UC – Siena Study Center

Spring Semester 2008

Italian Language – Level 1
Course Syllabus
http://spring09L1daniele.blogspot.com

Instructor Contact Class Schedule

Prof. Daniele Tiezzi January 26th – May 7th
347/6771472 M: 9:00–13:00; T, W, Th: 9:00–12:00*
danijele@inwind.it at Via Montanini, 87
* The four hour class will be on Tuesday, instead of Monday, on the
following dates: April, Tuesday 14th; April, Tuesday 28th
** TBA: Movie Night 1 x month

Office/Tutoring Hours
By appointment

Required Texts
Avanti!, textbook and workbook, McGraw Hill, New York, 2007.

GRADE PERCENTAGES FOR ALL COURSEWORK

L1 (6 Units) L2 (6 Units)
Participation…………………………15%
Quiz 1………………………………….10%
Test 1…………………………………..20%
Quiz 2 ………………………………...10%
Final Exam 1(Written)…………25%
Final Exam 1(Oral) ……………20%
L3 (6 Units)
Participation…………………………15%
Quiz 3…………………………………10%
Test 2…………………………………..20%
Quiz 4 …………………………………10%
Final Exam 2(Written)…………25%
Final Exam 2(Oral) ……………20%
Participation…………………………15%
Quiz 5………………………………….10%
Test 3…………………………………..20%
Quiz 6 ………………………………...10%
Final Exam 3 (Written)……… 25%
Final Exam 3 (Oral) ……………20%

Absence Policy
There will be no unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence will incur an academic penalty. Each
unexcused absence will result in a deduction of a 5 percent from the student’s final grades of each
course. Consult the Academic Profile for further details regarding absences.

COMPUTER LAB: MONDAY, 9-10

Under no circumstances is it possible to take the Final Exams on an earlier date.

Please see the Academic Profile for more information.

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 Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with a general knowledge of Italian language. They
will be able to express themselves in a simple, fluid and clear manner, other than write on
familiar topics on daily life expressing their own opinions, projects and actions. Students will
also understand the essential points of clear messages spoken in standard language and will
describe experiences, events, hopes and ambitions.

Syllabus

JANUARY

Week 1 (January 26th-29th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: greeting someone, finding out someone’s name, finding out where
someone is from, saying good bye, expressing likes and dislikes; alphabet and pronunciation, months and seasons,
numbers from 0 to 9.999.
Grammar: gender, indefinite articles, numbers, definite articles, the verb piacere, the verbs essere (to be) and avere
(to have).

Days of the Date Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week Assignments1
activities
Monday 26 Avanti! 1

• Introduction to the class WB: 1-A

• Greeting someone; finding
out someone’s name;
finding out where someone
is from
• Saying good-bye
• Seminar on studying
techniques (11-12)

Tuesday 27 • Alphabet WB: 9-A, B

• Pronunciation
• Gender

Wednesday 28 • Numbers WB: 10-A, C; 11-

A, C; 14-A
• Indefinite articles
• Expressing likes and
dislikes
• The verb piacere

Thursday 29 • Definite articles At the bar! WB: 8-C; 13-

• Months and Seasons A,C,D; 30-C; 31- REPLACEMEN
E
• The verbs to be and to T TEST
have

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Please note that your teacher may assign extra-homework that are not on the syllabus.

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 FEBRUARY

Week 2 (February 2nd-5th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: asking how someone is, asking someone’s nationality; describing
people, places, and things.
Grammar: adjectives, possessive adjectives, irregular plural adjectives, demonstrative pronouns questo e quello,
other adjectives that precede the noun, adjectives buono e bello, idiomatic expressions with avere.

Days of the Date Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week assignments
activities

Monday 2 Avanti! 2 WB: 21-A; 23-B;

• Asking how someone is Interview 24-C, F; 26-B
• Asking someone an Italian!
nationality
• Adjectives

Tuesday 3 • Possessive adjectives WB: 23-A, B; 24-

D;
• Demonstrative pronouns 27-C; 28-E
questo and quello

Wednesday 4 • Irregular plural adjectives Handout

Thursday 5 • Other adjectives that

precede the noun WB: Scriviamo!,
38; Handout QUIZ 1

Week 3 (February 9th -12th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: asking and telling time, asking when events occur, saying what you
like to do in your free time; talking about your daily activities.
Grammar: the infinitive of the verb, the present indicative of regular verbs, irregular verbs (andare, bere, fare, uscire,
venire, rimanere, scegliere).

