ITALIAN 100A – FALL 2014
Department Office: SH 224A
Telephone: 594-5111
Instructor: Pina Sylvers
LARC: SH 204-205
Hours: M-TH, 8-8 p.m.; F, 8-4:30 pm
Hours: MW 12:00-12:50 / TTH 12:30-1:45 p.m
Final Exam: Sat. Dec. 13, 8-10 am
Please plan accordingly!
Office Hours: MWTH 2-3 p.m.
Classroom : MW SSW 2512 / TTH EBA 444
Office: SH 226B
Phone: 594-8875
Email: jsylvers@mail.sdsu.edu
Goals and Objectives
Italian 100A is an introductory course with multiple goals:
 You will begin to develop language proficiency skills in four areas:
a. Reading simple authentic materials such as ads, menus, cartoons
b. Writing in the form of brief notes, messages, letters and short compositions
c. Speaking about personal information and answering simple questions
d. Listening and understanding simple questions and announcements
 You will be introduced to Italian culture and begin to be able to make comparisons between it and
your own culture(s).
 You will be also introduced to Italy’s history, its regions and Italian-speaking communities.
You’ll be able to describe major geographic regions of Italy and discuss their regional identities.
You will be able to discuss to some degree the formation of the Italian nation and to identify an
Italian-speaking community outside of Italy.
 You will learn to explore resources for Italian language and cultures on the Internet.
Methods
Class will be conducted entirely in Italian. Our experience has shown that the more fully the learner is
immersed in the new language, the more quickly and effectively listening and speaking skills are acquired.
While this approach may appear daunting at first, there are a few things you should keep in mind. You won’t
be expected to understand everything your instructor says, certainly not at first. Language learning is a
process and as such it requires constant practice. As long as you do not give up trying to understand as much
as you possibly can during class and in the lab, you’ll find that you’re rapidly absorbing more and more as
time progresses. If you are willing to commit yourself to making this effort, you should soon find yourself
understanding almost everything your instructor says! You’ll be guided through a variety of communicative
activities in class. Gradually, this process will lead you from structured practice to free expression. You’ll be
given frequent opportunity to practice your newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures in small
group and pair work, which simulate real-life situations in a relaxed atmosphere.
Materials
1. Cozzarelli, Julia M. Sentieri Boston: Vista Higher learning, 2011. (required)
2. Sentieri Supersite to include Vtext and WebSAM (Student Activity Manual): http://sentieri.vhlcentral.com/home/
3. Moodle for your course, online through the LARC website at: https://moodlelarc.sdsu.edu/moodle2.5/
1
This course requires online access: only buy books that include the online access code. If you buy a used
book, you will need to buy a code separately which costs as much as new packages. You can purchase all of
Sentieri’s components here: http://vistahigherlearning.com/store/sdstate.htm
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. However, if you have completed three years of high school Italian
you will not receive credit for Italian 100A unless the third course was completed five or more years ago. If
you already have credit for a college-level Italian course or if you are currently enrolled in another Italian
course, you will not receive credit for Italian100A. If you already speak Italian, you may not take Italian
100A.
General Education
This course satisfies part of General Education Foundations C requirement.
C. Humanities and Fine Arts: Foundations of Learning courses introduce students to the basic concepts,
theories, and approaches offered by disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of study. They provide the
foundation to understand and approach problems in the academy, and in local and global real-world
environments. Consistent with class size and learning goals, they cultivate skills in reading, writing,
communication, computation, information-gathering, and use of technology.
Suggestions for Success
Always ask! Ask questions before and after class. Your instructor will check frequently during class to make
you sure you understand. Try to use as much Italian as possible when asking your question; your question
doesn't need to be phrased perfectly to be understood and the effort of forming the questions is part of the
learning experience. Please understand that your instructor may sometimes put certain questions off to a later
time when the answer is more appropriate to the lesson. However, if you are still curious about the answer,
feel free to ask the question after class. Your instructor is also available to help you during office hours, by
telephone or by email. If the posted hours conflict with your schedule, please feel free to schedule an
appointment at a more convenient time.
It takes time to absorb a language. You should spend some time each day reviewing the material covered
in class and preparing homework assignments, even if the assignment is not due the next day. Language
acquisition research has shown that learning is enhanced by reinforcement within four or five hours of initial
exposure. Ideally, your preparation should be done in the afternoon after each class and then reviewed briefly
just before the next class meeting. By studying on a daily basis you'll be better able to participate in class and
reduce the stress associated with cramming for tests.
Course Requirements
Participation and preparation. Class participation and preparation are essential to learning a language. If
you come to class prepared and on time each day, and make an effort to participate, you’ll find that you
probably understand the material better and your grade will be affected positively. As part of your preparation
grade your instructor may ask you to complete Practice activities on the Sentieri Supersite prior to coming to
class that will help you jump-start on the lesson.
