ITALIAN LANGUAGE - BEGINNER LEVEL

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

Course description

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 9-10.30 or 10.45-12.15 or 13-14.30

COURSE 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) perchè (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 displeasure

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

Grading

The students will be expected to come to all classes prepared to actively participate 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 homework, 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)

Tutoring

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

Textbook

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

ITALIAN FOR FOREIGNERS – INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

(B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

Course description

This course is a continuation of ‘Italian Beginners’. Students will begin the course by reviewing material from the previous course.

This language course is designed so that students can practice their grammar skills and increase their ability to understand, speak, read and write Italian, while emphasizing the development of reading comprehension. It includes an introduction to new grammar skills, with continued vocabulary study, conversational practice, short composition, cultural and literary readings and some work with video. 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. During classes, students will produce some written documents concerning their own experience in Venice as a foreign student.

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

Hours: 56

Class Schedule

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.15-10.30 or 10.45-12.15

Grammar

• Review of simple present tense (regular and irregular)
• Review of simple past
• Review of simple future tense
• Reflexive verbs
• Use of the partitive “ne”
• Imperfect past tense
• Simple past (perfect tense) and imperfect used together
• Agreement of the direct pronouns with the perfect tense
• Formal/informal use of the imperative;
• Stare + gerundio: present continuous;
• Introduction to subjunctive (present)
• Si impersonale
• Pronouns
• Use of ci
• Relative pronouns
• Introduction to conditional (present)

Communicative areas

Telling stories and events in the past; Describing weather; Giving and asking for advises or instructions; Describing situations, places and people; Making a phone call; Organizing a trip; Asking for a permission; Giving an opinion; Making projects for the future; Apologizing; Making a proposal and inviting; Accepting and refusing ; Complaining

Oral comprehension

Dialogues; Weather report; Songs; Phone calls; Videos; Advertisements;

Written comprehension

Writing a letter to a friend or a relative; Instructions; Warnings and messages; Invitations; Announcements; Tales; Short literature passages; Tourist information; Horoscope; Short newspaper articles; How to write a complaint letter

Oral expression and vocabulary

Face-to-face conversation; Instructions; Descriptions; Tales; Phone calls; Role play

Written expression

Post cards; Familiar letters; Diary pages; Tales;

Grading

The students will be expected to come to all classes prepared to actively participate 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 homework, 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)

Tutoring

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

Textbook:

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

ITALIAN FOR FOREIGNERS – UPPER INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

(B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

Course description

This course is composed by:

- 56 hours Intermediate classes with the purpose of a general review;

- 18 hours classes dedicated to further develop skills as:

formulate opinions; make judgments and suggestions, in oral and written form, on selected issues presented in the reading material; narrate in oral and written form using different verbal tenses and modes; read, comprehend and analyze newspaper, magazine articles and movie sequences.

Students will begin the course by reviewing material from the previous courses.

This language course will allow students to reinforce their grammar skills and increase their ability to understand, speak, read and write Italian, while emphasizing the development of reading comprehension. It includes an introduction to new grammar skills, with continued vocabulary study, conversational practice, short composition, cultural and literary readings and some work with video. 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. 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).

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

Hours: 74

Class Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9-10.30 or 10.45-12.15

Grammar

Review of:

• simple present tense (regular and irregular);
• past tenses;
• simple future tense
• Reflexive verbs;
• Use of the partitive “ne”;
• Imperfect past tense;
• Simple past (perfect tense) and imperfect used together;
• Agreement of the direct pronouns with the perfect tense;
• Formal/informal use of the imperative;
• Stare+gerundio: present continuous;
• Subjunctive (present);
• Si impersonale;
• Pronouns;
• Use of ci;
• Relative pronouns (che, chi);
• Conditional (present);

Introduction to:

• Relative pronouns (cui);
• Subjunctive (present, past);
• Conditional (present, past);
• Impersonal (si impersonale con verbi riflessivi);
• Conditional clause (primo e secondo tipo);
• In-depth examination of prepositions.

