SYLLABUS Italian 2096 Fall 2014

Department of French, German, Italian and Slavic

Composition 1. Italian Composition and Conversation
Meeting place and time: Anderson Hall 542
Instructor: Betsy Jane Dougherty
Email:
Office: Office hours:

Prerequisites: Ital 2001 or equivalent.
Course Goals After having learned the foundations of basic written and oral expression in Italian 2001 (Intermediate
Italian), in this course students will refine their skills, strengthen their knowledge of grammar, and expand their
vocabulary. Students will further develop their (written and spoken) ability to report on personal experiences, give
descriptions, express and support opinions, summarize short texts, and formulate simple arguments and
hypotheses. They will learn the rudiments of text analysis, and practice basic writing techniques such as
brainstorming ideas, selecting examples, organizing ideas with appropriate transitions, drawing conclusions. Activities
will include guided reading and listening activities, in-context grammar and vocabulary-expanding exercises, pre-
writing activities, compositions, discussions, oral presentations, vocabulary and grammar quizzes, a blog, and a final
research paper. Italian 2096 is based on the principle that in order to refine the four language skills (speaking, writing,
listening and reading), students should be exposed to a wide range of written, visual and oral stimuli. This course,
however, satisfies the Writing Intensive requirement; therefore special emphasis will be put on written expression.
Required Text: : May be purchased online at www.vhldirect.com/store/temple.htm. Immagina: LItaliano senza
confini, Cummings & al (Vista 2011)

Recommended text: Italian/English Dictionary - please choose a dictionary that you can carry to class, but gives
multiple meanings for words and examples for usage.
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: You are allowed 3 unexcused absences. After 3 absences, your final grade will be dropped by one letter
grade (i.e. from B- to C+). (Use your absences for illness!) If you miss a class, you are responsible for asking
me what was covered/assigned that day.
Active Participation: Since language acquisition requires interaction among students in the "learning community",
your conduct in the classroom impacts others. The following course policies will serve to create a pleasurable and
productive learning experience for the entire group. This course is designed around participation and interaction.
Students are required to come to class well prepared on the readings assigned, and be ready to meaningfully
contribute to class discussion. As part of your daily preparation you will be expected to come to class with one
or two relevant questions/observations pertaining to the reading material assigned and with one or two
meaningful quotations from the work. You will be the ones starting class discussion. You should also come
prepared to discuss the study questions that will be assigned on Blackboard. If you have questions on the
readings, ask me directly.. READ SYLLABUS AND PREPARE FOR CLASS DAILY. Students are required to read
texts thoroughly prior to class, as assigned. If you have questions, ask me directly.The grade will be assigned as
follows:


90-100(A-/A): On time, volunteers frequently, speaks well for level, works well with others, is well-prepared for
class. Contributes ideas and opinions to class, shows willingness to learn, speaks Italian at all times.
80-89 (B-/B+): On time, speaking needs some improvement, well prepared, volunteers occasionally, works well
with others, speaks Italian mostly.
70-79 (C-/C+): Late, some preparation, speaking needs improvement. Sometimes contributes to group work, some
English.
60-69 (D-/D+): Late, minimally prepared, speaks mostly English, listens passively, rare and reluctant participation.
0-59 (F): Late, little or no preparation, speaks English, does not contribute to group work, distracts others,
OR often absent with no documented excuse.

