The University of British Columbia, Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies
ITALIAN 101: Grammar, Reading, and Oral Practice for Beginners
Autunno 2016 • Sezione 106
instructor: Arianna Dagnino, PhD
Telephone: (604) 822 -5797
e-mail: arianna.dagnino@ubc.ca
office: Buchanan Tower, Room 708
meeting times: su appuntamento (by appointment)
Course Coordinator
Dr. Carlo Testa, carlo.testa@ubc.ca
Required Material
- Italiano-I. Marchegiani, Percorsi, Prentice Hall, 2009
- MyItalianLab, OnLine Learning Centre (https://mylabs.px.pearsoned.com);
Access Code: CRSKL1I-474375
Description
Acquire basic communicative and grammar skills in Italian, gain insight into different aspects of Italian culture, and learn to love la bella lingua (the beautiful language)! Within a few weeks, students will be able to understand instructions in Italian, read short dialogues, and express thoughts orally and in writing on a range of topics. To achieve this goal, your instructor will use Italian as the language of instruction from day 1. This class is highly participatory, and you will be asked to do many activities and exercises in pairs and in groups. Willingness to interact in Italian is crucial. All efforts will be rewarded!
Attenzione!! This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Italian and attendance is a requirement. Students who have some knowledge of Italian must consult the adviser (please contact Dr. Carlo Testa, carlo.testa@ubc.ca).
Attenzione!! Students who have not attended the class will not be admitted to the final exam.
Course Format
Once again, ITAL 101 is a highly participatory class and students will be expected to attend class regularly, come prepared, and participate actively in all class activities. Students’ learning success will be determined by the frequency and quality of their work inside and outside the classroom. Learning a language requires sustained engagement with the material to be learned. Italian 101 emphasizes the responsibility of students for their own learning, therefore you will be expected to work on your Italian after every class.
Objectives
To develop the ability to understand, speak, read and write Italian at a basic level, corresponding to an A1 level as described in the European common language portfolio
- To offer insights into the culture, history and daily life of Italy
- To provide an understanding of basic Italian grammar
- To encourage positive attitudes to language learning and an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference
- To provide a solid foundation for progression to ITAL 102, as well as for other Italian modules offered at UBC and for study abroad programs
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand basic texts and conversations in Italian
- Speak and write in Italian about topics such as family, friends, interests, daily life, personal opinions and taste
- Ask and answer questions in Italian
- Apply a variety of learning strategies to succeed in language learning
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to apply a variety of learning strategies to succeed in language learning and progress to Italian 102.
Attenzione! Italian 102 is the second part of the elementary Italian course. It is highly recommended to all students of Italian 101. Many learning strategies and survival language skills will be taught at this level.
Be sure to read about the opportunity to access the Italian minor program: http://fhis.ubc.ca/undergraduate-italian-program/minor-in-italian/
The Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies offers several prizes and scholarships for students minoring in Italian or for those of Italian descent: http://fhis.ubc.ca/undergraduate-prizes-and-scholarships/
Take advantage of our Study abroad opportunities in Italy: http://fhis.ubc.ca/undergraduate-italian-program/study-abroad-italian/
Please contact Dr. Carlo Testa (carlo.testa@ubc.ca) or your instructor to discuss these opportunities.
Evaluation of Grades
20% In-class participation, frequency, quizzes, preparation and completion of assignments; Oral Practice (final video, skit or one-on-one oral exam)
10% Homework on “My Italian Lab” (- 2% if incomplete)
10% In-class writing assignments (Compositions/Esercizi di scrittura)
30% MidtermTests (2)
30% Final Exam
Bonus Points
You can receive 1 bonus point on your final grade for each film you will see at the Italian cineclub (at FHIS; calendar to be announced) and on which you present a short comment/review (for a maximum of 3 bonus points). You can receive another 3 bonus points if you attend the Writing Centre (calendar to be announced) on a regular basis (at least six sessions).
Homework
Language acquisition requires frequent exposure to the language you are studying. MyItalianLab (the companion website of our textbook) offers numerous opportunities to practice Italian through listening, reading and grammar exercises. You will have assigned homework for each day of class.
To get started with “My Italian Lab,” you will receive an access code with your new textbook. If you buy a used textbook, you can buy the online component at:
www.myitalianlab.com. Your Section ID# is CRSKL1I-474375
Make sure that:
1) you are using Explorer as your browser (not Firefox)
2) you run the “Browser Tuneup” on the main opening page of
MyItalianLab to ensure you have all the correct plug-ins loaded on
your computer
3) you have allowed pop-ups from this site (if a popup blocker is on,
select “Always Allow Pop-ups from this Site”)
4) If you hover your mouse over an activity, a grey drop-down arrow appears to
the right. Click on the arrow and select “Open”. You shouldn’t really need to do
this but depending on the settings on your computer you may need to.