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Monday 9 Avanti! 3
At the
• “Che ora è?/ Che ore library! WB: 39-A; 42-C
sono?” “A che ora?”
• Days of the week

Tuesday 10 • Present indicative WB: 42-E ; 44-G;

46, A-B

Wednesday 11 • Mi piace WB: 45-E

Thursday 12
• Verbs andare e fare
WB: 50-B, C; 51-
D; 53-G, H; TEST 1
Scriviamo, 58

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Week 4 (February 16th – 19th)
Communicative objectives and vocabulary: meeting people and finding out what they do for a living; commenting
on things and complimenting people; talking about your family, inviting someone to do something, declining an
invitation; restaurant terms and items on an Italian menu; let’s set the table!
Grammar: review of possessive adjectives, interrogatives, the present indicative, adjectives.
Possessives with family members, interrogatives, the interrogatives quanto e quale, more irregular verbs (fare, dare,
stare, sapere, dire), the comparative, there is”/ “there are” (c’è / ci sono); verb + infinitive.

Days of the D Grammar Out of Homework Exams

week ate assignments
class
activities
Monday 16 Avanti! 4
The
• Family members family: WB: 61- A; 62-C;
• Possessives with family 66- C
interview
members
an Italian!
Tuesday 17 • Interrogatives WB: 68- A ; 69-B;
• Comparative 75-B; 77-F

Wednesday 18 • More irregular verbs WB: 71-A; 72-B;

74-G

Thursday 19 Avanti! 5

• There is / There are WB: 93-A; 94-C; QUIZ 2

• Verb + infinitive 95-E WB: 97-C;
98-E; Scriviamo!,
82

Week 5 (February 23rd -26th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: inviting someone to do something, declining an invitation; restaurant
terms and items on an Italian menu; let’s set the table!
Grammar: prepositions, the partitive, the pronoun ci.

Days of the D Grammar Out of Homework Exams

week ate assignments
class
activities
Monday 23
• Prepositions WB: 99-A, B;
At the
101- C, D
restaurant!
Tuesday 24 • The partitive WB: 89-E, F;
102-A, B; 103-E
• The pronoun ci

•
Wednesday 25 Review Handout
L1
WRITTEN FINAL
1

Thursday 26 • Review WB: Scriviamo!,

108 L1
Handout ORAL FINAL 1

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 MARCH

Week 6 (March 2nd-5th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: expressing surprise, pain and so on, asking what happened; talking
about your weekend activities.
Grammar: the present perfect of regular verbs and irregular verbs; the present perfect of sapere, conoscere, piacere,
negative expressions.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Monday 2 Avanti! 6
Interview:
 Present Perfect (regular WB: 114-C; 116-F
verbs) “The
weekend”
Tuesday 3 • Present perfect (irregular WB: 117-A; 118-
verbs) D; 119-F

Wednesday 4
• Present perfect of sapere,
Handout
conoscere, piacere.

Thursday 5 • Negative expressions WB: 119-A; 120-

B; Scriviamo!, QUIZ 3
123

Week 7 (March 9th-12th) )

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: making polite requests, asking permission, describing your clothes.
Grammar direct and in direct objects, present progressive, reflexive verbs, adverbs, molto, poco, buono, cattivo, bene,
male.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Monday 9 Avanti! 7

• Direct and indirect WB: 127-A; 131-

objects Clothing A,B
store

Tuesday 10 • Present progressive WB: 132-A; 133-

C
Wednesday 11 • Reflexive verbs WB: 135-B; 137-
F

Thursday 12 • Adverbs WB: 129-F; 130-

• Molto, poco, buono, G; 139-C;
cattivo, bene, male Scriviamo!, 143 TEST 2

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Week 8 (March 16th -19th)
Communicative objectives and vocabulary: asking for information, expressing good wishes, talking about Italian
and American holiday celebrations, finding out who someone is and what s/he does for a living, finding out someone’s
future plans, talking about education and professions.
Grammar: review of reflexive verbs, the present perfect, definite and indefinite articles, prepositions. Also: reciprocal
verbs, the present perfect of reflexive and reciprocal verbs, the prepositions in and a, the present perfect of dovere,
volere and potere, the pronoun ne, indefinite adjectives and pronouns, the future, the relative pronoun che.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Monday 16 Avanti! 8
The Palio
• Reflexive and reciprocal WB: 148-B; 152-
and the C; 154- C,D; 156-
verbs
• The present perfect traditional A; 158-B, C
• Prepositions holydays

Tuesday 17 Avanti! 9
• Indefinite pronouns and WB: 171-A,B
adjectives

Wednesday 18
• The future
WB: 174-A; 176-
D

Thursday 19
• Hypothetical of
WB: 178-A; 179-
C; 180-C;
probability Scriviamo, 184 QUIZ 4
• The relative pronouns Handout
che and cui

Week 9 (March 23rd-26th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: expressing regret, making an apology and expressing sorrow, seeking
approval and expressing hesitation; identifying parts of the body.
Grammar: the superlative, the imperfect, suffixes.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Monday 23 Avanti! 10
WB: 188-C; 190-
Palazzo
• The superlative E; 192-A,B
Pubblico

Tuesday 24
• Imperfect
WB: 194-A; 196-
D
• Suffixes Handout

Wednesday 25
Review WB: 198-G L2
Handout
WRITTEN FINAL
2

Thursday 26 Review
L2
ORAL FINAL 2

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPRING BREAK!
(Friday, March 27th-Sunday, April 5th)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------

APRIL

Week 10 (April 6th-9th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: describing how things used to be; describing Italian houses and
furniture.
Grammar: the imperfect vs. the present perfect, object pronouns, object pronouns and the present perfect, pronuns ci
and ne, da / per + expressions of time, sapere and conoscere.

