Instructor: Pina Sylvers
Office : SH 226B
Phone : 594- 8875 (only during office hours) e-mail : jsylvers@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours : MWTH 2-3 p.m., and by appt.
Class time: T-TH 9:30-10:45
Classroom : EBA 245
LARC Lab : SH 204 &SH 205
LARC Hours : M-Th 8-8 p.m.; F 8 -4:30 pm
Final Exam : Thurs. Dec. 11, 8-10am
Please plan accordingly.
NOTE: This course is managed by Blackboard (http://blackboard.sdsu.edu) and Moodle at https://moodlelarc.sdsu.edu/moodle2.5/
GOALS AND OUTCOMES:
1) The primary goal of Italian 201 is increased proficiency in reading and speaking Italian at the intermediate level. You will develop discourse strategies and acquire practical vocabulary that will prepare you to ask and answer questions, participate in conversations in a range of circumstances, and carry out a variety of communicative tasks. You will demonstrate your speaking proficiency through classroom discussions, oral presentations, skits and oral tests. In addition to developing your speaking proficiency, you will also increase your reading comprehension proficiency through diverse strategies and acquire new vocabulary and structures. You will demonstrate your reading proficiency through classroom discussions, compositions and written exams.
2) You will be able to make comparisons and analyze differences between your culture(s) and
Italian culture.
3) You will continue to develop your knowledge of regional Italy and Italian speaking communities outside of Italy. You will describe major geographical regions of Italy and
4) discuss regional identities.
METHODS:
Italian 201 is taught entirely in Italian. This course focuses on developing reading and speaking competency at the intermediate level. As the semester progresses, you will learn how to read with increasing facility, going beyond a basic comprehension of plot to achieve a more refined understanding of central themes, character development, and the use of language style. This process will be furthered through other elements such as grammar exercises and compositions. Class discussion and oral presentations related to the cultural material in the text will help you develop your speaking skills.
This course presupposes that you are already familiar with Italian grammar; therefore, there will not be long grammatical explanations. We will review some grammatical structures as needed; however, you are expected to review on your own those grammatical structures that you personally need to review. You can use the grammatical sections of your previous
Italian textbook, or any other grammar you may have. The written work will include compositions as well as grammar and comprehension exercises.
TEXT AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS AND RESOUCES:
1.
Immagini d’Italia, Voci d’Italia Series, Doriana Provvedi-Fournier, Montezuma Pub. 2012
2. Materials occasionally distributed during the course.
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3. Moodle for your course, online at: https://moodlelarc.sdsu.edu/moodle2.5/
4. Film: Caterina va in città (dir. Paolo Virzì, 2003). On reserve at Media center
GRADING:
Three Tests………………………………………………………………………........15%
Class preparedness, and active participation (includes group work)………................15%
4 Compositions ……………..………….……..................……………........................15%
Caterina va in città (includes all related activities)………………………….………..10%
One finalpresentation …………………………………………………………………15%
LARC (some activities are directly connected to the final presentation)……………..15%
Participation in three cultural activities…………………………………………….......5%
Final Exam……………………………………………………………………….........10%
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)
B+ = 3.3 (87-89) C+ = 2.3 (77-79) D+ = 1.3 (67-69) F = 0 (0-59)
NC = (0-72)
WU = n/a
PREREQUISITES:
Ital 100B or three years of High School Italian. Native speakers of Italian will not receive credit for this course. Italian minors, European Studies majors and IB majors are encouraged to enroll concurrently in Ital 211 or Ital 212. Ital 201 satisfies the foreign language graduation requirement.
GENERAL EDUCATION:
This course satisfies part of General Education Foundations C requirement in the Humanities and
Fine Arts. The Humanities and Fine Arts encompass works of the imagination, such as art, literature, film, drama, dance, and music, and related scholarship. Students better understand human problems, responsibilities, and possibilities in changing historical contexts and diverse cultures, and in relation to the natural environment. Students acquire new languages and familiarize themselves with related cultures. They gain the ability to recognize and assess various aesthetic principles, belief systems, and constructions of identity. Students acquire capacities for reflection, critique, communication, cultural understanding, creativity, and problem solving in an increasingly globalized world.
