Courses

Spring 2009 - Italian Course Descriptions

Italian 001 — Elementary Italian I

A - Block D - Elena Paolini
B - Block F - Isabella Perricone
C - Block G - Constance Toth-Berindei

Development of basic language skills.  Introduction to fundamental grammatical structures with emphasis on speaking, listening comprehension, and elementary writing assignments.  Conducted in Italian.  No prerequisites.

Texts: Federici and Riga, Ciao!: Textbook and Workbook/Laboratory Manual (Heinle).

Italian 002 — Elementary Italian II

A - Block A - Elena Paolini
B - Block C - Jennifer Cottini
C - Block I - Constance Toth-Berindei
D - Block N - Giulia Po

A continuation of Italian 001.  This course advances the study of basic grammar and vocabulary.  Supplementary readings and films provide the cultural context for class activities and assignments.  Conducted in Italian.  Prerequisite: Italian 001 or equivalent.

Texts: Federici and Riga, Ciao!: Textbook and Workbook/Laboratory Manual (Heinle).

Italian 003 — Intermediate Italian I

A - Block E - Daniela Bartalesi-Graf
B - Block F - Silvia Monteleone Wasson

Continued study of grammar and syntax with emphasis on more advanced structural principles.  More extensive readings on cultural and literary topics and the viewing of an epic film in episodes will form the basis for class discussion and activities.  Students are required to register for a recitation section that consists of a weekly 40-minute conversation group.  Conducted in Italian.  Prerequisite: Italian 002 or equivalent.

Texts: Moneti and Lazzarino, Da capo: Textbook and Laboratory Manual (Heinle); Dizionario inglese (Garzanti, coll. "I Garzantini").

Italian 004 — Intermediate Italian II

A - Block G+ - Daniela Bartalesi-Graf
B - Block H+ - Silvia Monteleone Wasson

Through the study of authentic readings and films, the curriculum for Italian 004 focuses on Italian history and society from the Fascist era through the 1970's and continues the study of advanced grammatical structures.  The course is designed to improve writing and conversational skills and to reinforce the basic linguistic knowledge acquired in Italian 001-003.  Class discussions, oral presentations and debates, written compositions and tests, and a final exam.  Conducted in Italian.  Prerequisite: Italian 003 or equivalent.

Texts: Bartalesi-Graf, L'Italia dal fascismo ad oggi: Percorsi paralleli nella storia, nella letteratura e nel cinema (Guerra); Moneti and Lazzarino, Da capo: Textbook only (Heinle); Dizionario inglese (Garzanti, coll. "I Garzantini").

Italian 004-WW — Intermediate Italian II Writing Workshop

Wednesday 12:00-12:50 - Daniela Bartalesi-Graf

Students will use writing as a means to become more deeply engaged in the readings and films, develop critical thinking, and improve their writing and discussion skills in Italian.  No extra graded work will be assigned.  The workshop will provide the opportunity to map ideas for compositions, engage in peer discussion of drafts, and have individual conferences with the instructor.  The writing workshop requires an extra 50 minutes of class time each week, and in recognition of the extra time commitment, a record of participation will appear on the student's transcript.  This course may be taken only in conjunction with Italian 004 A or B.

Italian 022 — Composition and Conversation II

A - Block J+ - Patricia Di Silvio
B - Block J+ - CANCELLED

Focus on aspects of Italian culture, history, and social issues through the reading of a contemporary novel, short stories, and selected articles.  Emphasis on expanding vocabulary, reviewing advanced grammatical structures, and improving analytical skills.  Course work includes oral and written assignments, viewing of films, exams, and a final project.  Conducted in Italian.  Prerequisite: Italian 004 or 021, or consent. 

Texts: Sciascia, A ciascuno il suo (Houghton-Mifflin; photocopied with permission); Bailini and Consonno, I verbi italiani (Alma).
Recommended:  Zingarelli, Lo Zingarelli minore: Vocabolario della lingua italiana  (Zanichelli).

Italian 022-WW — Composition and Conversation II Writing Workshop

Wednesday 12:00-12:50 - Patricia Di Silvio

This workshop will pay special attention to students' analytical skills in Italian by emphasizing the planning and revision stages of writing.  Students will use writing as a means of deepening their understanding of the course materials in an informal, interactive, and small group setting.  No extra graded work will be assigned.  The writing workshop requires an extra 50 minutes of class time each week, and in recognition of the extra time commitment, a record of participation will appear on the student's transcript.  This course may be taken only in conjunction with Italian 022 A or B.

