About this Course

Benvenuti e Benvenute! (Welcome!) Learn how to perfect your skills in Italian (speaking, listening, reading and writing), and by the end of this course you will be able to express opinions and hypotheses, and sustain an argument using a variety of registers. You will also expand your vocabulary to include topics beyond everyday conversation. This language course offers a variety of tools that will help you learn in different ways: Situational videos (called Ciak! , which means “clapperboard” in Italian): you will follow eight Italian students in their daily lives and interactions on our campus. What a great way to learn authentic conversational Italian! Downloadable Podcasts: become a participant in each Ciak! video and practice Italian when and where you want on your portable device! Grammar charts, with or without audio files: study and review grammar through concise, clear and downloadable pdf files, and practice pronunciation with our embedded audio files. Short video lessons: as if in a real classroom, learn each new topic with the teacher’s direct guidance. Video interviews: learn from various native speakers as they talk about different aspects of Italian culture. Short “Letture” (readings): practice reading comprehension while learning about aspects of Italian culture. Discussion board: your chance to communicate (in Italian!) with other students on a variety of suggested topics. Ready to test your skills? Practice and review with a variety of self-correcting activities. Italian culture is also an integral part of this course. Through interviews and readings you will learn about: the challenges that the Italian economy is currently facing; the origin and nature of the Italian Constitution; Italian environmental challenges and solutions; the significance of Dante’s journey in the Divine Comedy; the “Commedia dell’Arte”, an Italian theatrical genre; the origins of the Mafia; the “Taranta” or “Pizzica”, a traditional style of music and dance from Southern Italy; the recent immigration and the Italian citizenship law. Whether you are a traditional, visual or auditory learner, you will find the tools that best fit your unique way to learn a foreign language. Buono studio e buon divertimento!

Created by: Wellesley College

Level: Advanced