Days of the Date Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week assignments
activities
Monday 6 Avanti! 11
Interview a
• The imperfect vs. the WB: 208-A; 206-
present perfect Sienese! B; 207-F

Tuesday 7 • Object pronouns WB: 211-A; 212-

• Object pronouns and the E; Handout
present perfect

Wednesday 8
• Pronouns ci and ne
WB: 210-F;
Handout
• Da/per + expressions of
time

Thursday 9
• Sapere and conoscere
WB: Scriviamo,
216 QUIZ 5
Handout

Week 11 (April 14th-16th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary expressing opinions; talking about Italian cities and towns, expressing
wishes and desires.
Grammar: review of the present perfect of irregular verbs, the imperfect, the “trapassato prossimo”, the comparative,
object pronouns. And also: the past progressive, the irregular comparative, more about the verb piacere

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Tuesday 14 Avanti! 12

WB: 219-A; 222-

• Review : the present Let’s go to F; Handout
perfect, the imperfect, the travel
the trapassato prossimo.
agency!
Wednesday 15
• Review: comparative and
WB: 231-C; 232-
F; Handout
object pronouns
• More about the verb
“piacere”

Thursday 16 • The past progressive WB: 229-B; 230-

• The irregular E; 226-B; 227-C
comparative TEST 3

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Week 12 (April 20th-23th)
Communicative objectives and vocabulary: expressing wishes and desires, making suggestions and giving advice;
talking about vacations.
Grammar: double object pronouns, the present conditional, the informal imperative, the formal imperative.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Monday 20 Avanti! 13
Where is
• Double object pronouns Handout
Piazza del
Campo?

Tuesday 21
• The present conditional WB: 248-C; 249
E, F; 250-H;

Wednesday 22 • The informal imperative WB: 250-A; 251-

C; 252-E, F

Thursday 23 • The formal imperative WB: 253-A; 254-

C; 256-E, F
Scriviamo!, 260 QUIZ 6

Week 13 (April 28th-30th)

Communicative objectives and vocabulary: talking about what people do in general, explaining how things are
done; talking about Italian society today; asking and verifying whether someone can do something, recognizing
regional varieties of Italian; the languages of Italy.
Grammar: si + verb; the present subjunctive, verbs and expression followed by the subjunctive; past subjunctive.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate assignments
activities
Tuesday 28 Avanti! 14

• The present subjuncitve Treasure

WB: 269-A; 271-
D, E
hunt!
Wednesday 29 • Verbs and expressions WB: 275-E; 276-
followed by the G; 267-A, D;
subjunctive 268-F

• “Si” + verb

Thursday 30 Avanti! 15

• Past subjunctive
WB: 286-A; 287-
B,C; 289-G
EXIT TEST

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 MAY

Week 14 (May 4th-7th)

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 4 • Review Handout

Tuesday 5 • Review Handout

Wednesday 6
L3
WRITTEN FINAL
3

Thursday 7
L3
ORAL FINAL 3

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NOTA:

1. sett 1: non metto Avanti 2, ma metto comunque I verbi avere e essere il giovedì. OK?
2. Interview “the weekend”: non so se funziona all’inizio della settimana. Non credo. In questo
caso bisogna cambiarla: in genere, fare slittare nelle settimane successive le attività fuori
della classe quando riguardano strutture imparate nel corso della settimana precedente. Ho
evitato di toccarle troppo, anche per lasciarle pe darvi un’idea di cosa si è fatto lo scorso
term, ma è chiaro che spesso vanno modificate tenuto conto del aftto che molte riguardavno
argomenti dell’unità settimanale già trattata. Io per lo più le terrei, posticipandole alla
settimana successiva, però vedete voi.
3. Ho aggiunto i pronomi ci e ne in Avanti, 11. Non sono sul libro.
4. Double object pronouns: li ho fatti slittare dal cap. 12 a quello 13 per ragioni di calendario e
per non mettere un argomento così complesso con altri.
5. ho tolto il congiuntivo passato e imperfetto e il contrasto modo indicativo/modo congiuntivo
6. FILM. Nel corso precente erano
o My name is Tanino
o L’ultimo bacio
o Manuale d’amore
Ne dovrete far vedere tre, uno al mese. Se volete possiamo confermare questi titoli in
appuntamenti serali con pizza TBA.

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