Course Name: Italian VAccelerated

Course Code: 1591

Prerequisite: Italian IV Accelerated(157) and Teacher Recommendation

Course Description: The Italian V Accelerated course is designed as a culminating experience for the highly motivated student who has achieved at a high level in Italian IV Accelerated. This course is designed to refine, perfect, and enhance the advanced student’s interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational language skills, with particular attention to broadening vocabulary, increasing oral and written proficiency, strengthening the knowledge of the mechanics of the language, while also deepening the student’s appreciation of the uniqueness of the Italian culture. Rather than mastering any specific body of subject matter, language skills will be developed in a holistic manner in which they are useful in themselves and can be applied to various activities and disciplines.

Course Proficiencies: Students who successfully complete the course will have developed sufficient skill in the following language areas:

Communication

Interpretive Mode: (Understanding and interpretation of spoken or written communication.) Students will be able to:

  1. Comprehend formal and informal spoken Italian.(7.1.A1, A4)
  2. Follow, with general understanding, oral reports and classroom lectures on non-technical subjects that may includeart, music, cinema, literature, the business world, human rights, societal issues, or personal relationships. (7.1.A4)
  3. Understand the main points and some details of conversations between native speakers.(7.1.A1, A4)
  4. Compare and contrast the use of verbal and non-verbal etiquette in the Italian culture with own culture to be able to persuade, negotiate and offer advice.(7.1.A2, A7)
  5. Follow the plots of Italian-language television shows, plays and movies and understand the main ideas of character dialogues.(7.1.A6)
  6. Apply knowledge and skills gained in other content areas to interpret information on topics related to the Italian culture. (Societal issues, environment, business)(7.1.A5)
  7. Have immediate recall of a fairly broad range of vocabulary and expressions heard in order to comprehend and respond orally with ease.(7.1.A3)
  8. Students will demonstrate proficiency in reading Italian narratives and literary texts with good overall comprehension, despite some gaps in details. (7.1.A4, A5, A6)
  9. Understand magazine articles, short literary texts and non-technical narratives without dependence on a dictionary.(7.1.A4, A5, A6)
  10. Develop successful strategies for interpretation of unfamiliar words, idioms, or structures, based on broad general vocabulary and solid knowledge of grammatical forms and structures.(7.1.A5, A6, A7)
  11. Discriminate between different registers of language (e.g. formal/informal, literary/conversational) to recognize many of their important cultural implications.(7.1.A7)
  12. Appreciate some figurative devices, stylistic differences, and humor found in literary works such as La traviata, or excerpts from Dante’s Inferno) (7.1.A1, A2, A3, A5, A7)
  13. Analyze the roles and significance of main characters. (7.1.A5, A6)
  14. Analyze and critique information contained in culturally authentic electronic information sources such as podcasts, videocasts, audio clips, and websites related to targeted themes. (7.1.A.6, A.7)

Interpersonal Mode: (Direct spoken and written communication.) Students will be able to:

  1. Communicate facts and ideas with an accent that is accurate enough not to interfere with comprehension.(7.1.B1, B2)
  2. Discuss topics of current interest and express personal opinions, while demonstrating a good command of grammatical forms and syntactic patterns. (7.1.B1, B2, B3)
  3. Have immediate recall of a fairly broad range of vocabulary in order to speak with a level of fluency and accuracy that does not impede communication. (7.1.B1, B2, B4)
  4. Both initiate and participate in conversations on everyday topics. (7.1.B4)
  5. Respond spontaneously and appropriately to random questions posed in class. (7.1.B4)
  6. Paraphrase or summarize, and respond to questions after viewing a film, reading a passage or listening to a lecture in the Italian language. (7.1.B5, B6)

Presentational Mode: (Spoken and written communication for an audience.) Students will be able to:

  1. Write in Italian about topics of general interest, with good written control of grammatical forums and processes. (7.1.C1, C2)
  2. Write using vocabulary that is extensive enough to cover most topics, although gaps in vocabulary may be compensated for by circumlocutions. (7.1.C1, C2)
  3. Write a narration or description several paragraphs in length. (7.1.C1, C2)
  4. Present and defend ideas and points of view.(7.1.C2)
  5. Provide appropriate examples and draw conclusions from them.(7.1.C2, C3)
  6. Provide introductory remarks, transitions, and a conclusion in an essay.(7.1.C1, C2, C3)
  7. Use language creatively in writing to respond to a variety of prompts related to topics such as
  8. Narrate, describe and explain using past, present and future time frames; (7.1.C1, C2)
  9. Discuss topics of current interest and express personal opinions including hypothesis and conjecture, using the subjunctive and ‘if’ clauses appropriately and correctly;(7.1.C1, C2, C3)
  10. Communicate facts and ideas with an accent that is accurate enough not to interfere with comprehension;(7.1.C1)
  11. Speak extemporaneously on a given topic, or describe a sequence of events based on a series of visuals;(7.1.C1, C2)
  12. Make an oral presentation on a prepared topic;(7.1.C1, C2, C4)
  13. Propose and support solutions to issues and problems;(7.1.C1, C2)
  14. Express and defend opinions to convince others.(7.1.C1, C2)
  15. Respond spontaneously and appropriately to random questions posed in class.(7.1.C1, C2)
  16. Paraphrase or summarize, and respond to questions after viewing a film, reading a passage or listening to a lecture in the Italian language.(7.1.C3)
  17. Participate in extended conversations using a variety of time frames to exchange information using digital tools, such as video conferencing, texting, IMing, Blogging, etc. (7.1.B.2, B.3, B.4)

