ITA2090 - Italian Studies 9

Leader: Susanna Scarparo

Offered

Clayton First semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit integrates two components:

1. Level 9 Language (70%) and
2. Year 2 Culture (30%).
3. Language: the component is thematically organised and present a variety of texts through which to explore register variations and discourse strategies. The component reviews areas of syntax considered problematic and aim at consolidating oral and written expression.
4. The cultural component for second-year Italian aims at providing a brief introduction to the first half of the 19th Century though a broad overview of Italian socio-political history leading to Italian Unification and the literary production of that period.

Objectives

On completion of the unit students should have refined their knowledge of language structures and functions. They should have a clear understanding of sequence of tenses and moods, have mastered more complex structures such as the passive and the impersonal form, indirect speech etc. They should be able to operate in the language with accuracy and have the ability to construct complex sentences with appropriate subordination. They should be able to read texts of varied complexities such as journalistic articles, academic writing and literary texts and recognise the syntactic complexities of different styles of writing. Their knowledge of Italian syntax should enable them to avoid interference with English, and they should also have sufficient familiarity with comparative linguistic structures to be able to translate from the two languages. In the cultural component students should gain an understanding of the interrelationships between the literary production and the ideology of the period covered. Students should also have familiarised themselves with textual analysis and different types of narrative constructs.

Assessment

Mid-semester Specialized Culture Assignment 1 (1000 words) in English or in Italian: 15%
End-of-semester Specialized Culture Assignment 2 (1000 words) in English or in Italian: 15%
Continuous assessment (class work on grammar, comprehension exercises and translation folio) Equivalent of 1300 words in English: 40%
Mid-semester test Equivalent of 500 words in English: 10 %
End of semester examination Equivalent of 700 words in English: 20 %

Contact hours

4 hours (1 hour culture lecture, 2 hour translation workshop and 1 hour workshop) per week

Prerequisites

ITA1080 or equivalent language competence

Prohibitions

ITA3090, ITA4090