SYLLABUS BEGINNER’S ITALIAN

40 hours class contact1 over a 20-week period.

Textbook:  To be decided

This course is designed for adult learners with no previous knowledge of the language. Typically the first 5 chapters of the book will be covered during the 20-week course. There is no formal assessment for this course but participants will receive a certificate on successful completion of the course, including a minimum of 60% attendance record in both terms.

Course objectives:

The present course aims at:

  • Providing participants with the relevant speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in a variety of basic topics related to family, daily activities, city life, etc., mainly using the present tense,

  • Beginning to develop an awareness of Italian culture,

  • Encouraging autonomous learning,

  • Developing personal learning strategies.

Teaching methodology:

Classes are interactive and based on oral communication.  Italian will be used for teaching purposes as much as possible and activities will be varied giving intensive practice in all language skills with an emphasis on speaking and listening. Material used in class will be drawn from a variety of sources, including the textbook, CDs, DVDs, websites, etc. Homework will be given every week. It reflects the lesson content covered in class and prepares participants for the material to follow.

1Please note that an hour is an academic hour, i.e. 50 mn

‘Can do’ statements – Beginner level*

This grid of ‘can do’ statements has been designed to help you assessing your progress during the course of the programme. It succinctly presents the main learning aims of this course at beginner’s level (note that it is possible that due to time restrictions, not every aspect of this grid content might be covered in class). This grid might also reveal your weaker areas, thus highlighting topics you can improve on your own. To use it, simply tick the statements corresponding to your ability.  You can review your progress on a regular basis. 

(* Beginner level corresponds to A1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This grid is adapted from DIALANG self-assessment statements and CEF self-assessment grid and is included on page….)

Speaking: I can…

1. introduce myself and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions.

 

2. ask people for things and give people things.

 

3. use simple phrases and sentences to describe where I live.

 

4. ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics (e.g. nationality, job…).

 

5. interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat, rephrase, or speak slowly.

 

Listening: I can…

1. recognize and understand familiar words and basic phrases concerning myself, people I know and things around me when people speak slowly and clearly.

 

2. understand everyday questions and instructions.

 

3. follow easy directions.

 

4. understand numbers, prices, dates and times.

 

5. follow speech which is very slow and simple with long pauses for me to get the meaning.

 

Reading: I can…

1. understand the general idea of simple information documents especially if they contain pictures which help the understanding of the text.

 

2. understand very short texts which include familiar names, words and basic phrases.

 

3. follow short, simple written instructions especially if they contain pictures.

 

4. recognise familiar names, words and very simple phrases on notices in the most common everyday situations.

 

5. understand short, simple messages such as postcards, invitations…

 

Writing: I can…

1. fill in forms with personal details (e.g. name, date of birth, nationality...).

 

2. describe where I live (town, house, location).

 

3. write a short simple postcard to friends (where I am, what I am doing…).

 

4. write short letters and messages with the help of a dictionary.

 

5. write simple isolated phrases and sentences on everyday topics.

 

Pronunciation/Fluency: I can…

1. manage to pronounce very short, isolated mainly pre-packaged utterances.

 

2. articulate less familiar words with much pausing and false starts.

 

3. repeat the correct pronunciation of less familiar words if need be.

 

4. repair communication by reformulated misunderstood utterances.

 

5. spell a word if its mispronunciation prevents communication.

 

Vocabulary: I can…

1. use a very basic repertoire of words related to personal details.

 

2. use a limited range of vocabulary to talk about particular concrete situations.

 

3. use a small range of ready-made expressions and phrases related to everyday topics (introductions, leave-taking, apologies…).

 

4. imitate formulas and phrases encountered and explained in class.

 

5. use the vocabulary I know and some shared international words to understand the general idea of simple statements about everyday situations.

 

Grammar: I can…

1. show a limited control of a few simple grammatical structures (present tense, articles...).

 

2. reproduce simple sentence patterns that I have memorised.

 

3. link words or groups of words with very basic connectors such as ‘and’.

 

4. recognise various tenses in a text.

 

5. recognise marks of gender, cases or plural forms as appropriate.

 

 

(* Beginner level corresponds to A1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This grid is adapted from DIALANG self-assessment statements and CEF self-assessment)