If you have tried all of the above and still have no success, click the Support
tab on the homepage for email and chat support 24 hours a day
Quizzes/Activities
There will be a number of short in-class quizzes and activities on the material covered in class.
Midterm Tests
There will be two in-class midterm tests, 50 minutes long: Test 1 on the first two chapters and Test 2 on chapters 3 and 4 of our textbook, in order to check up on comprehension of course material mid-way through the term. The tests will feature short essay topics, listening and reading comprehension, grammar, and questions on vocabulary and Italian culture previously discussed in class or assigned as homework. The grammar questions may include short-answer, multiple-choice, matching questions or questions of the “fill in the blank” variety. There will be a section on listening comprehension.
Esercizi di Scrittura (Compositions)
| You will be asked to produce 5 writing exercises (one per chapter), IN CLASS. For each in-class assignment, on the day of the assignment you will be given a topic to develop according to the themes and vocabulary covered in class and presented in your textbook. Topics can range from “Mi Presento” (or “My Portrait”) to a short “Email message.” |
To prepare for this exercise, you will be encouraged to review the appropriate vocabulary and grammar at home. In class, you will have 15/20 minutes to write your composition. I will return it the following class after having underlined any mistakes you might have made. I will not explain your mistakes: you will have to discover their nature by consulting the textbook and by working with other students in class. In this way, you will also have the opportunity to revise and expand the first draft of your composition. The final grade for each composition will result from the grade-point average between the two drafts. Note that there is no make-up for missed in-class writing exercises.
Grading criteria:
- Content and Quantity of Information: Does the draft provide adequate and sufficient information in relation to the writing question? 30%
- Relevance: Does the composition follow the instructions? (e.g., if the instructions say “use the verb ESSERE twice”, did the student do so in the composition? Is the use of the verb correct?) 10%
- Vocabulary: Is the vocabulary used appropriate? Does it show accurate and effective choices of vocabulary, including the vocabulary learned in the relevant chapter? 20%
- Quality of information or Appropriate use of Grammar: Is the composition well conceived and edited? Are grammar structures properly used? 20%
- Spelling: Are all words properly spelled? 10%
Attenzione! Negative points will be assigned if the composition is not long enough, or if it provides inadequate to barely adequate information.
Attenzione! You may NOT consult the textbook when writing your first draft of the compositions in class. You are encouraged to consult the textbook and other students when writing the second draft of your composition. Please use the vocabulary in the textbook or consult www.wordreference.com for single words. For your second draft, Google Translate or another translation tool may be used only to translate single words, not entire sentences.
Oral Presentation (or, alternatively, one-on-one oral exam)
Three-minute-video or skit: “Talk about a particular aspect of Italian culture.”
For their oral presentation students (in pairs, in groups of 3 or individually) are asked to prepare a small presentation or a short recorded video (you can use your smart phone but then you need to download the video on a USB or make it available online), a live skit or a dramatized dialogue, during which they will introduce to their classmates a particular aspect of Italian culture or a topic related to Italian culture (they may work on cultural stereotypes, explain a specific socio-cultural trait, draw upon Italian books, movies, comics, or any other Italian cultural/artistic expressions). This presentation must be 3 to 9 minutes long (depending on the number of people involved) and must demonstrate that students are able to convey information in Italian without reading and in such a way that their classmates are able to understand and benefit from it. Use short sentences and keep it as simple as possible! Keep in mind that your classmates will not understand the words that you had to look up. Make sure you use adequate support material (drawings, pictures, miming, etc.) for words crucial to the understanding of your presentation, and use words and grammar structures studied in class. Creativity, imagination, irony and comedy are welcome!
The students in class will then be asked to ask questions about what they have seen/heard (this is also part of the marking system for all students).
The grade for this assignment will be assigned taking the following criteria into consideration:
1) Are students able to use actively the vocabulary studied in class on the topic assigned? 25%
2) Presentation skills: are students able to present without reading? 20%
3) Quality of information: was the grammar correct, the vocabulary appropriate? 25%
4) Comprehensibility: was this information conveyed in such a way that both the instructor and the class were able to understand it? 20%
5) Time management: were students able to deliver their presentation in 2 to 6 minutes (depending on the number of people involved)? 5%
6) Interaction: was the presentation dynamic? Did it engage the rest of the class through activities, questions, quizzes, etc? 5%
Final Exam
It will be a two and a half hours examination administered during the exam period (TBA). It will be formatted similarly to the midterm and will include listening and comprehension; vocabulary and grammar; listening and reading comprehension; and composition. When marking the short essay (composition) I will consider grammatical accuracy, organization and correct use of vocabulary.