Communicative areas

Formulate opinions; make judgments and suggestions, in oral and written form, on selected issues presented in the reading material.

Narrate in oral and written form using different verbal tenses and modes.

Read, comprehend and analyze newspaper, magazine articles and movie sequences.

Oral comprehension

Dialogues; Songs; Videos and movies sequences; Advertisements;

Written comprehension

Writing formal and informal letters; Instructions; Warnings and messages; Announcements; Narrative passages; Newspaper and magazine articles;

Oral expression and vocabulary

Face-to-face conversation; Instructions; Descriptions; Tales; Role play

Written expression

Formal and informal letters, diary pages, tales, summarize a narrative text.

Grading

The students will be expected to come to all classes prepared to actively participate 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. (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)

Tutoring

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

Textbook: Workbook of Istituto Venezia 2 (selection of authentic teaching materials and selected teaching materials from textbooks as Espresso, Chiaro, Domani, Un giorno in Italia e Magari)

ITALIAN FOR FOREIGNERS – ADVANCED LEVEL

Course description

This course is composed by:

- 56 hours Intermediate classes with the purpose of a general review;

- 18 hours classes will be specially dedicated to further develop skills as:

formulate opinions; make judgments and suggestions, in oral and written form, on selected issues presented in the reading material;

narrate in oral and written form using different verbal tenses and modes;

read, comprehend and analyze newspaper, magazine articles and movie sequences.

- 6 hours dedicated to read, comprehend and summarize a narrative text (Pavese e Ginzburg)

Students will begin the course by reviewing material from the previous course.

This language course will allow students to reinforce their grammar skills and increase their ability to understand, speak, read and write Italian. It includes complex grammar skills, with continued vocabulary study, conversational practice, composition, cultural and literary readings and some work with video. Group work 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.

During classes and at home students will read and analyze Natalia Ginzburg, Lessico familiare and, optional, Cesare Pavese, La luna e i falò

Students also will produce some written documents concerning their own experience in Venice as a foreign student (e.g. small Venice guide for foreign students).

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

Hours: 80

Class Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9-10.30 or 10.45-12.15

Grammar

Review of:

• simple present tense (regular and irregular);
• past tenses;
• simple future tense
• Reflexive verbs;
• Use of the partitive “ne”;
• Imperfect past tense;
• Simple past (perfect tense) and imperfect used together;
• Agreement of the direct pronouns with the perfect tense;
• Formal/informal use of the imperative;
• Stare+gerundio: present continuous;
• Subjunctive (present);
• Si impersonale;
• Pronouns;
• Use of ci;
• Relative pronouns (che, chi);
• Conditional (present);

Introduction to:

• Relative pronouns (cui);
• Subjunctive (present, past);
• Conditional (present, past);
• Impersonal (si impersonale con verbi riflessivi);
• Conditional clause (primo, secondo e terzo tipo);
• In-depth examination of prepositions.
• Remote past;
• Gerund;
• Complex reflexive verbs (andarsene, ...)
• Conjunctions

Communicative areas

Formulate opinions; make judgments and suggestions, in oral and written form, on selected issues presented in the reading material.

Narrate in oral and written form using different verbal tenses and modes.

Read, comprehend and analyze newspaper, magazine articles, narrative texts and movie sequences.

Oral comprehension

Dialogues; Songs; Videos and movies sequences; Advertisements;

Written comprehension

Formal and informal letter; Instructions; Warnings and messages; Announcements; Tales; Narrative texts; Newspaper and magazine articles;

Oral expression and vocabulary

Face-to-face discussion; Instructions; Descriptions; Tales;

Written expression

Formal and informal letters, diary pages, tales, summarize a narrative text.

Grading

The students will be expected to come to all classes prepared to actively participate 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. (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)

Tutoring

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

Textbook: Workbook of Istituto Venezia 2 (selection of authentic teaching materials and selected teaching materials from textbooks as Espresso, Chiaro, Domani, Un giorno in Italia e Magari)

Last updated: July 15, 2026