UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Course Units 2015-2016
Italian Current Affairs and Culture
(Social, Historical and Political)
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of Italian for Business and Current Affairs at the UCL CLIE, have completed some post-‘A’ Level
training or spent some time in the country actively using the language.
Course duration
20 x 2-hour classes.
Self-Study
80 hours in total.
Course codes
LCIT6006, LCITG006, LCITM006, LCIT6056, LCITG056 and LCITM056 (together with Italian for Business and Current
Affairs).
Aims and Objectives
The course comprises knowledge and understanding both of the structure of the language and of the cultural (social,
historical and political) contexts in which it is currently used.
It enables participants to use their language skills in an academic environment. The course covers recent history,
current affairs and the latest issues in society as well as other related topics. Students will give presentations and are
involved in roundtable discussions and debates on a variety of current issues.
Cultural awareness will be further developed and raised within a European/global context.
The course will enhance knowledge and use of linguistically complex structures (a variety of styles and registers from a
range of authentic material).
Various transferable skills will also be further developed.
Functions
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
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debating, commenting;
different registers of the language;
a professional presentation;
analysing an article or document.
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered

Italian language and dialects;

The micro-languages of the media;

The language of bureaucracy;

L’Italia dei campanili / settentrionali e meridionali;

Media e dintorni; informazione e politica;
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La politica Italiana;
Il piacere della lettura;
Il patrimonio culturale Italiano.
Skills
Reading

reading for gist, scanning for specific information;

in-depth analysis of economic topics in major newspapers/magazines.
Writing

essays;

formal business letters;

analysis and review of articles;
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note-taking from presentations;
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writing up presentations;
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CVs and covering letters.
Listening
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radio, TV, audio- and video-tapes;
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presentations;
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listening exercises on corporate affairs and economics.
Speaking
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formal and informal discussions, debates, round table;
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presentations;
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role-plays.
Linguistic Structures
Discourse Strategies
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analysing/comparing texts from various sources (different text types);
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preparing oral contributions for different audiences;
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textual cohesion.
Main Aspects of These Strategies

Revision and consolidation of:
- structuring (logical structures);
- linking devices (lexical, grammatical);
- direct/indirect speech

subjunctives; past historic;

complex sentences (conditional, cause and effect etc).
Learning Resources
Current Affairs and Culture
Business, Current Affairs and Culture

Contatto Volume 2B + CD Audio B2, (Loescher) 2009 pp. 224 cod. 4141 – ISBN: 9788820141417
E book edition:
http://www.scuolabook.it/rosella-bozzone-costa-chiara-ghezzi-monica-piantoni-contatto-volume-2-b-cd-audioloescher-editore-4141e.html

Collins Pocket Italian Dictionary in colour (Collins) – ISBN: 9780007485505
OR

Italian Dictionary – Concise Edition Garzanti)

Authentic material from various sources: Newspapers, journals, magazines, audio- and video-tapes.
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials available for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.