Attendance will be taken, and more than five (5) unexcused absences and/or repeated tardiness will result
in a lowered grade.
Oral preparation. Due to the emphasis on the development of listening and speaking skills in this course,
it will not be enough to study the assignments silently. Listening and speaking exercises on the Sentieri
Supersite Practice and WebSAM sections will be assigned regularly and some will be specifically tested in
the LARC lab where you will participate in several recording activities. To familiarize yourself with the
2
language acquisition resources offered at SDSU and to practice and test your oral skills you will visit LARC
(SH 204-205) with the class and on your own: http://larc.sdsu.edu/
Other listening assignments will require that you access your course on Moodle: https://moodlelarc.sdsu.edu/
Homework and Compositions. The majority of assignments will consist of Practice and WebSAM that
will be automatically graded on the Sentieri Supersite. Written homework will primarily consist of
compositions drawn from the Textbook, the Supersite Practice or WebSAM. Compositions will be typed or
written in a Bluebook and are due as indicated by your instructor. When assignments are returned to you, use
them to study. Look at the instructor’s remarks and/or corrections on your paper. They are intended to help
you learn. Ask your instructor if you don’t understand something. Absences are never a good reason for not
completing assignments. Please contact a classmate or check Blackboard to find out what you missed and
make arrangements to get your homework to your instructor.
WebSAM (Student Activity Manual: Workbook/Lab Manual)
The Workbook and Lab Manual are online and managed by Vista on the Sentieri Supersite. Most exercises
are automatically corrected and graded by the computer program and you will have an instant evaluation of
your work and progress. It is very important that you do each exercise as they will aid you in studying for all
tests and exams.
Tests and exams measure your language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. A total of
four (4) tests and two (2) exams (midterm and final) will be given. NO MAKE-UP TESTS will be given
without a valid written excuse. If you must miss a test, please notify your instructor in advance.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of
your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until
you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your
cooperation is appreciated.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. Please read the handout posted on your Blackboard site for
complete information about the topic. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you are not fully referencing the
sources you use (book, article, website) with quotation marks (“…”), page numbers, or a direct link. You are
advised to also reference sources that you are paraphrasing in your own words, both in writing or in oral
presentations. Please note that copying from another student or recycling your own papers for different
courses constitute cheating as well.
In foreign language study, cheating also includes the following:




Doing your written homework and then having a third party correct it, or having someone else write
your homework for you and turning that in for credit
Doing assignments with another student and turning in the same or almost the same work. (Unless
you are specifically directed to work in pairs on in groups, college-level work is always expected to
be solely your own.)
Using an automated translation engine to translate your homework
Using an available translation of a text on which to base your own translation and turning that in for
credit.
What IS acceptable includes the following:
 Asking your professor for help.
 Brainstorming answers and/or ideas with another student; then, each student writes up the homework
separately and turns in his or her own work.
3

Doing your written homework and/or translation and then having a third party circle your mistakes;
you then do the corrections on your own and turn in your own work.
If you have any question or uncertainty about what is or is not cheating, it is your responsibility to ask your
instructor. Test your knowledge of what constitutes plagiarism through a tutorial offered by the Library:
http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=28&pid=137
Consequences of cheating and plagiarism
SDSU instructors are mandated to report all instances of cheating and plagiarism to the Center for Student
Rights and Responsibility. Consequences are at the instructor’s and the Center for Student Rights and
Responsibility’s discretion. They may include any of the following: failing the assignment, failing the class,
warning, probation, suspension, expulsion.
Cultural Activities
You are required to attend at least three cultural events and write a one paragraph review/response following
your instructor’s directions.
The Italian Program collaborates with the Circolo Italiano, SDSU’s Italian Students Club and the San Diego
Italian Film Festival to provide a variety of activities meant to enhance your exposure to Italian language and
culture. Please visit your Blackboard, the Italian Program website at http://italian.sdsu.edu or SDIFF’s
website http://www.sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com/ for further details about the festival and the films.
Participating in all or some of these activities will benefit your learning experience.
The Final Examination is scheduled for Saturday, December 13, from 8-10 a.m.
Grade distribution
Daily preparedness, Sentieri Practice and participation
Oral Skills Assignments (presentations, interviews, role plays, and LARC activities)
Five compositions
WebSAM
Four tests (Unità 1, 2, 4, 5)
Midterm (Unità 1-3)
Final exam (Unità 1-6)
Three Italian cultural events (i.e. Italian Program, Circolo Italiano, SDIFF)
10%
10%
10%
15%
30%
10%
10%
5%
Grades are defined at SDSU as:
A: Outstanding achievement; available for the highest accomplishment.
B: Praiseworthy performance; definitely above average.