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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.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Class preparation and active class participation.
Regular class preparation and participation are a requirement for this course. Class participation is essential for language learning and a very important part of your grade. Both your grade and your progress in Italian will reflect your commitment, on a daily basis, to this course. You are expected to complete all the reading assignments before class and be prepared to discuss them . Occasional quizzes will be administered to assess student progress and assimilation of course material.
Compositions
There will be four compositions on topics related to the readings. When your instructor returns the graded composition you will have the chance to correct it according to the suggestions given and turn it in again for an improved grade by the date specified. All compositions, regardless of length should be typed and turned in at the assigned date. Late compositions will be marked down.
Homework
Homework consists of readings and written exercises due at the beginning of class for the day it is assigned. Daily homework is shown on the syllabus and/or on Blackboard. Changes will be announced in class and posted on your instructor’s Blackboard. Since our text does note have vocabulary lists, you (individually, and as a class) are required to keep a master list of required vocabulary words taken from your readings. (More about this in class)
Oral skills activities
There will be one oral presentation in Italian and a number of oral activities both in class and at
LARC. All presentation topics must be approved by the instructor.
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 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.
Other listening assignments will require that you access the LARC Italian website: http://larcmaterials.sdsu.edu/Italian.htm and https://moodlelarc.sdsu.edu/moodle2.5/
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. It is understood that all of your assignments are meant to be your own individual work unless indicated otherwise (e.g., group activities, roleplays, peer editing etc.). Plagiarizing someone else’s work (i.e. copying from books, the Internet or other sources without citing them) or asking a proficient speaker (e.g. tutor, friend etc.) to complete or correct your work before it is evaluated is unacceptable and may result in disciplinary actions taken. If you are not sure about what is acceptable according to the Code of
Honor please do not hesitate to see me or your academic advisor.
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
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(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
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
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. Participating in all or some of these activities will benefit your learning experience. You are required to attend at least three cultural events and write a one paragraph review/response following your instructor’s directions. 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.
Tests and final exam:
There will be three tests and a final exam. NO MAKE-UP TESTS WILL BE GIVEN without a valid written excuse. If you must miss a test, please notify your instructor in advance.
The final exam will focus on oral and reading comprehension and it will include some vocabulary and basic grammar exercises.
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This schedule is subject to change . All changes will be announced in class and posted on
Blackboard. Students are responsible for staying informed. Please note that most assignments require that you look up words you don’t know or words you need to review.
All assignments are due on the date shown, unless otherwise specified.
PRIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 26 agosto
Giovedì, 28 agosto
Benvenuti!
Introduzione al corso e al testo
CAPITOLO I: IL SENTIMENTO DEL TEMPO a) Descrivere il dipinto di Giorgio de Chirico, “Piazza d’Italia,”
(per vederelo a colori, cercate Google “images.” b) Leggere e spiegare la poesia “Ed è subito sera” di
Salvatore Quasimodo. c) Fare una lista di vocaboli.
SECONDA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 2 settembre a) “La vita fugge e non s’arresta un’ora” di Lucio
Lucio Mastronardi (pp. 8-9) b) Esercizio scritto: “Per comprendere il testo,” pagina 9 c) Esercizi scritti: “Per capire la lingua” 1, 2, 3, 4 p. 10
Giovedì, 4 settembre d) Fare una lista di vocaboli e) Breve riassunto del racconto (consegnare in classe) a) “Il filobus numero 75,” di Gianni Rodari, pagina 14 b) Esercizio scritto: Per comprendere il testo” c) Esercizi scritti: “Per capire la lingua” 1, 2, 3, 4; pagina 17 d) Vocaboli e) Breve riassunto del racconto (consegnare in classe)
TERZA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 9 settembre
Giovedì, 11 settembre
LARC 1, SH 205 a) “Odio l’estate,” di Natalia Ginzburg, pagina 23 b) Esercizi “Per comprendere il testo,” pagina 24. c) “Per capire la lingua,” esercizio 2, pagina 24 d) Vocaboli e) Breve riassunto del racconto (consegnare in classe)
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QUARTA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 16 settembre
Ripasso
Giovedì, 18 settembre
TEST I
CAPITOLO II: I VIAGGI (GLI UOMINI VANNO E VENGONO)
Come abbiamo fatto fino a questo punto, continuiamo a leggere, descrivere, spiegare, cercare nuove parole nel dizionario, e fare gli esercizi scritti.
