UC – Siena Study Center

Fall Semester 2008

Italian Language – Level 1
Course Syllabus
http://fall08L1daniele.blogspot.com

Instructor Contact Class Schedule

Prof. Daniele Tiezzi September 8th – December 12th
347/6771472 9:00 – 12:00
danijele@inwind.it At Via Montanini, 101- Conference Hall

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

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.

1
 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

SEPTEMBER

Week 1 (September 8th – 12th)

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 activities Assignments1
Monday 8 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 9 • Alphabet WB: 9-A, B

• Pronunciation
• Gender

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

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

Thursday 11 • Definite articles WB: 8-C; 13-

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

Friday 12 Avanti! 2

• Asking how someone is At the bar! WB: Scriviamo!, REPLACEMEN

20 T TEST

1
Please note that your teacher may assign extra-homework that are not on the syllabus.

2
Week 2 (September 16th- 19th)
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 activities assignments

Tuesday 16 • Asking someone WB: 21-A; 23-B;

nationality 24-C, F; 26-B
• Adjectives

Wednesday 17 • Possessive adjectives WB: 23-A, B; 24-

D;
• Demonstrative pronouns 27-C; 28-E
questo and quello
Thursday 18 • Irregular plural adjectives Handout
Interview an
Italian!
Friday 19 • Other adjectives that
precede the noun WB: Scriviamo!, QUIZ 1
38; Handout

Week 3 (September 22nd -26th)

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 activities assignments
Monday 22 Avanti! 3

• “Che ora è?/ Che ore

WB: 39-A; 42-C
sono?” “A che ora?”
• Days of the week

Tuesday 23 • Present indicative WB: 42-E ; 44-G;

46, A-B

Wednesday 24 • Mi piace At the library! WB: 45-E

Thursday 25
• Verbs andare e fare
WB: 50-B, C; 51-
D

Friday 26 • Review WB: 53-G, H;

Scriviamo!, 58 TEST 1

3
Week 4 (September 29th – October 2nd)
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 class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 29 Avanti! 4

• Family members WB: 61- A; 62-C;

66- C
• Possessives with family
members

Tuesday 30 • Interrogatives WB: 68- A ; 69-B;

• Comparative 75-B; 77-F ORAL
PRESENTATION
1

OCTOBER
Wednesday 1 • More irregular verbs WB: 71-A; 72-B;
74-G

Thursday 2 Avanti! 5
The family: WB: 93-A; 94-C;
• There is/There are interview an 95-E WB: 97-C; QUIZ 2
• Verb + infinitive Italian!! 98-E; Scriviamo!,
82

Week 5 (October 6th – 9th)

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 class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 6
• Prepositions
WB: 99-A, B;
101- C, D

Tuesday 7 • The partitive WB: 89-E, F;

102-A, B; 103-E
• The pronoun ci

Wednesday 8 • Review At the

restaurant!
Handout
L1
WRITTEN FINAL
1

•
Thursday 9 Review WB: Scriviamo!,
108 L1
Handout ORAL FINAL 1

4
Week 6 (October 13th – 17th )
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 activities assignments
Monday 13 Avanti! 6

 Present Perfect (regular WB: 114-C; 116-F

verbs)

Tuesday 14 • Present perfect (irregular WB: 117-A; 118-

verbs) D; 119-F

Wednesday 15
• Present perfect of sapere,
Handout
conoscere, piacere.
Thursday 16 • Negative expressions Interview: WB: 119-A; 120-
“The B;.
weekend”

Friday 17 WB: Scriviamo,

FILM: MY NAME IS TANINO 123 QUIZ 3
Handout

Week 7 (October 20th-23rd)

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 activities assignments
Monday 20 Avanti! 7

• Direct and indirect WB: 127-A; 131-

objects A,B

Tuesday 21 • Present progressive WB: 132-A; 133-

C
Wednesday 22 • Reflexive verbs WB: 135-B; 137-
F

Thursday 23 • Adverbs WB: 129-F; 130-

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

5
Week 8 (October 27th- 31st)
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 activities assignments
Monday 27 Avanti! 8