Compositions: Students will write 2 300-word compositions pertaining to topics covered during the course.
Compositions will be handed in in two versions (one draft, one final copy). Please note that the first draft is not a
rough draft. Each draft will be graded individually on scale of 1-100. Your final grade for this section of the course
will result from the average of all grades received (8 in total). If you fail to hand in a paper (or a re-write), you will get a
zero on that assignment. All written assignments must be typed and double-spaced. Make sure your essays show
that you work constantly to gain a good command of the material, and use feedback constructively. No late
assignments will be accepted.
Your writing will be graded in terms of content and form as follows:
A. 90-100: Content: clear, message is conveyed effectively, ideas are well organized (in paragraphs and sentences)
and connected to one another in a consequential order and with the use of transitions, good amount of details
(explanation, examples, evidence, reference to historical background, etc.); Form: Good use of pertinent vocabulary,
few grammatical errors, few mechanical errors, good syntax.
B. 80-89: Content: almost always clear and effective, ideas are mostly well organized (in paragraphs and sentences)
and connected to one another in a consequential order and with the use of transitions, good amount of details
(explanation, examples, evidence, reference to historical background, etc.). Form: use of pertinent vocabulary, some
grammatical errors, some mechanical errors, some syntax problems.
C. 70-79: Content: not always clear or effective, ideas not always well organised (in paragraphs and sentences) or
connected in a consequential order and with the use of transitions, small amount of details (explanation, examples,
evidence, reference to historical background, etc.). Form: modest use of pertinent vocabulary, several grammatical
errors, several mechanical, several syntax problems.
D. 60-69: Content: message is unclear, ideas are not well organised (in sentences and paragraphs) and there is no
consequentiality and no transitions, small amount or no details (explanation, examples, evidence, reference to
historical background, etc.) used. Form: Almost no use of pertinent vocabulary, many grammatical errors, many
mechanical errors and awkward syntax.
Email and Blackboard Check your Temple University email and visit the Ital 2096 Blackboard site once a day for
assignments and announcements related to this course.
Late assignments No late assignment will be accepted late unless there are serious reasons that you discussed with
the instructor.
Grade Calculation
Class participation 15%
Homework and pre-writing activities 10%


Quizzes 10%
Blog on readings and short films 10%
Final paper 40% (proposal 5%; first draft 10%; in-class presentation 10%; revised final paper 10%)
2 compsitions (in two drafts) 20%

Blog Every other week you will post a blog entry on a reading of a short film of your choice, on our Blackboard Blog
Tool.
Oral presentations You will give one 10 minute presentation on one of the topics covered by the readings.
Vocabulary and grammar quizzes Will check your knowledge and understanding of the vocabulary and the
structures learned through readings and discussions.
Final Research Paper You will write a 3 page final paper on one of the topics covered by readings.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Disability Statement: This course is open to all students who meet the academic requirements for
participation. Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the
instructor privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at
215-204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented
disabilities.
Statement on Academic Freedom: Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic
freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #
03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link:
http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02.
Policy on Academic Honesty:
Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are,
therefore, prohibited. Essential to intellectual growth is the development of independent thought and a respect for the
thoughts of others. The prohibition against plagiarism and cheating is intended to foster this independence and
respect.
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas, another person's words,
another person's assistance. Normally, all work done for courses -- papers, examinations, homework exercises,
laboratory reports, oral presentations -- is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any
assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources -- journals, books, or
other media -- these resources must be cited in a manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's responsibility
to indicate the appropriate manner of citation. Everything used from other sources -- suggestions for organization of
ideas, ideas themselves, or actual language -- must be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes plagiarism.
Undocumented use of materials from the World Wide Web is plagiarism.
Academic cheating is, generally, the thwarting or breaking of the general rules of academic work or the specific rules
of the individual courses. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the instructor's approval, work in one course
which was done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from one's own or another's work; or actually doing
the work of another person.
Students must assume that all graded assignments and quizzes are to be completed individually unless otherwise
noted in writing in this syllabus. I reserve the right to refer any cases of suspected plagiarism or cheating to the
University Disciplinary Committee; I also reserve the right to assign a grade of "F" for the given paper,assignment or
quiz.


