ITL 508 Class News

Message from the instructor:

For detailed information on the layout and enabling the Italian keyboard on your computer, click here

Direction to submit assignments:

Send  your assignment to: itl508@italianstudies.org - write on the subject line of your e-mail: 508-ass#12 revised (adjust the number to the composition you are sending). You no longer write a draft and a final revision.

Tuesday May 2

Today is the last day of class. We will analyze Lorenzo' poem, and then we will celebrate the end of the semester.

Tuesday April 25

We will analyze a poem by Carducci which defines, as he understood, the mission of the poet. We will also analyze more paragraphs you have written to show patterns that needs to be corrected.

Tuesday April 18

Today's poem is L'infinito by Giacomo Leopardi. We will analyze it in class, and then you choose one aspect of the poem, and analyze it for the weekly composition. We will also review some elements of syntax as needed.

Tuesday April 4

Today we will analyze a poem by Petrarch, Movesi il vecchierel canuto e bianco. We we all go over some grammatical point and analyze some sentences.

Tuesday, March 28

The poem on Montale, incorrectly posted for March 21, is for this week's assignment. In class we well read and analyze the poem, and the weekly assignment consist of organizing a critical assessment of the poem, based of the class discussion.

Grammar: we will continue the study on proposizioni subordinate.

PS. I corrected the poem and the grammatical notes.

Tuesday March 21

Correction: This week's assignment is a translation of a passage from an essay on Milton.

As for grammar, we will begin to study the main classifications of the proposizioni subordinate

Tuesday March 14

This week we will study the subordinazione, and go over the conjunctions needed in each type of subordination. The passage for this week's composition is a commentary on the stages of life. And with next week's reading we will return to literary criticism.

Tuesday, March 7

For this week's for grammar, we will review the complementi indiretti, and I will introduce the concept of coordinazione e subordinazione, and the importance of congiunzioni. Today we will talk about the coordinazione, and we will review what we have studies so far with these excersizes.

Our workshop consist on working on a literary criticism style, the same essay on Milton, chosen for a future weekly composition.

Here is this week's composition

Tuesday, February 28

Syntax: today's topic is Complementi indiretti

This week composition is a passage from a literary essay on Milton. In class we will attempt to rewrite a passage from the same essay.

Tuesday, February 21

Syntax: the topic of today is complemento oggetto. First we will talk about the difference between complemento diretto e indiretto, and then the complemento oggetto. We will analyze it within the context of the sentence structure.

This week's compositions consists of rewriting a passage from English to Italian. To prepare for this kind of assignment we will discuss the issues we have to deal when we need to rewrite in Italian an English passage.

Tuesday, February 14

For the fourth reading, click here. Today's grammar points are attributi / apposizioni, click here for notes, followed by class exercises, after the break we will have the usual workshop: analyzing and rewriting in correct Italian a student composition.

Tuesday, February 7

Today we will go over a few more exercises on the subject. We will also go over the third reading, and introduce the syntactical use of the predicate.

Tuesday, January 31

Today will go over the function of the subject within a sentence (frase semplice). Then we analyze the reading for this week composition, and we will do a workshop, when the entire class will analyze a composition written by a student and try to rewrite in correct standard Italian.

I also posted the terminology normally used to talk about the syntax of the Italian language

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.

Before submitting your assignments, check for agreements, spelling, correct accents, basic grammar points.

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. And there is no reason for you not to use the accent marks required by the Italian language. All computers have the capability to write in any foreign language.

If you are not able to purchase the language module for MS Word, download for free OpenOffice at this web site: http://www.openoffice.org/

For a quick check on a word in Italian, go the Dizionario Garzanti on-line: www.garzanti.it 

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

List of interesting Internet sites for students of Italian language:

On the internet:

www.international.rai.it includes 24-hour radio programming

www.rai.it for the latest TV news. Check also http://www.raiclicktv.it/raiclickpc/secure/homePage.srv where you find many on demand Italian TV shows and some old movies (wide band connection and Real Player are required)

Other 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

Italica -- Includes cultural information

Online news from Italy: List of Italian newspapers from Ansa

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 offers television programming (Ch 600/601) and radio (Ch. 598) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the DISH Network system by subscription. 24-hour

RAI International is also available by subscription on some cable outlets (currently on Times Warner cable, in New York City).

Check also the cultural site from Switzerland: http://www.switzerland-in-sight.ch/it/uebersicht/uebersicht.html