Italian Conversation II Study + Internship in Rome Program Spring 2017 Semester

This course is designed for students who have at least the equivalent of two semesters of college level Italian. The primary aim of the course is to develop the speaking and listening skills through a communicative, collaborative and cultural approach. In order to develop these skills the primary language of instruction in this course is Italian.

The course combines several integrated approaches aimed at developing your skills. Most in-class time, driven by the structure of the textbook, is devoted to speaking and practicing Italian through a combination of group-based and individual activities, focusing on language functions and vocabulary. Lessons also focus on a wide range of contemporary cultural themes through the use varied materials such as newspaper articles, advertising material and short film clips. To give you further opportunities to develop your linguistic and intercultural skills in real local-community situations, your professor will assist in arranging conversation exchanges with Italians, either as part of in-class cultural exchanges with local Italians as guests, or during on-site study excursions.

Special extra-curricular activities, organized by various local institutions, will be announced at the start of the semester and your instructor will help you identify which activities would be most useful for you. These and other cultural components of the course will also promote your knowledge of Italy and Italians, as you learn about Italian society, and thus learning Italian gives you a privileged opportunity to develop sensitivity towards cultural differences and to understand the ways in which culture and language interlock. In this sense you will be encouraged to exploit the value of these lessons not just as a useful aid to your progress in other courses at the Global Campus, but as a set of tools for unlocking a wide range of intercultural discoveries whilst living and studying abroad.

By the end of the course, you are expected not simply to be able to demonstrate mastery of the lexical structures and communication functions, but the growing ability to conduct relatively demanding conversations to express personal ideas and opinions, dreams, hopes and ambitions, and to be able to write short texts that clearly and simply relate personal experiences, impressions and opinions.