ITALIAN 100B – FALL 2014
Department Office: SH 224A
Telephone: 594-5111
LARC: SH 204-205
Hours: M-Th, 8-8 p.m.; F, 8 -4:30 pm
Final Exam: Sat. Dec. 13, 8-10 am
Please plan accordingly!
Instructor: Pina Sylvers
Classroom: MW NE 172; TTh EBA 444
Hours:MW 11:11:50; TTh 11:12:15
Office: SH 226B
Office Hours: MWTh 2-3:00 p.m. and by appt.
Phone: 594-8875
Email: jsylvers@mail.sdsu.edu
Goals and Objectives
Italian 100B is a course with multiple goals:
 You will continue 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 – asking and answering questions
d. Listening and participating in discussions
 You will gain a better understanding of the Italian culture and be able to make comparisons
between it and other cultures.
 You will also better understand Italy’s national history, its regions and Italian-speaking
communities. You’ll be able to describe major geographic regions of Italy and discuss their
regional identities and to understand the cultural forces that foster regionalism in Italian
society. You will be able to discuss to some degree the formation of the Italian nation, to
explain Italy's relationship to the formation of the European Union and to identify an
Italian-speaking community outside of Italy.
 You will explore resources for Italian language and culture 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. 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. You’ll be guided through a
variety of communicative activities in class. 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/
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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
The first semester of Italian (Ital 100A) is a prerequisite for this course. Three years of high school
Italian will satisfy this prerequisite.
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
Ask questions before and after class. 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 when a brief answer in
English may be useful. Your instructor is also available to help you during office hours and by
telephone or email. If the posted hours conflict with your schedule, please ask 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.
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.
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 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.
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
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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.
 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
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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, to provide a
variety of activities meant to enhance your exposure to Italian language and culture. Participating in all
or some of these activities will benefit your learning experience. 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 films.
The Final Examination is scheduled for Saturday, December 13, from 8-10 a.m.
Grade distribution
Daily preparedness and participation
Oral Skills Assignments (presentations, interviews, role plays, and LARC activities)
Five compositions
WebSAM
Four tests
Midterm
Final exam
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 C- or 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)
WU = n/a
C+ = 2.3 (77-79)
D+ = 1.3 (67-69)
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F = 0 (0-59)
Programma --Italiano 100B—Autunno 2014
PRIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 25 agosto
Programma
BENVENUTI!
martedì 26 agosto
Ripasso
mercoledì 27 agosto
Ripasso e Unità 7
giovedì 28 agosto
Unità 7
SECONDA SETTIMANA
lunedì 1 settembre
LABOR DAY – NO CLASS
martedì 2 settembre
Unità 7
mercoledì 3 settembre
Unità 7
giovedì 4 settembre
Unità 7
TERZA SETTIMANA
lunedì 8 settembre
Last day to add or drop classes
Composizione 1
Unità 7
martedì 9 settembre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 10 settembre
Unità 7
giovedì 11 settembre
Unità 7
QUARTA SETTIMANA
lunedì 15 settembre
Compiti
Ripasso
Complete WebSAM Unità 7
martedì 16 settembre
TEST 1 (Unità 7 A-B)
mercoledì 17 settembre
Unità 8
giovedì 18 settembre
Unità 8
5
QUINTA SETTIMANA
lunedì 22 settembre
Unità 8
martedì 23 settembre
Unità 8
mercoledì 24 settembre
Unità 8
giovedì 25 settembre
Unità 8
SESTA SETTIMANA
lunedì 29 settembre
Unità 8
martedì 30 settembre
Unità 8
mercoledì 1° ottobre
Ripasso
giovedì 2 ottobre
TEST 2 (Unità 8 A-B)
SETTIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 6 ottobre
Complete WebSAM Unità 8
Unità 9
martedì 7 ottobre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 8 ottobre
Unità 9
giovedì 9 ottobre
Unità 9
OTTAVA SETTIMANA
lunedì 13 ottobre
Composizione 2
Unità 9
martedì 14 ottobre
Unità 9
mercoledì 15 ottobre
Unità 9
giovedì 16 ottobre
Unità 9
Composizione 3
6
NONA SETTIMANA
lunedì 20 ottobre
Unità 9
martedì 21 ottobre
Unità 9
mercoledì 22 ottobre
Ripasso
giovedì 23 ottobre
MIDTERM EXAM (Unità 7-9)
DECIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 27 ottobre
Complete WebSAM Unità 9
Unità 10
martedì 28 ottobre
Unità 10
mercoledì 29 ottobre
Unità 10
giovedì 30 ottobre
Unità 10
UNDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 3 novembre
Unità 10
martedì 4 novembre
LARC 205
mercoledì 5 novembre
Ripasso
giovedì 6 novembre
TEST 3 (Unità 10)
Complete WebSAM Unità 10
DODICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 10 novembre
Unità 11
martedì 11 novembre
NO CLASS – VETERANS DAY
mercoledì 12 novembre
Unità 11
giovedì 13 novembre
Unità 11
Composizione 4
7
TREDICEDICESIMA SETTIMANA Programma
lunedì 17 novembre
Unità 11
martedì 18 novembre
Unità 11
mercoledì 19 novembre
Unità 11
giovedì 20 novembre
Unità 11
QUATTORDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 24 novembre
Ripasso
Compiti
Complete WebSAM Unità 11
martedì 25 novembre
TEST 4 (Unità 11 A-B)
mercoledì 26 novembre
NO CLASS
giovedì 27 novembre
Thanksgiving BUONE VACANZE!
QUINDICESIMA SETTIMANA
Unità 12
lunedì 1 dicembre
martedì 2 dicembre
LARC SH 205
mercoledì 3 dicembre
Unità 12
giovedì 4 dicembre
Unità 12
SEDICESIMA SETTIMANA
lunedì 8 dicembre
Ripasso
martedì 9 dicembre
Ripasso
mercoledì 10 dicembre
Ripasso
Complete WebSAM Unità 12
ESAME FINALE: SABATO 13 DICEMBRE, ORE 8-10
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