UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
SSCs 2015-2016
Italian for Medicine and Current Affairs
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of Italian Syllabus D at the UCL CLIE, a high ‘A’ level grade or if you have a very good grasp of the
language and are able to conduct a conversation without difficulty.
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
LCIM6005.
Aims and Objectives
The course is designed for advanced level students. It teaches specialised vocabulary to enable participants to use their
language skills in a professional environment, such as meetings and conferences, as well as covering related topics such
as current affairs and the latest trends in Italian society. The course will enhance knowledge of Italian life, society and
business culture using complex and linguistically accurate structures (different types of discourse, register). Medical
related issues/vocabulary will also be covered.
Cultural awareness will be further developed and raised within a European/global context. Language learning skills,
including autonomous learning and how to approach authentic material, will be further enhanced. Various transferable
skills will also be covered.
Functions
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expressing opinions, critical topic-related comments;
debating, commenting, negotiating;
suggesting, accepting, refusing;
describing, defining;
composing written pieces of information for different purposes;
conducting presentations on complex specialised topics.
Course Content
Main topics/themes
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health and illness
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Italian pharmaceutical industry;
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the environment and general health;
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role of the state in assisting medical research;
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cardiovascular and respiratory medicine: symptoms and treatments;
recent changes in the Italian national health system.
Skills
Reading
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reading for gist, scanning for specific information;
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in-depth analysis of economic topics in major newspapers/magazines.
Writing
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essays;
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formal business letters;
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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;
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
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structuring (logical structures);
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linking devices (lexical, grammatical);
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stylistic levels and their usage;
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passive;
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subjunctives;
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past historic.
Learning Resources
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Italiano per medici (Alma edizioni) 2007 – ISBN: 9788886440691
Contatto Volume 2B + CD Audio B2, (Loescher) 2009 pp. 123 cod. 0691 – ISBN: 9788820141417
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.