UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
SSCs 2015-2016
Italian Syllabus A
Prerequisite for entry
For complete beginners or those who have had only very little contact with the language.
Course duration
Year 1 students: double-block (16 x 3-hour classes. Block 1: 8 x 3-hour classes; Block 2: workshops and tutorials related
to Project).
Year 2 students: single block (8 x 3-hour classes).
Self-Study
40 hours in total.
Course codes
LCIM6001.
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the course is to enable students to function at a basic everyday survival level (basic vocabulary, grammar,
morphology, syntax and phonetics). Some content related to medical studies will also be included.
Students should be able to communicate in and understand Italian on a number of practical everyday matters. Language
learning skills, including autonomous learning and how to approach authentic material, will be enhanced. Some
transferable skills will also be covered.
Functions
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greeting patients and colleagues;
introducing oneself and others;
describing body and identifying the patients current problem;
everyday ailment (introduction);
expressing preferences;
getting around in a hospital;
describing medical history;
buying, ordering, paying in a chemist;
arranging medical appointments;
telling and asking for the time of day;
asking for information.
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered
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first contacts;
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closer acquaintance ;
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working, studying (introduction);
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numbers, time, days of the week, months, dates;
daily routine, hobbies, spare time activities;
buying medicines;
hospital wards;
invitations;
throughout the course: aspects of Italian culture;
basic description of past events.
Linguistic Structures
Phonetics
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basic rules of the pronunciation of spoken Italian (stress, intonation, consonants, vowels, diphthongs, spelling
etc).
Grammar
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verb phrase: conjugation, present tense, reflexive verbs, perfect, modals;
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noun phrase: gender (definite and indefinite articles, possessive pronouns), plural forms, noun modifiers
(adjectives), prepositions (semplici e articolate);
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personal pronouns;
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adverbs;
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basic interrogative and negative structures.
Learning Resources
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Contatto Volume 1A + CD Audio A1 (Loescher) 2009 cod. 0999 – ISBN: 9788820109998
E book edition:
http://www.scuolabook.it/rosella-bozzone-costa-chiara-ghezzi-monica-piantoni-contatto-volume-1-a-cd-audioloescher-editore-0999e.html
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Collins Pocket Italian Dictionary in colour (Collins) – ISBN: 9780007485505
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials available for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.