Ital 250 / 251 - Italian Composition and Conversation I / II
Fall 2008 / Spring 2009
Prof. Maria Palladino
ITALIAN 250 is meant to be an integration and refinement of what the student has learned in previous courses in the Italian language which have brought the student to the level of composition and conversation. This course is taught entirely in Italian and students registered for it must have a very good grasp of written and spoken Italian.
Materials to be used
Articles from Italian newspapers and magazines; novels of well-known contemporary Italian suthors: Italian language film videos.
Films to be used in Ital 250 will deal mainly with the problems of the meriodianali."
They include
- Kaos (Pirandello)
- Il Giorno della Civetta (Sciascia)
- A Ciascuno Il Suo (Sciascia)
- Una Storia Semplice (Sciascia)
- All'Ombra del Vesuvio (documentario su Pompei ed Ercolano)
- Divorzio all'Italiana
The objective of this course is mainly to familiarize students with Italian culture and civilization while continuing to improve oral and written language skills. The student will read daily newspapers and significant articles on current topics, watch movies or video films, read the works of better known novelists such as Alberto Moravia, Leonardo Sciascia, Natalia Ginzburg, and Italo Calvino. This should heighten interest, enrich vocabulary, and serve as the starting point for conversation and discussion which will take place daily in class on arguments determined by the reading and films.
Grading
Grading will be made on the basis of performance in class where participation will be mandatory. There will be at least two written composition assignments per week and two major exams - midterm and final. Throughout the term there may be various unannounced quizzes.
Final grade will be calculated as follows:
40% weekly assignments
40% class participation
10% mid-term exam
10% final exam
ITALIAN 251
Class meetings: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.
Class location: Room 118.
Instructor: Dr.Maria Palladino
Office: Room 115
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: by appointment.
Required Texts: Alberto Mazzetti, Patrizia Manili, Maria Rosaria Bagianti,”QUI ITALIA” livello medio,6th edition. Firenze: Le Monnier.
Note:This grammar book is accompanied by a”Quaderno” di esercitazioni pratiche- livello medio.
Additional readings: selected stories from Leonardo Sciascia, Alberto Moravia, Italo Calvino.
Course description: Italian 251 is an integration and refinement of what students have learned in previous Italian courses(102/103/104/.250.) This course is entirely taught in Italian.
Materials to be used.
In addition to articles taken from Italian newspapers and magazines, this course will mainly deal with linguistic analysis through the above mentioned readings . This choice has been made for the following reasons :first, the stories are not long and will not discourage students; second, Sciascia’s Moravia’s, Calvino’s language is superb, an extraordinary example for the students to imitate.
Their language will certainly help them better understand and appreciate Italian phonology lexis, syntax and register.
Course objective.
The objective of Italian 251 is to familiarize students not only with the language but also with the Italian culture, especially regarding some still unsolved social problems in Sicily.The approach to these writers should heighten interest, enrich vocabulary and serve as the starting point for discussion and conversation in class.The last ten minutes of each class will be devoted to the writing of short passages previously read and discussed.
The objective of this procedure is to help students reach an active command of written and oral language.
Attendance.
Attendance is mandatory to all students enrolled in the course. In the case of more than six unjustified absences, students will receive an”attendance warning” and the final grade will be lowered a letter grade.
In the case of more than six unjustified absences, students will receive an official notice”attendance withdrawal” which means automatic failure.
Compositions.
All compositions(but the last one),must be typed, double spaced, and given to the instructor for the correction. The grade will be based on the following standards:
Quality of the first draft (mainly based on well constructed sentences) and the improvements made in the revised version: 50%.
a) Quality of the revised version according to the instructor’s suggestions: 50%.
b) First draft and revised version must be handed in for the instructor to grade the work.
c) Topics for each composition are previously discussed in class.
Code of correction for compositions:
1)SP= spelling
2)GEN= gender
3)NUM= plural/singular
4) ART= insert correct article (definite/indefinite)
5)PREP= insert correct preposition
6)COMB=insert def. art.+ simple prep.
7)PRON=insert pronoun
8)ADJ=insert possessive adjective.
9) VOC=choose the right vocabulary
10)ACC= put accent if needed.
11)AUX= insert correct auxiliary verb
12) V/T=verb tense
13) SUBJ=subjunctive/verb agreement
14) COND= conditional/ agreement with the main clause
15) REPH= rephrase/ explain in a simple correct way.
Final grade breakdown
-Attendance………………………………………………………….25%
-Composition………………………………………………………..40%
(10 compositions, 4% each)
-Final exam………………………………………………………….10%
-Debate in Italian about the stories read in class……………………15%
-2 presentations on topics chosen by students,5% each……………..10%
TOTAL…100%
Grading scale
A ________100-94
A-_________93-90
B__________89-85
B-_________84-80
C_________ 79 -74
C-________ 73- 70
D_________ 69-64
F _________63 and lower.
Academic integrity
(The section on academic integrity is adapted from the LoyolaUniversity Chicago-Undergraduate Studies Catalog.)