Academic Integrity
Please note that NO form of plagiarism will be accepted. All written work must be in your own words and syntax.
Regole d’Oro (golden Rules)
It is essential that we all contribute to make our classes a safe and enjoyable environment, where we can practice, ask questions, learn, and make mistakes. Please remember that:
- Attendance is important! Class time is your primary opportunity for practicing the language. Attend even if you think you are not well prepared.
- This is a highly participatory class: I will frequently ask you to work in groups with two or more people.
- In class we ‘almost’ always speak in Italian.
- I will ask you to change seat on a regular basis.
- Study the assigned grammar at home: class time is used mostly for revision, practice, and for talking about and learning Italian cultural aspects.
- Learning a language requires the continuous use of few important strategies:
- a. read out loud the vocabulary and exercises I assign: the language will soon feel more familiar to you;
- b. do the homework on a regular basis: 30-minutes per day work much better than, let’s say, 5 consecutive hours once a week;
- repeat, repeat, repeat!
How to Study
Research on best practices in language learning shows that working with a foreign language every day for 30/60 minutes is far more effective and easy than working intensely for several hours right before a test. Other tips include practicing the language actively and reading aloud, doing homework conscientiously, coming regularly to class to maximize exposure to the language. and realizing that you will not understand everything at first and will be making lots of mistakes!
You are expected to study the assigned grammar and vocabulary prior to coming to class. Grammar in class will be covered briefly to help you infer the rule and/or clarify concepts already studied by you, on your own.
| Semestre autunnale — Tentative Schedule |
Note that the schedule below can be subject to changes should I consider necessary to spend additional time on one or more linguistic, communicative or cultural topics.
| Settimana | Contenuti/Obiettivi | Compiti/Esami/ecc. |
| Mercoledì 7 settembre | Introduzione al corso: Syllabus, organizzazione corso, informazioni generali e Capitolo Preliminare: Alfabeto, Regole di pronuncia e Espressioni Utili | MyItalianLab (MIY), Student Activity Manual (SAM) Capitolo Preliminare, esercizi da 1 a 15 |
| Venerdì 9 | Capitolo Preliminare: Regole di pronuncia, l’Italia | SAM (MIY)Cap. Prel., es. da 16 a 27 (eccetto es. 26); (MIY) Readiness Check (RC) Cap1.; TextBook (TB) ex. 1.1, 1.7 |
| Lunedì 12 | Capitolo 1: Come va ragazzi? Presentarsi, Pronomi,
pp. 12-17 |
SAM (MIY), Cap.1, completare entro mercoledì 21 (eccetto 1.32, 1.35, 1.37, 1.39-42); TB ex. 1.11, 20, 21 |
| Mercoledi 14 | Capitolo 1: Come stai? Che giorno è? verbo Stare e Data, pp. 18-24 | SAM (MIY), Cap1; TB ex. 1.30, 32, 34, 37 |
| Venerdì 16 | Capitolo 1: Di dove sei? Informazioni Personali, verbo Essere, pp. 25-29 | SAM (MIY), Cap1; TB ex. 1.51-53 |
| Lunedì 19 | Capitolo 1: Leggiamo, Pratica, Cultura, pp. 30-36 | Finire SAM (MIY), Cap1; TB 1.55 |
| Mercoledì 21 | Capitolo 1: Rivediamo, Ascoltiamo e Parliamo | TB ex. 1.58-59; Rivedere vocabolario Cap1 per prep. esercizio scrittura |
| Venerdì 23 | Capitolo 1: Scriviamo in classe (1), Pronunciamo e Facciamo un Dettato | SAM (MIY) Cap2, finire entro mercoledì 5 ottobre (eccetto 2.27, 31, 33, 37.38); (RC) Cap2. |
| Lunedì 26 | Capitolo 2: La classe, Genere dei nomi e articoli indeterminativi, pp.42-46;
Correggiamo Esercizio Scrittura 1 |
SAM (MIY) Cap2; TB ex. 2.09-11 |
