Students taking this module require to have achieved an H4 pass in Leaving Certificate Italian or be able to demonstrate an equivalent knowledge of the language in all four skills of Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing at B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for language qualifications.
While recognising what learners have already achieved in their study of Italian to date, this module seeks to extend the range of their competencies beyond the limited domains that typically feature in school-based language qualifications.
A communicative approach is adopted in the teaching, making maximum appropriate use of Italian throughout, to develop all four language skills in an integrated manner, whilst ensuring that students are supported in developing a declarative knowledge of Italian grammar appropriate to Year 1 of third level study, and are able to apply that knowledge systematically to all four language skills.
An extensive range of additional materials, benchmarked at B1.2 Level on the CEFR which are not used in class will be available online to support independent learning.
The minimum exit level for this module is B1.1 on the CEFR. The module is benchmarked at B1.2 Level on the CEFR.
On successful completion of the module, students will be working towards B2 Level in all four skills and will normally be able to perform at that level in the passive skills (Reading and Listening) in contexts closely associated with those that have featured in the teaching programme, and may occasionally be able perform at that level in the active skills (Speaking and Writing) in familiar contexts when they have access to appropriate sources of reference and have sufficient time to prepare.
This module will be delivered as a series of communicative language classes, making maximum appropriate use of Italian throughout. Topics covered may vary from year to year but are likely to include such areas as: Yourself (home, family, local area, studies, free time and pass-times) Work and Employment Food, Drink, Health Education The Media Technology Current Affairs By the end of the module you should understand spoken Italian in a wider variety of study and work-related contexts and you will be able to speak Italian with greater confidence and fluency in these contexts. You will be able to understand a range of written texts of different types and styles, from a paragraph to two or three pages in length. You will be able to work out the meaning of some unfamiliar vocabulary, use reference sources efficiently when you need to, and conduct a straightforward Internet search. You will be able to write simple texts of about 200-250 words using a variety of expressions and sentence structures. Although you may make some grammatical errors in doing so, these will not generally be so serious that a sympathetic reader would not understand what you have written. You will have a broad general vocabulary, including a range of ways to link ideas and help clarity and fluency. Your knowledge of Italian grammar will have improved and you will be able to use and understand all of the common grammatical structures for expressing the present, past, future and conditional of verbs. You will know how to ask permission from and give instructions to people in an appropriate way depending on whether you call them tu or Lei. Your use of sources of reference, such as dictionaries, grammar books and online resources, will also have improved. You will have a good basis for further study of the language, working towards B2 Level on the CEFR.
The class will normally be delivered by communicative language classes. Students will normally undertake approximately 40 minutes of study/preparation for each class hour. Attendance, participation and self-directed learning are viewed as essential elements of the learning process and a minimum of 75% of student attendance/participation will be expected.
Indicative Learning Hours: Staff led activities: Communicative Language Classes 72 Student directed: class preparation 48 Student led: class test preparation and completion 20 Student led: online assessment preparation and completion 20 Student led: personal access to additional online resources 40 TOTAL 200 E-learning All basic class information, together with some teaching materials and additional support materials will be available online, normally through Brightspace.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |