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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "IT 202-1"
COURSE NAME: "Intermediate Italian II"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Federica Capoferri
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Placement into IT 202 through the JCU placement test, or IT 201 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
A continuation of IT 201. While continuing the review of grammar, the course emphasizes the development of reading and composition skills. Short stories, newspaper articles, and films supplement the textbook.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course concentrates on consolidating specific communicative tasks, including stating opinions and constructing hypotheses, in both speaking and writing. Specialized vocabulary is expanded and appropriate variables in register are introduced in expository writing and conversation. Please note that students who enroll in this level are supposed to have a solid knowledge of the topics covered in the previous levels. A PLACEMENT TEST will be held the first day of class. Students with gaps from previous levels are responsibile to work on them. FLRC can provide help, as well as digital resources provided by the Instructors.
The course is designed to review and study in depth the following grammar items:
  • Subjunctive mode: present, past, imperfect, and trapassato: Indicative Vs. Subjunctive
  • Passato Remoto
  • Formal Imperative
  • Past and present Conditional
  • If clause (periodo ipotetico)
  • Passive voice, impersonal forms, and Si passivante
  • Relative pronouns
  • Gerundio and Infinitive
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

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

-Understand written and spoken Italian at the upper intermediate level

-Participate in complex conversations on a variety of topics, using finite moods (indicative, subjunctive, conditional, and imperative) in present, past and future tense. 

-Ask for and obtain information in a variety of settings.

-Express opinions, feelings, needs, approval and disapproval

-Comprehend the general meaning and details of upper-intermediate level texts

-Produce written texts on a variety of topics.

-Express possibility and impossibility

-Make conjectures.

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
Spazio Italia. Corso di italiano per stranieri. Manuale. Con eserciziario. Con DVD-ROM. Vol. 4Maria Gloria Tommasin- F.M DiacoLoescher9788820133511   Feltrinelli- Largo Argentina 
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Oral presentation5 minutes presentation (without reading) on a topic previously approved by the Instructor. You are welcome to use visual support such as power points but you are required to talk without reading. NO late assignments will be accepted. 10 %
Class Participation and AttendanceStudents are supposed to actively participate to in-class activities and to come to class with all the homework done. Students are allowed 3 absences. Any additional absences will result in a 0 for this portion of your grade. Students are not allowed to use cell phone and computer in class unless differently instructed by the professor. If you disregard this rule, you will receive 0 in this poriton of your assessment. .10%
Midterm ExamDivided in 4 parts: Listening; Grammar and Vocabulary in context; Reading Comprehension; Composition. Please note that if you miss (with the Dean's Permission) the midterm, its percentage will be moves on your Final Exam (that will work for 45 % of your final grade) 20%
2 in-class tests Grammar and vocabulary; listening; reading comprehension; composition. NO MAKE-UP 15%
Final examFinal exam is divided in 4 parts: Listening, Grammar and Vocabulary in context, Reading comprehension, and Composition. A 10 minutes individual oral exam during the last week of courses will be also scheduled. 25%
   
   
in-class compositiona 100-words composition on a given topic5
Homework Home assignments must be submitted on Moodle. BY THE DUE DATE. More than 3 assignments not submitted or submitted after the deadline will result in a 0 for this portion of your grade. 10%
   
Progression Take time to look at your mistakes. and try to incorporate the correct rule. PROGRESSION is a fundamental step for language classes: if you keep repeating the same mistakes, no progression is done. PLEASE NOTE THAT STUDENTS ENCOURAGED TO GO TO THE FLRC-TUTORING CENTER ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS.5%

-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.
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
 

Please note that the instructor can make changes to the schedule

 

February 6 (Fri) Make-up day for Monday, April 6

March 9-13 (Mon-Fri) Spring Break

March 23 (Mon) Last day to withdraw from a class

April 6 (Mon) Holiday (Make-up day: Friday, February 6)

 

WEEK 1

Unit 1: “Ho viaggiato da Nord a Sud”.

Grammar: Review: Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto.

Communicative Skills: Talks about geographical places, trips, relationships between places and people.

Cultural contents:  Italian regions, cities, local and global cultures.

 

WEEK 2

Unit 2: "Torino fu la prima capitale d'Italia"

Grammar: Introduction to passato remoto.

Communicative Skills: talk about Modern Italian History

 

WEEK 3

Unit 3: “Il Parlamento è eletto da tutti I cittadini”.

Grammar: Passive form.

 Communicative Skills: talk about Italian politics and governmental structure; make comparison with other national political structures.

Cultural Contents: Introduction to the Italian Constitution

 

WEEK  4

Unit 3. Continue.

Grammar: Passive form with VENIRE E AVERE; passive SI vs. impersonal SI; Indefinitive adjectives (selection).

Communicative skills: talk about Italian private and public life; talk about Italian politics and bureaucracy.

Cultural Contents: Italian Republic system; Italian President; Italian Constitution

 

WEEK 5

Unit 4: “È importante impegnarsi affinché le cose vadano meglio”

Grammar: Present subjunctive.

Communicative Skills: talk about Italian job market and entrepreneurship; express opinions on different working environments; talk about Italian manufacture tradition.

Cultural contents: Made in Italy.

 

WEEK 6

Monday: Test 1. NO MAKE UP

Unit 4. Continue

Grammar: Past subjunctive; subjunctive moods in subordinate clauses.

Communicative skills: prepare a job interview.

Cultural contents: Italian job market.

 

WEEK 7

Review for Midterm

Midterm Exam

 

WEEK 8

Unit 5 “Credevo che fosse agli Uffizi”.

Grammar: Imperfect Subjunctive.

Comunicative Skills: describe art works; talk about your relationship with fine arts.

Cultural contents: Italian cultural and artistic heritage.

 

WEEK 9

Unit 6: “Avrei fatto volentieri lo scrittore!”

Grammar: Past Participle; Simple and Past Infinitive.

Communicative skills: talk about writers and literary works; express ideas and comments on Italian literature.

Cultural contents: introduction to the history of Italian language; literature in the era of digital devices.

 

WEEK 10

Monday: In-class composition (30 minutes). NO MAKE UP

Unit 6. Continue.

Grammar: Simple and Past conditional

 

WEEK 11

Unit 6. Continue;

Grammar: Present and Past Gerundive.

 Communicative skills: talk literary tests, authors, personal ideas on literature.

Cultural contents: Italian literary tradition.

 

WEEK 12

Facciamo il punto! Practice on concordanza dei tempi a congiuntivo.

Wed: Test 2. NO MAKE UP

 

WEEK 13

Unit 7. "Se potessi andrei ogni sera a un concerto".

Grammar: Hypothetical tenses.

Communicative skills: organize concerts, interview singers and composers.

 Cultural contents: Italian opera; Italian classic and pop music.

Oral Presentations

 

WEEK 14

Oral Presentations

Unit 7. Conclusions.

Review for Final