Italian 032 — Readings in Italian Literature II

Block K+ - Laura Baffoni Licata

An introduction to Italian literature from the eighteenth century to the present, with emphasis on significant literary currents.  Texts by representative authors of different genres will be examined.  The course is intended to improve analytical skills and to strengthen oral and written critical expression.  Three short papers, oral presentations, two exams, one final research paper. Conducted in Italian.  Prerequisite: Italian 021 or equivalent.

Texts: Goldoni, La locandiera (Bonacci, coll. “Classici della letteratura italiana”); Leopardi, Poesie (Bonacci, coll. “Classici della letteratura italiana”); Verga, Novelle (Bonacci, coll. “Classici della letteratura italiana”); Pirandello, Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore,  (Mondadori, coll. “Classici moderni”); bound packet of readings available at Gnomon Copy, 348 Boston Avenue, Medford.

Italian 055 — The Rinascimento (*In English)

Block D+ - Vincent Pollina

Sensitivity and brutality, artful treachery and artistic refinement, are blended in the Italian Renaissance.  Four works read in English translation will reveal the varied genius of the period:  the heroic, tragic, and comic tales from the Decameron; the Orlando Furioso, with its epic fantasy and wit; the Book of the Courtier, which recalls the most gracious of the Renaissance courts; and the extravagant autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini - soldier, goldsmith, traveler, and sculptor.  There will be supplementary readings from political and philosophical sources and from the poems of Petrarca and Michelangelo.  Class discussions; three exams.  No prerequisites.  Counts toward the Major in Italian Studies, the Minor in Italian, and the Italian Culture Option; satisfies the Related Field requirement for French and Spanish majors and the Humanities or the Social Science requirement for Engineers.

Texts: Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, ed. & tr. Mark Musa and Peter Bondanella, paperback text edition (W. W. Norton); Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, tr. Guido Waldman (Oxford University Press); Baldassare Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier, tr. George Bull (Penguin); Benvenuto Cellini, The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, rev. ed., tr. George Bull (Penguin).

Italian 075 — Italian Film (*In English)

Block 6 - Isabella Perricone
Film Screenings: Sunday 5:15-7:45 p.m.

An excursion through the works of the masters of Italian cinema from World War II to the 1980's.  The importance of Neorealism in Italian culture as depicted in films by Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica and the Italian reality of the 1960's as seen through films by Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni.  Lectures, readings, and class discussions will enable students to spot different directorial and acting styles.  Examination of Italian studios and producers as well as of Italian screenwriters and their work methods.  Oral presentations, two short papers (3-4 pages), one exam, and one final paper (8-10 pages).  Films shown with English subtitles.  Informed, engaged class participation a must.  No prerequisites.

Texts: Bondanella, Italian Cinema from Neorealism to the Present (Continuum); Curie and Snyder eds., Vittorio De Sica: Contemporary Perspectives (University of Toronto Press); selected readings on reserve in Tisch Library.

Italian 121 — Advanced Italian Language I: Italian Women's Voices & Images

Block E+mw - Laura Baffoni Licata

Through an in-depth analysis of written and spoken Italian, the course will focus on the study of the contemporary language with emphasis on idiomatic usage and styles of expression.  Readings in both critical and fictional prose will explore women's images and voices in Italian culture, society, and literature.  Review of grammatical difficulties through translation exercises.  The translation itself will be used as an instrument for the study of style.  Intensive exercises aimed at building vocabulary.  Three short papers, two exams, oral presentations, and a final project.  Active class participation is essential.  Prerequisites: Italian 021 and 022, or consent.

Texts: Fallaci, Lettera a un bambino mai nato (Rizzoli); Tamaro, Va' dove ti porta il cuore (Baldini & Castoldi); Picchiassi and Zaganelli, Contesti italiani (Guerra).

Italian 121-WW — Advanced Italian Language I Writing Workshop

Block Mw - Laura Baffoni Licata

Students choosing the writing workshop option should register for Italian 121WW.  The writing workshop component, which students may elect to take as a small section in addition to regular class meetings, will be devoted to learning through writing.  The workshop will use writing as a means of becoming more deeply engaged with the texts and of developing analytical and critical thinking skills.  Students in this section will not have extra graded work.  This course may be taken only in conjunction with Italian 121.

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