Wayne State University, College of Liberal Arts and Science

Wayne State University, College of Liberal Arts and Science

Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

487 Manoogian Hall

Detroit, MI 48202

Tel: (313) 577-3002

______

Italian 1010 Syllabus

Instructor: / Office:
Tel: / E-mail:
Office Hours:
Course schedule:
Section #: / Location:

The General Education Foreign Culture Requirement: The course described in this syllabus is part of the WSU General Education Program and it may satisfy the Foreign Culture requirement (ITA 2010) or it may lead to fulfilling that requirement (ITA 1010 and ITA 1020). The University Bulletin states that the Foreign Culture requirement can be met by "completion of any foreign language sequence through 2010 or 2110

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Aski, Janice M., and Musumeci, Diana, Avanti! (McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition, 2014).

Aski, Janice M., and Musumeci, Diana, Avanti! Workbook/Laboratory Manual. (McGraw-Hill, 3rd edition, 2014) WITH DIGITAL WORKBOOK ACCESS CODE.

Please note: at the bookstore the two books above are packaged as a COMBO. With the combo, you will receive the textbook, a print workbook, and an access code to the digital workbook online. You need the access code to the digital workbook to complete your class work. Please be aware that we obtained a specially discounted price from the publisher for this combo and items sold individually may cost you more.

REQUIRED MATERIAL:

An Italian/English pocket dictionary.

RECOMMENDED TEXT:

Adorni, Sergio and Primorac, Karen, English Grammar for Students of Italian. (Hodder Arnold, 2000)

COURSE WEBSITE:

COURSE DESCRIPTION: ITA 1010 is an introductory-level course designed to provide students with a basis to communicate effectively in Italian in everyday, realistic situations. This course is task and content-based and incorporates grammar in a functional use of language through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. A communicative approach to language teaching informs the curriculum; class will be conducted primarily in Italian! In addition, our program subscribes to the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st century (Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities).

CONTENT OVERVIEW, CULTURAL TOPICS & LEARNING OUTCOMES of ITA 1010

CONTENT OVERVIEW / CULTURAL TOPICS
Alphabet and pronunciation / Talking with gestures
Months and seasons / Italian Last Names
Numbers from 0 to 9,999 / Italian Time
Describing people, places and things / Italian Families Today
Talking about daily activities / Good Manners
Talking about families
Restaurants and items on an Italian Menu
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This level requires no prior knowledge of Italian. Students will learn basic spoken Italian. They will be able to answer basic information questions about daily routines, family, hobbies, health and telling time. They will be able to put information into grammatically correct response/sentences in both writing and speaking. Material from the book and realia will be used to teach vocabulary and structures in real life situations.
Listening:

• Recognize letters and sounds of the Italian alphabet
• Recognize short target words and phrases
• Give appropriate/structured answers to simple yes/no
• Follow simple one-step directions given in the classroom
• Recognize articles/nouns/adjectives endings

Speaking:

• Exchange greetings, name places
• Express likes and dislikes
• Reproduce letters and sounds of the Italian alphabet
• Recall seasons, months of the year and numbers up to 9,999
• Express time, dates and age
• Interpret common gestures
• Collect information
• Recognize the origins of different family names in Italian
• Ask about typical daily activities
• Express agreement, likes or dislikes
• Compare Italian daily routine to American daily routine
• Identify and describe family members and relationships
• Collect information about the modern Italian family
• Ask someone to do something
• Accept and decline invitations, making excuses
• Develop ability to talk about what you can do, want to do, have to do
• Point out where, when and with whom activities take place
• Recognize items on an Italian menu
• Demonstrate understanding of dining etiquette

Writing:
This level requires minimal familiarity with Italian.

• Create simple sentences
• Describe people, places and things (Topics: physical and moral characteristics, family, food, weather and time)
• Write in paragraph format

Reading:

• Identify titles, sentences, questions and paragraphs
• Read and interpret charts and graphs
• Read short stories and articles

ASSESSMENT:

Students will engage in daily classroom practices, which include active learning activities and exercises to develop the four skills abilities (listening, reading, writing and speaking). During the semester there will be4 quizzes, a midterm and a final exam. These quizzes/exams are used to evaluate students’ acquisition of specified course content.

Quizzes: Each quiz tests the four abilities (listening, reading, writing and speaking). The quizzes will be administered at the end of each chapter to verify achievements/obstacles in the covered content.

Midterm: The exam is cumulative. It tests the four abilities (listening, reading, writing and speaking) related to thecontent and cultural material presented in all chapters studied up to that point. For ITA 1010: chapter 1, chapter 2, and chapter 3.

Final exam: The final is a written cumulative exam in which the student will be assessed on his/her listening, writing and reading skills. It will contain content and cultural material studied in chapter 1-5 for ITA 1010.

Final Project: This exam is a paired interview/conversation aimed at testing the level of speaking proficiency achieved at the end of the semester. This exam can be filmed or performed live in class during the last day of class.

See ASSESSMENT POLICY section for detailed information regarding the scheduling and procedures.

COURSE MATERIAL: The materials for this course are:

-The textbook Avanti! 3

-The McGraw-Hill website:

The McGraw-Hill websitecontains for each chapter:

Online quizzes on “Lessico” and “Strutture.” Feedback is provided and you can print out the feedback page to show your instructor you completed the assignment.

The entire audio-program for the textbook (Avanti! ).

Audio-files with pronunciation of vocabulary presented in the chapter.

-The print workbook (for emergencies only)

The digital workbook that you can access through your BlackBoard courseThe digital workbook contains:

The workbook/Lab Manual exercises which you can find in each week’s folder. Here, you can complete all your workbook exercises directly online and receive immediate feedback on your performance. The lab component allows you to click on an audio-file associated with the workbook, listen to the audio, and answer directly online. Feedback is provided.

eBook (located in the Library tab). This is an electronic version of the textbook. You can view video and audio clips within the eBook.

Student resources (located in the Library tab). This is a link to the textbook website.

LearnSmart (assignments in weekly folders and icon on the right side of the home page). This adaptive learning program will help you understand where you need to focus most of your study time.

Requirements for using the digital workbook:

Operating System:

• Windows XP HE 2002 SP2, MS XP Pro 2002, MS Vista Home Premium edition, Windows 7
• Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6, Mac OS Lion 10.7

CPU: 233MHz
RAM: 128MB
Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher
Browser: PC: Internet Explorer 8 or higher, or Firefox version 12 or higher. Google Chrome 18 or higher Mac:. Firefox 12 or higher, Google Chrome 18 or Safari 5.x
Network Connection: A high-speed connection with throughput of 256 Kbps or more is recommended to use audio and video components.
Equipment: You will need speakers or a headset to listen to audio and video components, and a microphone is necessary for recording activities. For best performance, we recommend you use a USB microphone for partner recording activities.
Plug-ins: If you do not have the latest Flash Player already installed, you may download it at the Flash Player download site.

Make sure that you are using a Java-enabled browser. Connectsupports Internet Explorer 8.0 and higher, Firefox 12 and higher, and Safari 2.0 and higher. To enable Java in your browser do one of the following:

In Internet Explorer, select View -> Internet Options from the menu. Click the Advanced tab and select the appropriate check boxes.

In Firefox, select Tools -> Options from the menu. Click the Content tab and select the Enable Java and Enable Java Script check boxes.

In Safari, select Safari -> Preferences from the menu. Click the Security tab and select the Enable Java and Enable Java Script check boxes.

If you are having trouble using the digital workbook, you can contact the Connecthelp by phone or online. The website URL for help is: call 1-800-331-5094. They are open on Sundays from 7pm to 12am(midnight), Monday through Thursdays from 9am to 12am (midnight) and on Fridays from 9am to 7pm.

GRADING:

Grading for this class will be determined according to the following percentages:

Class participation15% of the final grade

Attendance5% of the final grade

Homework15% of the final grade

Quizzes15% of the final grade

Midterm15% of the final grade

Final exam25% of the final grade

Final Oral Exam10% of the final grade

Class participation: This grade evaluates your use of Italian, your preparation before class, your active participation during class time, and any extra credit activities you might complete. In addition, it evaluates your effort during group work, and your attitude and respect toward the class, your instructor and your peers. In fact, students will be working in small groups or with a partner most of the time actively sharing their knowledge and opinions. Maintaining a positive relation with your classmates is conducive to a constructive learning environment. You will receive a weekly grade (10 points per week, max. 140 points.) Instructors will use the following matrix to assign participation points each week:

Cooperation/ respect / Preparation for class (homework, reviewing material prior to class) / Small group work: engagement, participation / Responding when called upon / volunteering answers / Use of target language in class (Italian)
0-2 points / 0-2 points / 0-2 points / 0-2 points / 0-2 points

Attendance: You will receive 1 point for each hour of attendance for a total of 56 points. Classes meeting two days a week will receive two points per day. If you arrive late or leave early, you will not receive full attendance credit. For tardiness of 30 minutes or less, your instructor will decrease your participation grade of 0.5 points. If you leave early, the penalty will be in increments of 0.5 points (for every 30 minutes or less). If you are absent it is your responsibility and a form of professional courtesy to contact your instructor via e-mail prior to returning to class. Please allow 48 hours for your instructor to respond to your message, weekend and holidays excluded.

Attendance policy: You must hear and use Italian communicatively in order to learn the language. Completing group work and class activities cannot be done on your own. Consequently, attendance is required. Nevertheless, it is understood that periodically things will happen to prevent your attendance. You will be allowed to be absent from class for a maximum of 4 hours of instruction throughout the semester but you’ll lose the “participation” grade(55 minutes = 1 instructional hour; absences are tallied in half-hour increments.) Beginning with the fifth hour of absence, you will need to submit a DOCUMENTED excuse for teacher’s evaluation. It will be the teacher’s discretion to excuse your absence. If the teacher agrees in accepting your excused absence you will receive ONLY ATTENDANCE, NOT PARTICIPATION points (5 points available per class). Remember that Participation Grade is 15% of your final grade, Attendance is 5%.