C: Average; awarded for satisfactory performance; the most common undergraduate grade.
D: Minimally passing; less than the typical undergraduate achievement.
F: Failing.
C/NC: Some students may, subject to their major requirements and the conditions set out in the General Catalog, choose
to take the course credit/no credit. Work equivalent to C or above will result in a grade of Credit; work equivalent to Cor below will result in No Credit.
WU: Indicates that an enrolled student did not withdraw from the course but did not fulfill the course requirements. For
purposes of grade point average computation, this grade is equivalent to an F. Students who are failing when they stop
attending class will receive an F, not a U.
A = 4.0 (93-100)
B = 3.0 (83-86)
C = 2.0 (73-76)
D = 1.0 (63-66)
CR = (73-100)
A- = 3.7 (90-92)
B- = 2.7 (80-82)
C- = 1.7 (70-72)
D- = 0.7 (60-62)
NC = (0-72)
B+ = 3.3 (87-89)
C+ = 2.3 (77-79)
D+ = 1.3 (67-69)
F = 0 (0-59)
WU = n/a
4
Programma --Italiano 100A—Autunno 2014
PRIMA SETTIMANA
Programma
lunedì 25 agosto
BENVENUTI!
martedì 26 agosto
Unità 1
mercoledì 27 agosto
Unità 1
giovedì 28 agosto
Unità 1
SECONDA SETTIMANA
lunedì 1 settembre
LABOR DAY – no class
martedì 2 settembre
Unità 1
mercoledì 3 settembre
Unità 1
giovedì 4 settembre
Unità 1
TERZA SETTIMANA
lunedì 8 settembre
Last day to add or drop classes
Unità 1
martedì 9 settembre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 10 settembre
Ripasso Unità 1
giovedì 11 settembre
TEST 1 (Unità 1 A-B)
QUARTA SETTIMANA
lunedì 15 settembre
Compiti
Complete WebSAM Unità 1
TEST 1 (Unità 1 A-B)
Unità 2
martedì 16 settembre
Unità 2
mercoledì 17 settembre
Unità 2
giovedì 18 settembre
Unità 2
Composizione 1
5
QUINTA SETTIMANA
lunedì 22 settembre
martedì 23 settembre
Unità 2
Unità 2
mercoledì 24 settembre
Complete WebSAM Unità 2
Ripasso
giovedì 25 settembre
TEST 2 (Unità 2 A-B)
SESTA SETTIMANA
lunedì 29 settembre
Unità 3
martedì 30 settembre
Unità 3
mercoledì 1° ottobre
Unità 3
giovedì 2 ottobre
Unità 3
SETTIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 6 ottobre
Unità 3
martedì 7 ottobre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 8 ottobre
Unità 3
giovedì 9 ottobre
Unità 3
Composizione 2
Ripasso
Complete WebSAM Unità 3
OTTAVA SETTIMANA
lunedì 13 ottobre
martedì 14 ottobre
MIDTERM
(Unità 1-3 A-B)
mercoledì 15 ottobre
Unità 4
giovedì 16 ottobre
Unità 4
6
NONA SETTIMANA
lunedì 20 ottobre
Unità 4
martedì 21 ottobre
Unità 4
mercoledì 22 ottobre
Unità 4
giovedì 23 ottobre
Unità 4
DECIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 27 ottobre
Unità 4
martedì 28 ottobre
Unità 4
mercoledì 29 ottobre
Ripasso
giovedì 30 ottobre
TEST 3 (Unità 4 A-B)
UNDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 3 novembre
Composizione 3
Complete WebSAM Unità 4
Unità 5
martedì 4 novembre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 5 novembre
Unità 5
giovedì 6 novembre
Unità 5
DODICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 10 novembre
Unità 5
martedì 11 novembre
VETERANS DAY – No class
mercoledì 12 novembre
Unità 5
giovedì 13 novembre
Unità 5
Composizione 4
7
TREDICEDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 17 novembre
Ripasso
martedì 18 novembre
TEST 4 (Unità 5 A-B)
mercoledì 19 novembre
Unità 6
giovedì 20 novembre
Unità 6
Complete WebSAM Unità 5
QUATTORDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 24 novembre
Unità 6
martedì 25 novembre
Unità 6
mercoledì 26 novembre
NO CLASS
giovedì 27 novembre
Thanksgiving BUONE VACANZE!
QUINDICESIMA SETTIMANA
Unità 6
lunedì 1 dicembre
martedì 2 dicembre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 3 dicembre
Unità 6
giovedì 4 dicembre
Unità 6
Composizione 5
SEDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 8 dicembre
Ripasso
martedì 9 dicembre
Ripasso
mercoledì 10 dicembre
Ripasso
Complete WebSAM Unità 6
ESAME FINALE: SABATO 13 DICEMBRE, ORE 8-10
8