Culture

Interpretive Mode: (Understanding and interpretation of spoken or written communication.) Students will be able to:

  1. Compare and contrast attitudes and values of the Italian culture, contained in the unit themes of the course, with one’s own culture.(7.2.A1, A2, A3, A4)
  2. Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the aspects of the Italian culture contained in the unit themes of the course.(7.2.A1, A2, A3, A4)
  3. Recognize and understand verbal and nonverbal cues within a culture.(7.2.A1, A4)
  4. Explore so as to be able to discuss representative works of the diverse Italian-speaking culture in many fields of endeavor. (ex: Renaissance Art)(7.2.A4)
  5. Analyze interrelationships between the language and the culture of a given group of people, as evidenced in their literary and art works and communications, as well as in their political, economic, and religious structures. (La richezza della cultura italiana, Le arti) (7.2.A1, A3, A4)
  6. Use technology to enhance language acquisition and to acquire current cultural information in order to develop more accurate impressions of the culture studied.(7.2.A3, A4)
  7. Compare and contrast varying perspectives that exist in the Italian culture as seen in television, film and other forms of the media.(7.2.A3, A4)
  8. Compare and contrast how Italy deals with human rights, societal and environmental issues.(7.2.A2)

Interpersonal Mode: (Direct spoken and written communication.) Students will be able to:

  1. Compare and contrast for discussion common social practices in the U.S and Italy related to universal life events, such as marriage, death.(7.2.B1, B3)
  2. Analyze for discussion relationships among past and current economic and political structures and their impact on the perspectives of the culture being studied. (ex: Il mondo degli affari) (7.2.B5)
  3. Discuss culturally authentic selections and movies viewed to demonstrate insights gained into practices and perspectives of the cultures of the Italian people.(7.2.B2, B4)

Presentational Mode: (Spoken and written communication for an audience.) Students will be able to:

  1. Simulate activities characteristic of the transition between high school and the university in the Italian culture.(7.2.C1, C2)
  2. Develop and present short persuasive presentations showing differing perspectives and insights related to human rights, the environment, death, societal issues, love, personal relationships, the roles of men and women, and economics.(7.2.C1, C2)
  3. Synthesize information related to cultural products, practices, and perspectives of targeted cultures to create a multimedia rich presentation, containing a combination of text, audio, still images, video, interactivity, and animation, on targeted themes to be shared virtually with a target language audience. (7.2.C.1)

Method of Evaluation:

The ability of the students to meet the course proficiencies will be evaluated in the following manner:

  1. Quality of participation in formal and informal interactive aural/oral activities in the Italian language.
  2. Oral assessments in the form of:
  • Simulated real-life situational activities (directed or impromptu)
  • Directed situational responses
  • Oral interviews (in class or taped)
  • Oral sequence story narrations
  • Oral presentations (performance-based assessments)
  1. Oral and Written Projects and reports
  2. Formal and informal writing tasks, such as stories, poems, essays, positional papers and editorials, letters, email correspondence, etc.
  3. Grammatical accuracy determined by its need in communicating effectively both orally and in writing.

Achievement in this area can be additionally measured by:

  • Isolated topical/discrete item grammar tests
  • Practice exam type assessments
  • Teacher designated activities
  • Italian Language and Culture practice tests (ex. SAT II, National Italian Exams, Practice AP Exams)
  1. Listening and Reading assessments
  2. Authentic Performance-based Assessments
  3. Student Self-Assessments
  4. Final Culminating Project

Board Adopted Materials: Text: In Viaggio

Publisher:McGraw Hill

Copyright:2002

Text:Prego

Publisher:McGraw Hill

Copyright:2003

Text:Italian Two and Three Years

Publisher:Amsco

Copyright:1997

Supplementary Resources:

  • Ciao, Thomson/Heinle, 2003
  • Italian Through Film, YaleUniversity Pr, 2003
  • Libretto: La Traviata
  • Ace the AP Advanced Placement Italian Exam, Edizioni Farinelli, 2006
  • Various literary selections
  • Italian Newspapers and Magazines