Homework: This grade includes: all chapters in the digital workbook and the graded journal entries. In addition, your instructor may choose to collect additional assignments. These assignments may be from the textbook, the workbook manual, handouts, Internet assignments, etc. Homework assignments that are corrected in class instead of being collected will count towards your participation grade. Late homework is not accepted without a documented excuse. Late homework with documented excuse must be turned in within 3 days from the day you return to class. Late homework with documented excuse submitted after 3 days from your return to class will receive a grade of zero. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to check online for posted homework or contact a classmate or the instructor to get the assignment for that day. If your instructor is unable to return your email prior to class time, this should not be misconstrued as your being exempt from your homework. Since students graduating from WSU are expected to demonstrate a good use of technology, you are required to complete the digital workbook/lab manual and use technology as part of your Italian homework.

ASSESSMENT POLICY:

A make-up quiz will not be given during class time, but only during your instructor’s office hours. No make-up quiz will be administered without a documented excuse. A documented excuse is documentation confirming a death in the family or an illness requiring a physician attention (written on the physician’s letterhead and containing the phone number and address of the physician). The lowest quiz grade will be omitted from the calculation of the final grade. All material in the textbook and workbook as well as activities presented by your instructor in class or on the Bb website can be tested.

FINAL EXAM INFORMATION:

If you have a conflict that requires rescheduling of the exam (for Principles Governing Final Exams, see: you must notify your instructor at leastten (10) days prior to the exam date. Your instructor will then consult with the course coordinator for permission to reschedule. If you miss the final exam, you will receive a zero unless you present documentation confirming a death in the family or an illness requiring physician’s attention. In this case, you must contact your instructor within 24 hours from the final exams’ time.

FINAL PROJECT Information:

For ITA 1010 the title of the project is “IL GIOCO DELLE COPPIE” (The Dating Game). It is a group project that can be filmed and/or rehearsed in class the last days of class. Detailed instructions and deadlines are posted on Bb link “FINAL PROJECT”. This project will assess your writing and speaking presentational skills. Each student will have a role and each student is responsible for his/her written portion of the assumed role.

GRADING SCHEMA:

A = 93 - 100% / B - = 80 – 82% / D+ = 68-69%
A- = 90 - 92% / C+ = 78 – 79% / D = 63% - 67%
B+ = 88 - 89% / C = 73 – 77% / D- = 60 – 62%
B = 83 – 87% / C- = 70 – 72% / F = 59% and below.

SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION:

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a FREE series of group study sessions led by an SI leader. These sessions supplement the course lecture and give you a chance to learn material in different ways. SI Sessions are group study sessions, where you will work with your classmates to go over lecture material in a relaxed environment. In SI, you will find answers to your questions, and learn techniques to master difficult material. For more information, please visit:

EXTRA CREDIT:

Extra credit will be assigned for the following:

1 point to be added to the final grade for the class (max. 4 points):

Attending a film screening, and/or attending an Italian cultural eventin the community and submitting a written report, one page.

Activities agreed upon with your instructor and turned in by the deadline decided by your instructor.

All extra-credit activities must be turned in by last week of class for credits to be included in the final grade. No extra credit activity will be accepted after those dates.

ATTENTION STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

Wayne State University is committed to providing students with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from its programs, services, and activities. All printed materials are available in alternative formats. Please request alternative format materials from the instructor of the course. If the limitations imposed by your disability interfere with your ability to fulfill the requirements for the successful completion of this course, you are strongly encouraged to contact Student Disability Services (SDS) (313) 577-1851 (Location: 5155 Gullen Mall 1600 Undergraduate Library) to request an accommodation. Additionally, students have to inform the instructor of their disability within the first week of class. Failure to follow the aforementioned steps will prevent students from obtaining any accommodation.

SERVICES AVAILABLE AT WSU:

Foreign Language and Technology Center

Academic Success Center

Student Disability Services

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Please note all registered students are eligible to receive up to 16 free, confidential and accessible personal counseling sessions at CAPS per academic year.

Foreign Language Tutoring

Tutoring in Italian is available at WSU for free thanks to our graduate students. Your instructor will provide more details as to time and location.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

According to the Wayne State University pamphlet on Academic Integrity, academic dishonesty means any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the institution or subvert the educational process. Cheating, plagiarism and fabrication all fall under the rubric of academic dishonesty. The Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Culture presumes the existence of an Honor System at all times. Your signature on exams and work assignments implies that the work is your and yours alone. Academic work submitted by a student for credit is assumed to be of his/her own creation, and if found not to be, will constitute cause for the student's dismissal.

OBLIGATION OF FACULTY AND STUDENTS TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS:

All faculty and students are expected to be familiar with the University statement of responsibilities found in the University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. See: Any problem that may arise should immediately be discussed with your instructor first. In basic courses, failing resolution, the problem may be referred to the course coordinator.

Any official University or College policy, date or other important information over which the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Culture has no control is cited for the convenience of the student only. Please refer to the University Bulletin, the Student Handbook or other appropriate University publication for confirmation of the same.