This course aims to develop students' language proficiency and extend students' knowledge of contemporary Italian culture and society. The course integrates written and multi-media materials to increase students' fluency and accuracy in oral and written forms. A particular aim of the course is to develop recognition and ability to use appropriately idiomatic forms of the language within their cultural context. Active language production is encouraged in classroom situations, structured conversations and oral presentations. Class time is divided between interactive language work using information from the Italian media, focus and reflection on form and analysis of Italian films. The course furthers students' knowledge of Italian culture and society through a selection of films as well as other types of written and visual texts on salient issues in contemporary Italy.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. demonstrate their understanding of extended speech, including lectures in Italian, TV news, current affairs programs and films using a variety of registers and spoken Italian;
2. apply their clear grasp of the major aspects of Italian grammar and related linguistic terminology by identifying and producing complex linguistic structures orally and in writing;
3. demonstrate their command of a wide range of vocabulary, idioms and Italian gestures; phonetics and phonology of Italian;
4. conduct independent research, elaborate it and compose clear, detailed and critical texts (oral and written) on a variety of subjects;
5. test their knowledge of salient issues, events, figures and texts of Italian culture.

3 hours of classes plus 1 hour of audio-visual activities per week

*Chiappini and de Filippo. Un giorno in Italia. Livello 2 (Textbook and CD). Roma: Bonacci, 2005
*Nocchi. Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana. Firenze: Alma, 2002