ITALIAN 131 aims to develop communicative proficiency of the target language and culture by improving upon the five skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and cultural competency in the interpretative, interpersonal, and presentational modes. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to express themselves at an intermediate mid/high level as defined by the ACTFL Guidelines and:

  • Comprehend spoken and written language with sufficient ability to grasp main ideas and some supporting details in short conversations that relate to daily life and represent authentic situations, as well as in selections of authentic texts that touch upon a variety of topics.

  • Communicate successfully in both oral and written contexts, narrating in both the present and past tenses by having short conversations about a variety of personal topics and physical and social needs, as well as developing more structured sentences and paragraphs that are able to meet a number of practical writing needs.

  • Compare similarities and differences with regard to products and practices of the target culture and their own, while demonstrating a cultural awareness and understanding when they communicate.

Departmental Goal I: General Linguistic Proficiency: Communicative and Intercultural Competence.

Grade distribution: Midterm 20%; Final Exam 20%; Tests 20% (there will be 4 out of which the lowest score will be dropped); Oral proficiency 10%; Homework, compositions, and language lab assignments 15%; Class participation 15%.

Required Texts: Elissa Tognozzi, Giuseppe Cavatorta, Ponti. Italiano terzo millennio, Heinle, Cengage Learning, 2009

Tognozzi, Cavatorta, Minardi, Workbook/Lab Manual, Heinle, Cengage Learning, 2009

ISBN: 9780618480036.