Course Listings

Elementary Italian I

ITAL 111 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Not open to native speakers of Italian; assumes no prior knowledge of Italian.) A basic foundation in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Italian. Italian culture, history, current events, and geography provide the context for instruction in grammatical structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing. Focus is on acquiring the skills necessary to communicate with native Italian speakers orally and in writing at an elementary level.

Elementary Italian II

ITAL 112 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Not open to native speakers of Italian.) Prerequisite: ITAL 111. A continuation of the development of basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Italian. Italian culture, history, current events, and geography provide the context for instruction in grammatical structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing. Focus is on acquiring the skills necessary to communicate with native Italian speakers orally and in writing at an advanced elementary level. Much of the class is conducted in Italian.

Intermediate Italian I

ITAL 211 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: Prerequisite: ITAL 112. Further development of skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Italian. Italian culture, history, current events, and geography provide the context for instruction in grammatical structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and composition. Focus is on acquiring the skills necessary to communicate with native Italian speakers orally and in writing at an intermediate level. Class is conducted primarily in Italian. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: ITAL 114 or ITAL 211.

Intermediate Italian II

ITAL 212 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Serves as preparation for upper-level courses in Italian language, culture, and literature.) Prerequisite: ITAL 211. Improvement of skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Italian. Italian culture, history, current events, and geography provide the context for instruction in grammatical structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and composition. Focus is on acquiring the skills necessary to communicate with native Italian speakers orally and in writing at an advanced intermediate level. Class is conducted almost entirely in Italian. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: ITAL 115 or ITAL 212.

Intermediate Conversation

ITAL 250 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: Prerequisite: ITAL 212. Further development of conversational skills in Italian. Focus is on comprehending and responding to questions seeking concrete information (such as personal background, interests, needs, family, and work), comprehending media announcements and reports, and describing visual situations. Emphasis is on vocabulary building and idiomatic expression. Short readings from a variety of increasingly sophisticated formal and informal sources are used. Students who have already successfully completed ITAL 201 may not earn credit for this course.

Advanced Conversation I

ITAL 311 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: Prerequisite: ITAL 212 or consent of the faculty member. Training in understanding Italian without being confused by syntactical structures. Emphasis is on conversing in a spontaneous and idiomatic manner.

Advanced Conversation II

ITAL 312 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: Prerequisite: ITAL 212 or consent of the faculty member. Further training in understanding Italian without being confused by syntactical structures. Emphasis is on conversing in a spontaneous and idiomatic manner.

Commercial and Workplace Italian

ITAL 318 | 4 Credits

Course Desc: Prerequisite: ITAL 212 or equivalent Italian proficiency. A study of business terminology, vocabulary, formats, and practices. Emphasis is on everyday spoken and written workplace Italian, using authentic text from native speakers. Written and oral practice is provided in finding and communicating information, especially on commercial topics in business and other workplace situations. Assignments include a project involving specific vocabulary, forms of professional communication, and cultural protocols relevant to the student's workplace or major.

Italian Life and Culture I

ITAL 333 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Conducted in English.) A study of Italian life and culture from Roman times to the Renaissance.

Dante in Translation

ITAL 411 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: An examination of Dante's Divine Comedy in English translation in its historical context. Topics include the political and social situation in the Italy of the 13th and 14th centuries, medieval philosophy and concepts of worldly vs. divine justice, secular vs. spiritual power, and the range of literary modes, from the comic to the sublime, in this foundational text of the European literary imagination.

The Italian Renaissance in Translation

ITAL 421 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Conducted in English.) A study of major trends in Renaissance literature, art, and science. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: ITAL 410, ITAL 421, or ITAL 422.

Italian Cinema: A Cultural Approach Translation

ITAL 471 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Conducted in English.) A study of the culture of Italy as seen through the medium of film from the silent days up to the present. Students may receive credit only once under this course title.

The Italian Opera Libretto

ITAL 475 | 3 Credits

Course Desc: (Conducted in English.) An analysis of Italian opera librettos and study of their history from Monteverdi to Puccini.