictable topics related to daily activities and personal environment.

- satisfy simple personal needs and social demands to survive in the target language culture

- comprehend the general meaning and some details of texts on familiar topics

- produce brief texts on topics of personal interests and social needs, primarily in the present, past, and imperative.

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 Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
New Italian Espresso_Textbook_Beginner and pre-intermediate Updated edition Textbook	Gruppo Italiaidea	Alma Edizioni	9788861827240			Hard Copy
New Italian Espresso Textbook beginner workbook	Gruppo Italiaidea	Alma Edizioni	9788861827288			Hard Copy

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
6 Tests	The six tests are designed to evaluate the student's knowledge of grammar, vocabulary covered, reading and listening comprehension, and written ability.	35%
Class participation and Homework	Students are expected to come prepared to class and participate in all activities. Active participation is crucial since the learning process requires considerable practice.	20%
Oral proficiency	In-class oral activities and 2 oral presentations. Students are examined singularly, in pairs, and small groups. The types of tests are conversations between the two students or small groups, monologues, and role-playing. Conversations, monologues, and role-playing are elicited by visual stimuli or questions from the instructor.	20%
Final exam	The final exam evaluates the student's knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension, and writing ability.	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:

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 December 12

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

September 1, 2, 3, 4

First Class

Competencies: Introducing yourself and a friend.

Grammar: Present tense. Alphabet. Pronunciation. Numbers from 0 to 20.

Vocabulary: Idiomatic expressions with Avere or Essere.

UNIT 1 Primi contatti

Competencies: Introducing a person (formal and informal). Greeting people. Asking about pronunciation and spelling. Asking and giving phone number.

Grammar: First conjugation verbs. Preposition di, in.

Vocabulary: Greetings. Classroom objects. Adjectives of nationalities.

Culture: Saluti.

Week 2

September 8, 9, 10, 11

UNIT 2 Buon appetito!

Competencies: Ordering in a café and in a restaurant. Asking in a polite way. Asking for the bill. Asking for price.

Grammar: Plural and singular nouns. Interrogatives che cosa?,quanto?. Definite articles. Indefinite articles. Numbers from 20 to 100.

Vocabulary: Food and beverage. Meals.

Culture: Gelato che passione!

UNIT 3 Io e gli altri

Competencies: Introducing someone. Describing people’s activities. Asking for age and profession. Telling dates.

Grammar: Singular forms of present tense. Prepositions in, a, per. Formal.

Vocabulary: Professions. Days of the week. Workplaces.

Culture: Donne e lavoro in Italia.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 TEST 1

Week 3

September 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

UNIT 3 cont.

UNIT 4 Tempo libero

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

Grammar: Plural persons of present tense. Adverbs of frequency. Interrogatives. Present tense of irregular verbs.

Vocabulary: Leisure activities. Parts of the day. Expressions with the verb avere.

Culture: Ristorante, trattoria o….?.

Week 4

September 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

UNIT 4 cont.

UNIT 5 In giro per l’Italia

Competencies: Describing a city. Following and giving directions. Asking and telling time.

Grammar: Present tense of irregular verbs. Prepositions a, in. C’è, ci sono. Adjectives. Noun-adjective agreement.

Vocabulary: Italy cities and monuments. Street directions. Shops and stores.

Culture: Quanta Italia c’è in te?

SEPTEMBER 25 TEST 2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 MAKE UP DAY FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Week 5

Sept. 29, 30, October 1, 2

UNIT 5 cont.

UNIT 6 In albergo

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

Grammar: Present tense of modal verbs. Preposition a + time. Compound prepositions.

Vocabulary: Hotel room types and features. Time expressions. Home furniture and features. Months and seasons. Leisure activities.

Culture: Mancia e scontrino, come funziona?

Week 6

October 6, 7, 8, 9

UNIT 6 cont.

OCTOBER 9 TEST 3

Week 7

October 13, 14, 15, 16

UNIT 7 Un fine settimana

Competencies: Describing a perfect weekend. Talking about past actions. Understanding descriptions of past events. Specifying when a past event took place.

Grammar: Past tense passato prossimo. Forms and agreement of past participle. Irregular past participle. Ci vuole, ci vogliono.

Vocabulary: Weather conditions. Time expressions.

Culture: Dove Andiamo in vacanza?

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 ORAL PRESENTATION 1

Week 8

October 20, 21, 22, 23

UNIT 7 cont.

OCTOBER 23 TEST 4

Week 9

October 27, 28, 29, 30

UNIT 8 Vita quotidiana

Competencies: Describing one’s work habits. Describing and asking about someone’s daily routine. Congratulating someone on special occasions and holidays. Saying the date.

Grammar: finire di, cominciare a. Prepositions da, a. Present tense of reflexive verbs. Possessive adjectives mio, tuo.

Vocabulary: Everyday actions. Congratulations and wishes.

Culture: Cosa regalano gli italiani.

Week 10

November 3, 4, 5, 6

UNIT 9 La famiglia

Competencies: Describing a family tree. Talking and writing about family. Talking about past events.

Grammar: Possessive adjectives. Past tense (passato prossimo) of reflexive verbs.

Vocabulary: Family relationships

Culture: I gesti italiani.

NOVENBER 6 TEST 5

Week 11

November 10, 11, 12, 13

UNIT 10 Sapori d’Italia

Competencies: Talking about one’s eating habits. Writing a shopping list. Talking about typical Italian recipes. Doing grocery shopping. Indicating quantities.

Grammar: Direct pronouns.

Vocabulary: Food and dishes. Measurement units. Food packaging.

Culture: L’Italia nel piatto

Week 12

November 17, 18, 19, 20

UNIT 11 Fare acquisti

Competencies: Talking and asking about events in the future. Shopping for clothes and shoes. Making a polite request.

Grammar: Future tense. Direct and indirect pronouns. Piacere + indirect pronoun. Present conditional.

Vocabulary: Colors. Clothing. Clothing and shoes sizes.

Culture: La moda italiana.

NOVEMBER 20 TEST 6

Week 13

November 24, 25, 26

UNIT 12 Il mondo che cambia

Competencies: Talking about technology and your relationship with it. Recalling events that have been repeated several times in the past. Talking about your younger days.

Grammar: Past tense imperfetto. Passato prossimo vs imperfetto. Agreement between direct pronouns and past participles.

Vocabulary: Technology. Travels.

Culture: La storia dell’Italia moderna in sei oggetti.

Week 14

December 1, 2, 3, 4

UNIT 12 cont.

December 3 Oral presentation 2

December 4 Final Review

December 9-12 Final Examination