Language Express 2015/2016
LESSON SCHEDULE – ITALIAN POST BEGINENRS
Key Notes:
p – Textbook page; ppt - PowerPoint; e-flashcards – electronic flashcards; WLM – Web
Link on Moodle
*Week numbers in the brackets indicate each week of the Kent academic year.
AUTUMN TERM
WEEK
1 (*3)
TOPIC FOCUS
Introduction of
the course;
Talking about your
holidays;
Travelling in Italy: learning
about cinema and types of
movies.
EXAMPLE LANGUAGE AREAS





2 (4)
Being able to talk about
past events.



3 (5)
Expressing agreement/
disagreement.
Talking about your favourite
movie, acquiring knowledge
of Italian cinema.




4 (6)
5 (7)
Learning how to ask for
information and give replies
when shopping;

Saying ‘I know/ I don’t
know’.

Using expressions of joy/
regret when given some


Introduction of the course.
General revision of basic Italian,
summarisation of the Beginners
Course contents. Exercises.
Talk about our holidays ‘Le mie
vacanze’: past perfect tense.
Learn cinema vocabulary, talk
about movies.
Imperfect tense: learn the regular
and irregular forms and practice
them.
TEXTBOOK
PAGES/
RESOURCES
Handouts,
p. 102- 105
(Unit 7)
WLM
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd
Tell each other past events to
practice the imperfect tense.‘When
I was a child I used to study a lot’
‘Quando ero bambina studiavo
molto’.
Understand the differences
between past perfect and past
imperfect and their use.
Modal verbs (‘dovere, potere,
volere’) in the imperfect tense.
Handouts,
p. 106- 110
(Unit 7)
WLM
e-flashcards/
Ipad,
audio cd
Learn how to agree/ disagree with
someone (‘You are right/ I don’t
agree’ ‘Hai ragione/ Non sono
d’accordo’).
Talk about your favourite movie/
an Italian movie of your choice
(‘My favourite movie’ ‘Il mio film
preferito’)
Learn about modern Italian cinema
(watch subtitled video clips);
exercises.
Self-evaluation.
Handouts,
p. 111- 116
(Unit 7)
WLM
e-flashcards/
Ipad,
audio cd.
Learn and practice shopping
vocabulary and expressions.
Direct pronouns: function and
uses. Practice.
I know/ I don’t know ‘Lo so/ non lo
so’.
Handouts,
p. 117-120
(U.8), WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad, audio cd.
Learn how to express joy/
disappointment: ‘How nice!/ Pity!’
Handouts,
p.121- 124.
Language Express 2015/2016
news.


6 (8)
Offering,
accepting, refusing help in
day to day life;
Shopping in Italy.





7 (9)
Talking about yourself:
habitual actions/ daily
routine;
Learning how to go
shopping for clothes.
8 (10)
Shopping: learning about
clothes and shoes topic




Colours.


9 (11)
Travelling: learning about
student lifestyle in Italy;

Shopping: Italian fashion.


10 (12)
Revision of Units 7, 8, 9.


‘Che bello!/ Che peccato!’.
Special pronoun ‘ne’ (= ’of it, of
them’).
Direct pronouns in the past perfect
(i.e. I met him ‘L’ho conosciuto’).
(Unit 8),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Learn the expressions to offer
help/ accept/ refuse (‘Can I help
you?’ ‘ti posso aiutare?’).
Direct pronouns with modal verbs.
I have it/ I don’t have it, ‘Ce l’ho/
non ce l’ho’.
Learn about shopping and
produces in Italy.
Self-evaluation.
Handouts,
p. 125- 132
(Unit 8),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Reflexive verbs and reciprocal
verbs in the present and past
perfect (‘I wash myself’ ‘Mi lavo’,
We saw each other’ ‘Ci siamo
visti’).
Shopping for clothes and shoes:
ask for the price, the size.
Handouts,
p. 133- 139
(Unit 9),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Clothes vocabulary (‘Trousers,
Boots’ ‘I pantaloni, gli stivali’).
Colours and useful expressions to
shop for shoes and clothes.
Reflexive pronouns with modal
verbs (present and past perfect
tenses).
Self- assessment.
Handouts,
p. 139- 142
(Unit 9),
WLM,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Learn about student lifestyle in
Italy (‘One eats very well’, ‘Si
mangia molto bene’).
The impersonal form (i.e. ) and
impersonal expressions (‘It is
necessary’, ‘E’ necessario’).
Learn about Italian fashion and
stylists.
Handouts,
p. 143- 148
(Unit 9),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Revision and summarisation of the
Autumn term contents.
Self- evaluations on Units 7, 8, 9.
Handouts,
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Language Express 2015/2016
SPRING TERM
WEEK
11 (13)
TOPIC FOCUS
General revision;

Talking about
Christmas holidays;


Understanding
information on the
T.V. and on the
news.
12 (14)
13 (15)
Expressing different
feelings and asking
for things;

Learning about
Italian T.V.


Understanding
slogans in Italian
advertisements;


Understanding and
giving dispositions.
14 (16)
Giving dispositions
with pronouns;
Travelling: giving
and asking for
directions.
15 (17)
16 (18)



Telling a story;

Being able to
understand a simple
Italian magazine and
newspaper article.

Travelling:
understanding a
concert program;
Going out:
expressing your
desires and
preferences.
General revision of the Autumn term
topics.
Learn the vocabulary of TV programs;
understand information on the news.
Indirect pronouns in the present and
past tenses (To me, to you, to him,.. ‘Mi,
ti, gli,.).
TEXTBOOK
PAGES/
RESOURCES
Handouts,
p. 149- 153
(Unit 10),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Use the indirect pronouns to express
different feelings and ask for things
(‘Can you do me a favour?’ ‘Puoi farmi
un favore?’)
Indirect pronouns with modal verbs.
More on T.V. topic: Italian T.V.
programs.
Handouts,
p. 153- 157
(Unit 10),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Understand advertisements in Italian:
slogans.
Direct Imperative tense in the three
conjugations, in positive and negative
forms.‘Read!’ ‘Leggi!’ ‘Don’t look!’ ‘Non
guardare!’.
Handouts,
p. 158- 161
(Unit 10),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Imperative with pronouns: positive and
negative forms: ‘Keep it!’ ‘Tienilo!’.
Irregular imperatives.
Learn how to give and ask for directions;
practice with a map.
Handouts,
p. 162- 165
(Unit 10),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Handouts,
p. 165-168
(Unit 10),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
EXAMPLE LANGUAGE AREAS




Tell a story by looking at at the pictures
(‘Once upon a time..’ ‘C’era una volta..’).
Learn about Italian press: different
magazines, newspapers and reading
habits.
Read an Italian newspaper/ magazine
article.
Understand the poster of a concert
program/ a dialogue about it.
Conditional tense (i.e. ‘I could’ ‘Potrei’):
regular and irregular forms at the
present.
Different uses of the conditional (1):
express a desire (I’d rather ’ ‘Preferirei
uscire’).
Handouts,
p. 169-174
(Unit 11),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Language Express 2015/2016
17 (19)
Asking something
politely, giving
suggestions,
expressing opinions;

Talking about music.

18 (20)
Expressing a desire
(past and future).
Learning about
Italian music/
songwriters.
19 (21)
Writing a letter and
simple C.V.;
Italian culture: being
able to understand a
famous Italian song.
20 (22)
Revision and selfevaluation.


Uses of the conditional tense (2): make
a polite request (‘Would you lend me
your pen?’ ‘Mi presteresti la tua
penna?’), give suggestions (‘You could
change job’ ‘Potresti cambiare lavoro’),
express an opinion (‘This watch should
be expensive’ ‘Quest’ orologio dovrebbe
essere caro’).
Music vocabulary; talk about your tastes
in music and your knowledge of Italian
music.
Handouts,
p. 174- 176,
180, 181 (Unit
11),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Past conditional: express an
unrealisable desire in the past and in
the future (‘We would have gone, but
we’re tired’ ‘Saremmo andati, ma siamo
stanchi’).
Read about Italian music and the most
famous songwriters.
Handouts,
p. 177- 179,
182, 183 (Unit
11),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.

Learn to choose between present or past
conditional: understand the differences.
 More on compound tenses: the future
perfect and the past plus-perfect.
 Learn how to write a cover letter and a
simple C.V.
 Read, understand and listen to a
famous Italian song.
Handouts,
p. 179, 180
(Unit 11), p. 80,
81 (U. 5), p. 110,
111 (U. 7),
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.

Handouts,
p. 184- 186,
WLM,
e-flashcards,
Ipad,
audio cd.
Revision and self-evaluation: all the
main contents of the Post-beginner
course.