***Please turn off cell phones and any other disruptive electronic devices before entering class. No eating in class,
although you may bring something to drink.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE (please note that this schedule is tentative. Changes may occur as the course
progresses).
Prima settimana

25, 27 e 29 agosto Ripasso
Quiz sul ripasso (il voto non conta)
Seconda settimana Lezione 6: La societ che si evolve
3 e 5 settembre
Sept. 1: Labor Day
Lettura: Tra storia e natura, 204-205.
Cortometraggio: Lacreme Napulitana
Strutture: Il condizionale, pp. 207-208; La negazione, p.
210.
Terza settimana Lezione 6: La societ che si evolve
8, 10, e 12 settembre
Sept. 9th: Last day to drop a course
Strutture: Il congiuntivo con le espressioni impersonali e
per esprimere desideri e emozioni 216.
Cultura: Lunit dItalia, pp. 222-223.
Letteratura: Il problema dei vecchi, pp. 228-232.
Quarta settimana Lezione 6: La societ che si evolve
15, 17, 19 settembre
Scegliere un argomento per il saggio finale e decidere le
date delle presentazioni.
Consegna del primo tema (prima versione).
Ripasso delle strutture e pratica di comunicazione
Analisi di Il problema dei vecchi
Quinta settimana Lezione 7: Le scienze e la tecnologia
22, 24 e 26 settembre Cortometraggio: Let del fuoco, p. 235.
Strutture: Comparativi e superlativi, p. 246; pronomi
relativi, 252.
Lettura: Il Triveneto, p. 244.


Sesta settimana Lezione 7: Le scienze e la tecnologia
29 settembre, 1 e 3 ottobre
Seconda versione del primo tema
Strutture: Il congiuntivo con espressioni di dubbio e le
congiunzioni e il congiuntivo passato.
Lettura: Venezia. Sommersa o salvata? p. 265.
Pratica e comunicazione
Settima settimana Lezione 7: Le scienze e la tecnologia
6, 8 e 10 ottobre Letteratura e analisi: Emilio Salgari, Le meraviglie del
DUEMILA, p. 268.
Ottava settimana Lezione 8: Le ricchezze culturali e storiche
13, 15 e 17 ottobre Cortometraggio: Il segreto del santo, 282.
Lettura: Una regione da mangiare! (Emilia Romagna),
p. 286.
Strutture: Preposizioni, p. 292
Nona settimana Lezione 8: Le ricchezze culturali e storiche
20, 22 e 24 ottobre
Oct. 22nd: last day to withdraw from a course
Consegna del progetto del saggio finale
Strutture: I verbi con le preposizioni (selezione), p. 297
Lettura: La mano che ubbidisce lintelletto, p. 307
Pratica e comunicazione
Decima settimana Lezione 9: Linfluenza dei media
27, 29 ottobre e 31 ottobre
Consegno del secondo tema- la prima versione
Cortometraggio: Che gioia!, p. 322
Strutture: Il congiuntivo imperfetto e trapassato, 330
Pratica e comunicazione
Undicesima settimana Lezione 9: Linfluenza dei media
4, 6 e 8 novembre Strutture: Luso dei tempi nel congiuntivo, 332
Pratica e comunicazione
Lettura: La Liguria, 328.


Dodicesima settimana Lezione 9: Linfluenza dei media
10, 12, e 14 novembre
Consegno del secondo tema- la secondo versione
Lettura: Umberto Eco, Come presentare in TV, 352
Tredicesima settimana Lezione 10:Prospettive lavorative
17, 19 e 21 novembre
Consegnare la prima versione del saggio finale
Cortometraggio: Rischio dimpresa, 364
Strutture: La forma passiva, 372
Quattordicesima settimana Lezione 10:Prospettive lavorative
24-26- Fall Break
27- 28 novembre- Thanksgiving Holiday
Lettura: La moda italiana, 388
Ripasso delle strutture
Pratica e comunicazione
Quindicesima settimana CONCLUSIONI
2 e 4 dicembre
Consegnare il saggio finale- 8 dicembre
Conclusioni Consigli per leggere, scrivere, parlare e
capire meglio in una lingua straniera.