QUINTA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 23 settembre a) Dipinto di Lorenzo Delleani: “Il molo,” pagina 31 b) “Partenza d’aeroplani,” di Umberto Saba, pagina 30 c) “Il sole,” di Aldo Palazzeschi, pagina 32 d) Esercizio “Per capire la lingua,” pagina 32 e) Vocaboli
Giovedì, 26 settembre a) “Da giovane non amavo viaggiare,” Carlo Cassola, pagina 33 b) “Per comprendere il testo,” pagina 34 c) “Per capire la lingua,” 1 e 3 ; pagina 34 d) Vocaboli e) PRIMA COMPOSIZIONE da consegnare in classe.
SESTA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 30 settembre
Giovedì, 2 ottobre
SETTIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 7 ottobre
Giovedì, 9 ottobre
LARC 2, SH 205 a) “Il porto di Livorno,” Curzio Malaparte, pagina 49 b) “Per comprendere il testo,” pagina 50 c) “Per capire la lingua,” 1 e 2, pagina 50 d) Vocaboli b) “Silenzio,” Giuseppe Ungaretti, pagina 51 c) “Mamma mia dammi cento lire” (canzone popolare dell’emigrazione) pagine 52-53 d) Ascoltare la canzone ( C`è un link su Moodle per la versione della canzone che dovrete ascoltare. Guardate bene anche le immagini di questo video) e) Vocaboli
RIPASSO
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OTTAVA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 14 ottobre TEST II
Giovedì, 16 ottobre
CAPITOLO III: PER LE STRADE DELLA CITTÀ a)” Paesaggio urbano, “dipinto di Mario Sironi, pag. 59 b) “Città vecchia, “ Umberto Saba, pagina 58 c) “Com’è bella la città,” Giorgio Gaber pagina 60
(Questa è una canzone – guardate il video su Moodle) d) Porta Romana, canzone di Giorgio Gaber e) “Avvisi pubblicitari,” Gianni Rodari, pagina 62
NONA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 21 ottobre
Giovedì, 23 ottobre a)
LARC 3, SH 205
SECONDA COMPOSIZIONE b) Film: “Caterina va in città”
DECIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 28 ottobre
Giovedì, 30 ottobre
Film: “Caterina va in città”
Film, “Caterina va in città
CAPITOLO IV: LA CAMPAGNA
UNDICESIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 4 novembre a) “Paesaggio bucolico,” dipinto di Michele Marieschi b) “La donzelletta vien dalla campagna…” c) “Nella nebbia” d) “Fango e ciliegi in fiore” e) Vocaboli f) Riassunto scritto di “Fango…” (da consegnare)
Giovedì, 6 novembre LARC 4, SH 205
DODICESIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 11 novembre a) “Allora, ti piace la campagna?” di Alberto Moravia, p. 115 b) Esercizi pp. 116-117 c) Vocaboli d) Riassunto scritto del racconto (da consegnare)
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Giovedì, 13 novembre
TREDICESIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 18 novembre
RIPASSO
Giovedì, 20 novembre
LARC 5, SH 205
QUATTORDICESIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 25 novembre a) TERZA COMPOSIZIONE b) PRESENTAZIONI
Giovedì, 27 Novembre
THANKSVIGING – Buona festa!
QUINDICESIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 2 dicembre
Giovedì, 4 dicembre
TEST III
PRESENTAZIONI
PRESENTAZIONI
SEDICESIMA SETTIMANA:
Martedì, 9 dicembre RIPASSO
ESAME FINALE: giovedì, 11 dicembre, 8-10 a.m.
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