Undergraduate

Course Atlas - Fall 2008

Italian Studies Course Offerings

ITAL 101: Elementary Italian I, Faculty
ITAL 171: Introduction to Italian Studies II:  Renaissance to Fascism, Faculty
ITAL 190: Freshman Seminar, Faculty
ITAL 201: Intermediate Italian, Faculty
ITAL 311WR: Italy in the 19th Century, Faculty
ITAL 376R: The Romance Languages, Faculty
ITAL 397R: Supervised Reading, Faculty
ITAL 470RS:  Topics in Italian Literature, Faculty

ITAL 101  Elementary Italian I
Max: 16

Faculty MW 8:30-9:20 / TT 8:30-9:45
Faculty MW 9:35-10:25 / TT 10:00-11:15
Faculty MW 9:35-10:25 / TT10:00-11:15
Faculty MW 10:40-11:30 / TT 11:30-12:45
Faculty MW 11:45-12:35 / TT 11:30-12:45 (Freshman only)
Faculty MW 12:50-1:40 / TT 1:00-2:15 (Freshman only)
Faculty MW 2:00-2:50 / TT 2:30-3:45
Faculty MW 3:00-3:50 / TT 2:30-3:45
Faculty MW 4:00-4:50 / TT 4:00-5:15

Content: This is the first course of the two semester introductory sequence (Ital 101-Ital 102), which are taught with the new Italian Virtual Class inter-active cultural text. From the first day of class, instruction is in Italian, and students are encouraged to participate actively in the acquisition of integrated language skills. Emphasis will be placed on useful conversation, elementary grammar, and Italian culture; written and oral exercises will be assigned daily to reinforce material presented in class. Students will be regularly exposed to direct and live cultural footage and interviews conducted in Italy in order to create a coherent and meaningful fusion of language and culture. Attendance is expected both during the four hours of class instruction and at the language lab. When students have successfully completed Italian 101 and 102 they will have the skills necessary to communicate with Italians and Italian speakers both here and in Italy, on at least a practical level. (We highly recommend a semester in Italy on one of our 5 excellent semester and/or a summer on the very popular Emory Summer Studies in Italy program.

Texts: Required IVC textbook plus computer access with Flash Player; the Collins Italian-English Dictionary.

Particulars: Examinations: bi-weekly quizzes and final exam. Grading: quizzes 55%, final exam 15%, class participation and attendance 15%, written homework, classwork, and oral presentations 15%. The course is especially valuable for students of Art History, English, European History, Film, Music and other Languages and Literatures.

ITAL 171  Introduction to Italian Studies II:  Renaissance to Fascism           
Max: 10
Faculty TT 2:30-3:45

Content: An interdisciplinary survey course, taught in English and designed for students unfamiliar with Italian culture.  Though a GER course, preference will be given to those students with a demonstrated interest in Italian cultural studies.  Based on lectures, reading of selected texts, class discussions, films and visuals, the class attempts to bring to life Italian cultural, social, and historical development from the Renaissance to the present day.

Texts:  TBA

Particulars:  TBA

ITAL 190  Freshman Seminar: How We Learn
Max: 16
Faculty TT 10:00-11:15

Content: Let’s take a walk back in time to one of your most enjoyable experiences.  What was going on?  Why do you remember it?  How can you recreate the conditions of this memorable moment in order to promote meaningful and effective learning in the future? 

This class will examine learning on a very personal level to find out what makes you tick as a learner.  What is your learning style?  How do you learn best?  How can you empower yourself during your educational journey to help you learn in an active and engaged manner throughout your lifetime?  It is my hope that you will take from the course knowledge on how to be active and empowered learners so that as you become an integral part of various learning communities in the future, you will have a positive and effective impact on others as a result of the knowledge you have gained about your own learning.  The lens with which we will be discussing our own learning is through an examination of the educational practices and theories developed in the town of Reggio Emilia in Italy and adopted here in the United States, as well as a look at Montessori and Waldorf Education programs here in the United States.
 
