BEGINNER LEVEL

(A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

This course is addressed to beginner students who have no knowledge of the Italian language. Although reading and writing will be important, significant emphasis in class will be placed on speaking and listening. Group work and role-play are used extensively to develop these skills. The course is conducted in Italian from the first day. Homework will be corrected during class time and it will allow the students to self-correct and understand why a specific grammar point works the way it does. At the end of the course, students will be able to communicate in every day’s most frequent situations, using basic vocabulary and grammar.

Hours: 56

Class Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.15-10.45 

Syllabus:

Grammar
• Definitive and indefinite articles
• Simple present tense (regular verbs, three conjugations –are –ere –ire)
• Irregular verbs: essere, avere, andare, fare, bere, rimanere, venire, uscire
• Verbs Dovere (to have to, to must) Potere (to can, to be able to) Volere (to want)
• Use of “ci” (there)
• Simple past (perfect tense)
• Possessive adjectives and pronouns
• Use of the verb Piacere (to like)
• Reflexive pronouns
• Introduction to pronouns direct object
• Use of the simple prepositions and prepositions with article
• Imperative
• Conjunctions e (and) ma (but) mentre (while) quando (when) perché (why, because)

Communicative areas
• Identification: name, nationality..., Introducing oneself, Habits
• Asking and answering information
• Offering something, inviting someone, accepting, refusing
• Situations: in class, at the bar, the station, at the restaurant, in a store, a language school, in hotel.
• Talking about family, Describing people and items, telling a brief story in the past
• Asking for explanations about words or linguistic questions
• Expressing preferences; Expressing pleasure and unpleasure

Oral comprehension
• Dialogues; Messages (listening to a message at the answering machine, to the radio); Interviews (radio, TV); Video (movies, TV); Advertisements; Songs;

Written comprehension
• Timetables; Menu; Memorandum; Post cards and letters to friends; Diary; Recipes; Short biographies; Short announcements; Advertisements; Comics; Short instructions; Catalogues; Fieldtrip schedules or cultural programs

Oral expression and vocabulary
• Readings concerning:
• Studying and learning a foreign language
• Every-day-life situations
• Cities and means of transportation
• Space, forms, dimensions, quantity
• Time

Written expression
• Fill in an enrolment form; writing a message; writing a post card; writing a diary page; writing a letter in familiar way

Evaluation

The students will be expected to come to all classes prepared to actively partecipate in oral and written work. Attendance for this class is absolutely mandatory. Absences will lower the final grade. 
• 30% Class performance (participation and attendance). Class will involve much student-student and student-instructor interaction in more open-ended conversation. The quality of interaction will have a significant effect on the course grade.
• 20% Homework. (10 homeworks, written) Effort and enthusiasm will count as much as accuracy in preparation.
• 20% Mid-term exam (written);
• 20% Final exam (oral, final paper presentation);
• 10% Final working paper (written) during classes, students will produce some written documents concerning their own experience in Venice as a foreign student (e.g. small Venice guide for foreign students)

Reading

Workbook of Istituto Venezia 2 (selection of authentic teaching materials and selected teaching materials from textbooks as Espresso, Chiaro, Domani)

Tutoring

Students can ask their teacher for any extra materials they may need to personalize their program further or to review some grammar points.

Schedule

Timetable week 1-6: four lessons/week, Monday to Thursday, 09.15-10.45 

Timetable week 7-12: four lessons/week, Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday, 09.15-10.45