• Reflexive and reciprocal WB: 148-B; 152-

verbs C; 154- C,D; 156-
• The present perfect A; 158-B, C
• Prepositions

Tuesday 28 Avanti! 9
• Indefinite pronouns and WB: 171-A,B ORAL
adjectives PRESENTATION
2
Wednesday 29
• The future
WB: 174-A; 176-
D

Thursday 30
• Hypothetical of
The Palio and
the traditional
WB: 178-A; 179-
C
probability holydays

Friday 31
• The relative pronouns
WB: 180-C;
Scriviamo!, 184; QUIZ 4
che and cui handout

NOVEMBER

Week 9 (November 3rd-6th)

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 activities assignments
Monday 3 Avanti! 10
Palazzo WB: 188-C; 190-
• The superlative Pubblico E; 192-A,B

Tuesday 4
• Imperfect
WB: 194-A; 196-
D
• Suffixes Handout

Wednesday 5 • Review
Handout L2
WRITTEN FINAL
2

•
Thursday 6 Review WB: 198-G
Handout L2
ORAL FINAL 2

6
Week 10 (November 10th-14th)
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, da / per +
expressions of time, sapere and conoscere.

Days of the Date Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week activities assignments

Monday 10 Avanti! 11

• The imperfect vs. the WB: 208-A; 206-

present perfect B; 207-F

Tuesday 11 • Object pronouns WB: 211-A; 212-

• Object pronouns and the E; Handout
present perfect

Wednesday 12
• Da/per + expressions of
WB: 210-F;
Handout
time

Thursday 13
• Sapere and conoscere
Interview a
Sienese!
Handout

Friday 14 • Review WB: Scriviamo,

216 QUIZ 5
FILM: L’ULTIMO BACIO Handout

Week 11 (November 17th – 21st)

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, double object
pronouns, the present conditional.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 17 Avanti! 12

WB: 219-A; 222-

• Review : the present
F; Handout
perfect, the imperfect,
the trapassato prossimo.

Tuesday 18 • Review: comparative and WB: 231-C; 232-

object pronouns F; Handout
• More about the verb
“piacere”

Wednesday 19 • The past progressive WB: 229-B; 230-

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

Thursday 20 • Double object pronouns Handout

Friday 21 Avanti, 13
Let’s go to the
• The present conditional travel agency! WB: 248-C; 249
E, F; 250-H;
Scriviamo!, 260.

7
Week 12 (November 24th-26th )
Communicative objectives and vocabulary: expressing wishes and desires, making suggestions and giving advice;
talking about vacations.
Grammar: the informal imperative, the formal imperative.

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 24
• The informal imperative WB: 250-A; 251-
C; 252-E
Tuesday 25 • The informal imperative Where is WB: 252-F; 243-
Piazza del D
Campo?

Wednesday 26 • The formal imperative WB: 253-A; 254-

C; 256-E, F TEST 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THANKSGIVING BREAK! NO SCHOOL
(Thursday 27th-Sunday 30th)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------

DECEMBER

Week 13 (December 1st- 5th)

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, the
subjunctive vs. the indicative, hypotheticals of possibility, the imperfect subjunctive .

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 1 Avanti! 14

• The present subjuncitve

WB: 269-A; 271-
D, E

Tuesday 2 • Verbs and expressions WB: 275-E; 276-

followed by the G; 267-A, D;
subjunctive 268-F

• “Si” + verb

Wednesday 3 Avanti! 15

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

Thursday 4 • The subjunctive vs. the WB: 289-A; 290-

indicative B,E
Handout

Friday 5 • The imperfect Treasure hunt! WB: 291-A; 292-

subjunctive C; 293-E
• Hypothetical of QUIZ 6
possibilities

8
Week 14 (December 8th- 12th)

Days of the D Grammar Out of class Homework Exams

week ate activities assignments
Monday 8 HOLIDAY NO
SCHOOL!
Tuesday 9 • Review
EXIT TEST

Wednesday 10 • Review

FILM: MANUALE D’AMORE

Thursday 11
L3
WRITTEN FINAL
3

Friday 12
L3
ORAL FINAL 3