| Mercoledì 28 | Capitolo 2: verbo Avere, accordi e revisione vocabolario, pp.47-49 | SAM (MIY) Cap2; TB ex. 2.16, 20, 21, 25 |
| Venerdì 30 | Capitolo 2: L’università, plurale dei nomi, articoli determinativi pp.50-57 | SAM (MIY) Cap2; TB ex. 2.31, 34, 36, 25 |
| Lunedì 3 ottobre | Capitolo 2: Che fai a scuola? Presente verbi –are, pp.57-62 | Finire SAM (MIY) Cap2; TB ex. 2.40
|
| Mercoledì 5 | Capitolo 2: verbo Fare, Leggiamo, Pratica, Cultura, pp. 62-71; Scriviamo in classe (2) | Rivedere vocabolario Cap2 per prep. esercizio scrittura |
| Venerdì 7 | Capitolo 2: Rivediamo, Parliamo, pp. 71-73, Correggiamo Esercizio Scrittura 2 | Prepararsi per Midterm 1 |
| Lunedì 10 | Festa del Ringraziamento | Festa del Ringraziamento |
| Mercoledì 12 | MIDTERM 1 — capitoli 1 e 2 | SAM (MIY) Cap3, finire entro venerdì 21 ottobre; (RC) Cap3 + TB ex.3.4, 5, 8 |
| Venerdì 14 | Capitolo 3: Come sono? Descrivere, Aggettivi, molto, poco, pp. 76-83 | Revisione/Feedback sul Midterm; TB ex. 3.21, 24, 26 |
| Lunedì 17 | Capitolo 3: Cosa portano? Colori, Bello, Quello, Di+Articoli, pp. 83-88 | SAM (MIY) Cap3; TB ex. 3.34
Compito: Descrivo 3 persone; |
| Mercoledì 19 | Capitolo 3: Cosa ti piace fare? Rivedere Bello, Quello, verbo Piacere, pp. 88-92 | TB ex. 3.41-43;
|
| Venerdì 21 | Capitolo 3: Presente verbi in –ere, -ire, Pratica, Cultura, pp. 93-100 | Finire SAM (MIY) Cap3;
Compito: La mia settimana |
| Lunedì 24 | Capitolo 3: Rivediamo, Parliamo, pp. 101-105, Scriviamo in classe (3) | SAM (MIY) Cap4, finire entro venerdì 4 novembre; (RC) Cap4; TB ex.4.1-2 |
| Mercoledì 26 | Capitolo 4: Cosa facciamo ogni giorno? Attività quotidiane, pp.106-110
Correggiamo Esercizio Scrittura 3 |
SAM (MIY) Cap4; TB ex.4.9-4.11
Compito: Una cartolina dall’Italia; |
| Venerdì 28 | Capitolo 4: Presente verbi Riflessivi,
pp.110-114 |
SAM (MIY) Cap4; TB ex.4.18-21 |
| Lunedì 31 ottobre | Capitolo 4: Cosa mangiamo e beviamo? Di + Art., verbo Bere, pp.114-120 | SAM (MIY) Cap4; TB ex.4.32-35
Compito: In estate mi piace…; |
| Mercoledì 2 novembre | Capitolo 4: Quale stagione preferisci? Verbi Andare, Venire, Uscire, pp.121-124 | Finire SAM (MIY) Cap4; TB ex.4.40-47
|
| Venerdì 4 novembre | Capitolo 4: Espressioni con Avere, Pratica, Cultura, pp.125-131; Scriviamo in classe (4) | Compito: Un email sulla mia giornata; |
| Lunedì 7 novembre | Capitolo 4: Rivediamo, Parliamo, pp. 132-135, Correggiamo Scrittura 4 | Prepararsi per Midterm 2 |
| Mercoledì 9 | MIDTERM 2 — capitoli 3 e 4 | SAM (MIY) Cap5, finire entro venerdì 25 novembre; (RC) Cap5; TB ex.5.2,3,9 |
| Venerdì 11 | Remembrance Day | |
| Lunedì 14 | Capitolo 5: Com’è la tua famiglia? Aggettivi possessivi, pp.136-142 | SAM (MIY) Cap5; TB ex.5.12, 14
Compito: La mia persona preferita |
| Mercoledì 16 | Capitolo 5: Pronomi possessivi, verbi Conoscere, Sapere, pp.143-146 | SAM (MIY) Cap5; TB ex.5.22, 27
|
| Venerdì 18 | Capitolo 5: Che cosa festeggiate? verbi Dare, Dire, pp.147-150 | SAM (MIY) Cap5; TB ex.5.31, 33
Compito: Cosa voglio e cosa devo fare |
| Lunedì 21 | Capitolo 5: Pronomi diretti pp.150-153 | SAM (MIY) Cap5; TB ex.5.42, 45 |
| Mercoledì 23 | Capitolo 5: Parliamo e Cosa fate in casa? verbi dovere, potere, volere, pp.153-159 | Finire SAM (MIY) Cap5; TB ex. 5.51-60
Compito: Messaggi |
| Venerdì 25 | Capitolo 5: Pratica, Cultura, Revisione, pp. 160-167, Scriviamo in classe (5) | TBC |
| Lunedì 28 novembre | Revisione/Video/Esami Orali
Correggiamo Esercizio Scrittura 5 |
TBC |
| Mercoledì 30 | Revisione/Video/Esami Orali | TBC |
| Venerdì 2 dicembre | Revisione/Video/Esami Orali | |
| 6-21 dicembre | Esame Finale (TBC) | Esame Finale (TBC) |