Basic Modern Italian I [ LFLTR1750 ]

Content and method : 45 hours of practical tutorials directed in series: the 1st series concentrates on getting the students to learn basic communication situations and grammar, as well as on the ability to read newspapers and historical and literary texts. We shall use the methods developed for the inter-comprehension of the Romance languages: as such, the course essentially relies on what the student is already familiar with, though without conscious knowledge (that is, that the syntactical structures and a large part of the vocabulary in Italian and French are identical). The 2nd series will be devoted to reading, understanding, and translating specialized Italian texts, both modern and classical, from the areas of art history and of history. Each series offers an introduction to Italian culture based on the understanding of written and audiovisual documents. 55 hours of personal study: study of vocabulary; immersion exercises and deduction of grammatical structures. Understanding the texts studied.

a) Skill development : 1st series: ability to read newspapers as well as contemporary historical and literary texts. Listening exercises: elementary dialogues and texts. Writing: to be able to write short basic texts. Speaking: to master a few basic communication situations, and to be able to initiate a basic dialogue. 2nd series: reading and listening to specialized texts. b) Acquiring knowledge : 1st series: to develop a deductive skill based on the common root of Italian and French. Learning grammar, based on the common root of Italian and French. Learning vocabulary, using the deductive skills based on the common root of Italian and French learned during the course. Introduction to Italian cultures. 2nd series: Learning basic grammar and vocabulary; introduction to the culture.

The course aims at the basic knowledge of the Italian language (general grammar, vocabulary, introduction to the culture), written and oral understanding and production. It also aims at the development of the ability to understand texts in the field of literature and art history.