Class News

Messages from the instructor:

Direction to submit assignments:

Send the draft of your assignment to: michelina@italianstudies.org - write on the subject line of your e-mail: 312-#3 draft (adjust the number to the composition you are sending)

Send the revised assignment to: itl312@italianstudies.org - write on the subject line of your e-mail: 312-#3 revised (adjust the number to the composition you are sending)

Recess Week: For those of you who have past due assignments, this is the time to do the work you need to be up to date.

As I announced in class, here is the link to the Dizionario dei sinonimi e dei contrari

Monday/Wednesday, May 1-3

Last week of classes. On Monday we go over Dante's sonnet and, if time permits, we will analyze a few more paragraphs from your writing.

On Wednesday we will celebrate the end of the semester. Everyone who can should bring something.

Monday/Wednesday, April 24-26

This week we will follow the same pattern of the last few weeks. We will go over some samples of your writing to point out stylistic trends you should avoid. The reading for the week is a poem by Ungaretti, which we will analyze in class and then you will use the ideas discussed to organize the weekly composition.

Monday/Wednesday, April 17-19

On Monday we will review grammar points as needed, and work on some of the sentences form your compositions to improve their effectiveness and style.

On Wednesday, we will discuss a short poem by Pascoli to learn how to analyze a poem.

Monday/Wednesday, April 3-5

On Monday we will review grammatical points as needed. Specifically we will talk about the use of the preposition before an infinitive. You can find a comprehensive list in your Intermediate Italian textbook, Insieme, pp. 369-373

This week's reading and discussion is on politics. Read the selection for Wednesday's class.

Wednesday, March 29

in class we will read the selection on La famiglia patriarcale. discuss how it was the pillar of the agricultural society, and why it disappeared in the industrial society. If there is time after the discussion, we will review more sentences that need to be improved.

Monday, March 27

We will review a few more grammatical points, and go over more sentences that show common incorrect sentence patterns .

This week's reading deal with the evolution of the family from patriarcal to nuclear.

Wednesday, March 22

This week's reading is a study of the meaning of società. The weekly composition will be based on the class discussion. And if time permits, we will go over more sentences that need to be revised.

Monday March 20

We will review the congiunzioni, and how they are essential to connect logically clauses within a sentence, and sentences to other sentences.

Wednesday, March 15

Today we will analyze this week's passage, and discuss its topic, personal responsibility.

Monday March 13

For today's class, go over your recent compositions, choose the sections where you still don't understand why I made corrections, and bring them with you so we can go over the stylistic and grammatical issues involved.

Wednesday, March 8

Go over this week's reading. In class we will talk about the issue of the women in the work force and its impact of the traditional family.

Monday March 6

 Today we will further review the interaction between the subjunctive and other forms of the verb, and the tense sequence in subordinate clauses, in the meantime try to go over these exsercises.

Monday, February 27

In class today we will will go over exercises for the use of adjectives and other grammar points we reviewed in the past two weeks and, if time permits, we will review the use of the subjunctive.

This week reading deal with the comic style; read it for Wednesday's class when we will analyze its language and style.

Wednesday, February 22

Today we will read the passage on the use of language within specialized fields, we will review the passato remoto through the exercises we began on Monday. Bring to class the exercises I gave you on Monday. We will exercise on the adjectives on Monday.

Monday February 20

Today we will review the Adjective (for the notes, click here). We will also go over some exercises on last week's grammar points. This week's reading is also available. We will read it in class on Wednesday, and discuss the variety of specialized languages (click here to get the reading)

Monday, February 13 and Wednesday February 15 combined due to Monday's cancellation

This week reading is available, we will go over for understanding and its structure on Wednesday. As for today, we will review the irregularities of the verbs in Italian, click here to view the notes.

Monday, February 6

This week reading is available, click here to get it. Read it carefully for comprehension and sentence structure. In today's class we will review the pas tenses of the verb. For the notes, click here. We will also complete the exercises left from last week.

Wednesday, February 1

Today we will go over the second reading, analyze the vocabulary and the sentence structures as they are used in this reportage. Then the entire class will discuss the effect of the global energy crisis - La crisi energetica. This will also be the topic of your second composition.

Monday, January 30

Today's grammatical points:

How the verbs are structured and used in Italian; for the relevant grammatical notes, click here, and for the exercises, click here.

Useful information about this course

I will provide the material need for the assignment. As for a textbook, just keep what you have from your previous course, plus I suggest you get the reference grammar book by Luca Serianni (details in the main page)

About your compositions:

All assignments must be completed by the due date. Never submit two assignments at the same time. Each new assignments must show that you have learned from your previous assignments by avoiding making the same mistakes. The idea is that you learn on an on-going basis.

You should get an Italian language module for your word processors. There is no reason you should make stupid spelling mistakes that a spell checker will catch.

The following word proocessors include the Italian Languages tools:

WordPerfect (except the academic versions)

OpenOffice, which can be downloaded at no charge from the following web site: www.openoffice.org

MS Office: It is the most common word processor, but the Windows version requires additional cost for the language modules, while languages are included in the Mac version, but must be installed separately.

I urge to purchase a comprehensive dictionary. I recommend Ragazzini (see main page for details on how to get it). You may also check the Dizionario Garzanti on-line: www.garzanti.it 

You are required to register and get a password (free of charge) to access this dictionary.

List of interesting Internet sites for students of Italian language:

Italica -- Includes cultural information about Italy.

www.rai.it This is the official web site of the Public Italian Radio networks. Here you can listen to the three channels of their radio stations, and watch the News.

If you have a wideband interned connection, many television shows, classic movies, and the latest Telegiornale are available on the RAI web site, at this page: http://www.raiclicktv.it/raiclickpc/secure/homePage.srv

List of Italian Newspapers -- Excellent readings to improve your language skills.

Other on-line news in Italian: Ansa, Swiss Radio (specifically http://www.switzerland-in-sight.ch/it/uebersicht/uebersicht.html  for the latest editions of its own Telegiornale.

Italian Radio Stations on the Internet: 105 Classics, Dimensione Suono, Radio 101, Radio 105, Radio Company, Radio Flash Network, Radio Primiero, Radio Subasio, Radio Montecarlo, RTL 102.5, Sorrento Radio, Teleradio Stereo, Rai International

Television in Italian -- Most cable companies carry Italian programming from RAI International daily (M-F: 6:00-8:00 pm, Sat: 7:00-8:00 pm, Sun: 8:00-2:00) -- RAI International is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the DISH Network, and on some cable companies system by subscription (Warner Cable does, but not Cablevision in Long Island).