I Week
Presentation of the course: Pre-requisites and objectives. Diagnostic level test. Brief written class composition.
Feedback on composition with comments on grammar and syntax.
II Week
Main characteristics of the narrative texts: the narrator and characters, point of view, dynamic and static sequences.
Reading: Gabriele Romagnoli, L’altra.
III week
Discussion about the text: Gabriele Romagnoli, L’altra.
Textual analysis: the first person narrator.
Grammar: past tense agreement; the condizionale semplice and passato.
Reading: Elsa Morante, La giornata.
IV week
Discussion about the text: Elsa Morante, La giornata
Grammar: The passato remoto. The difference between passato remoto and passato prossimo.
Textual analysis: the third person narrator. Uses of figurative language: similes and metaphors.
First written composition
V Week
Vague vs. specific lexis. The importance of dictionaries.
Polysemy with in class exercises.
Reading: Stefano Benni Il verme disicio
VI week
Discussion about the text: Stefano Benni, Il verme disicio
Grammar: revision of the Congiuntivo.
Textual analysis: a modern fable.
VII Week
Revision
Test I
Reading: Antonio Tabucchi, Il gatto dello Cheshire
VIII Week
Discussion about the text: Antonio Tabucchi, Il gatto dello Cheshire
Grammar: the congiuntivo imperfetto e trapassato.
Textual analysis: Points of view
IX Week
Il gatto dello Cheshire (cont.)
Reading: Francesco Piccolo, Non parti mai d’estate
X sett.
Discussion about the text: Francesco Piccolo, Non parti mai d’estate
Grammar: the Periodo ipotetico, Futuro semplice e futuro anteriore.
XI week
Non parti mai d’estate (cont.)
Textual analysis: neo standard Italian, parataxis, and the one-word sentence.
Descriptive styles.
Reading: Leonardo Sciascia, Il lungo viaggio
Second written composition
XII week
Discussion about the text: Leonardo Sciascia, Il lungo viaggio
Grammar and textual analysis: indirect speech and free indirect speech.
XIII week
Il lungo viaggio (cont.)
Revision
Test II
XIV week
Oral presentations
Revision