Texts: Course Reader

Particulars: TBA

ITAL 201  Intermediate Italian
Max: 15
Faculty TT 11:30-12:35 / M 11:45-12:35
Faculty TT 1:00-2:15 / W 11:45-12:35

Content: This course continues the development of the fundamental language skills (oral comprehension, speaking, reading and writing) while introducing more complex structures. Furthermore it completes the Italian Virtual Class three course sequence engaging in a systemic study of Italian grammar, regions and culture. From the first day of class, students will be exposed to original texts, images, direct and live cultural footage and interviews conducted in Italy in order to create a coherent and meaningful fusion of language and culture. The class thus places the fifth language acquisition skill, culture, in the forefront of the curriculum. Class content will focus on topics of Italian civilization. Classes are conducted in Italian and are planned in order to encourage comprehension and speaking. Participation in cultural presentations and viewing of films and videos will enhance this objective.

Texts: IVC textbook plus Italian-English Dictionary are required.

Particulars: Grading is based on active class participation, laboratory work and homework, regular quizzes, oral and written final.

Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of Italian 102 or equivalent to be determined by instructor.

ITAL 311WR             Italy in the 19th Century

Max: 20
Faculty TTH 1:00-2:15

Content:  This course is designed to assist advanced students in Italian Studies in fully developing their Italian language skills while exploring the culture, which permeates the language. Thus, in addition to their continuing work in grammar and particular emphasis on writing, students will study the sequential study of Italian civilization: art, history, literature, politics, through the 19th century. To enhance the cultural focus, students will be exposed to direct and live cultural footage and interviews conducted in Italy in order to create a coherent and meaningful fusion of language and culture. Italian films will also be shown. The class thus places the fifth language acquisition skill, culture, in the forefront of the curriculum. This class actively engages in the Virtual Class exchange project with a partner class in Padova, Italy.

Texts: TBA plus Concise Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary.

Particulars: Weekly assignments, quizzes and final paper.

Prerequisites: Italian 202 or instructor's approval.

ITAL 376R   The Romance Languages (cross-listed with LING 385S; PORT 412S; SPAN 410S)
Permission required

Max: 3
Don Tuten MWF 12:50-1:40

CONTENT: This course aims to provide an understanding of the history and development from Latin of the different varieties of Romance (e.g., Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian), focusing on their structure and use. It will also provide students with an introduction to the fields of historical linguistics and language change. We will examine changes in the pronunciation (phonetics/phonology), the grammar (morphology/syntax), the lexicon, and also changes in use (pragmatics). However, beyond this examination of what changes occurred when and where they did, we will also ask: how and why did specific changes occur in specific times and places (but not others)?; and more importantly, why does language change and vary at all? To respond to these questions, we will consider how learning and cognition interact with sociohistorical and cultural factors to shape language change. We will consider too how and why the Romance languages came to be seen as languages different from Latin and from each other, and how modern institutions have come to promote some kinds of change and discourage others.

Readings and discussion will be in English, but significant previous study of at least one Romance language is required.

Particulars: Students enrolling under Spanish, Italian or Portuguese must complete their final research project on some issue relating to the language under which they enrolled.

Prerequisites: At least two years of college-level study (or equivalent) of any Romance language (e.g., Catalan, French, Galician, Italian, Occitan, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish). Previous or simultaneous study of Linguistics 201 (Foundations of Linguistics) is strongly recommended but not required. By permission only

ITAL 397R  Supervised Reading

Max: 4
Faculty TBA; Time TBA

Content: TBA

Texts:  TBA

Particulars:  TBA

Prerequisites: Students must have faculty approval prior to enrolling in this course. Suitable only for students who have completed at least 5 semesters of Italian.

ITAL 470RS       Topics in Italian Literature: Fantastical Elements in Italian Literature and Cinema

Max: 15
Faculty TT 10:00-11:15

Content: This course will provide an overview of the fantastical in Italian culture through the analysis of Italian short stories and film. The texts and movies will illustrate cultural topics from the 20th century to the present.  After class discussions dedicated to the analysis of the texts, students will emulate the style of the authors studied through a short creative work of their own. Furthermore short written film critiques will be assigned.

Texts:  Course reader; the Concise Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictoionary

Particulars: TBA

Prerequisites: Successful completion of two third-year level language classes or permission of the instructor.

Any questions may be addressed to the program director: