Italian Courses

Italiano 103

Textbooks ||  Course Objectives ||  Course Evaluation ||  Grading Scale ||  Quizzes ||  Final Exam ||  Homework ||  Disability Services ||  Performance ||  Academic Misconduct ||  Daily Syllabus ||  Answer Key

103 Syllabus

Instructor: ___________________ Phone: _____________________________ Phone messages: 292-4938

E-mail: _______________________ Office: _______________________ Office Hours: ______________________

Final Exam: _______________

Required texts:

*Please Note

• You will be using these same texts in Italian 104, so do not resell them at the end of the course.
• You do not need to write in your textbook. All the graph paper charts are reproduced at the back of your workbook/laboratory manual.
• Bring your textbook and workbook/laboratory manual to class every day.

Course Objectives:

Italian 103 is the third course of a sequence (101, 102, 103, 104) that leads to fulfillment of the general education requirement (GEC). The Italian elementary language sequence is designed for students who wish to develop the skills necessary to interact in the language and learn about Italian contemporary culture and society as well as Italy’s rich history. You will continue to refine your speaking skills by completing tasks with your classmates in pairs and small groups and by following models of native speakers presented on video. You will develop reading and writing skills by reading increasingly more elaborate authentic texts and writing related, reaction essays, and your listening skills will be cultivated by completing on-line listening activities, viewing and analyzing short clips from Italian movies, and listening to short lectures on topics in Italian culture, society, and history, such as Pompeii, the contemporary demographic profile of Italy, the history of the language, and of the unification of Italy.

At the end of Italian 103 you should be able to:

• understand brief discussions by native speakers on familiar topics and presentations by the instructor on Italian culture with frequent explanations/clarifications
• read and understand short authentic texts, such as magazine articles
• engage in brief conversations with native speakers who are sympathetic to the communicative needs of foreign language learners
• write essays on topics related to readings or material used in class using the structures and vocabulary you have learned in both 101 and 102
• demonstrate a broad understanding of a variety of topics related to Italian culture, society, and history.

Course Evaluation
Attendance and performance	15%
(5) quizzes + (1) mini-quiz	35%
Final exam	15%
Homework	20%
Oral exam	15%

Grading Scale:
A  93-100	B+ 88-89	B-  80-82	C  73-77	D+ 68-69	E  64-0
A- 90-92	B   83-87	C+ 78-79	C- 70-72	D   65-67

Attendance and performance

Regular attendance and participation in class activities are essential for learning a foreign language. In order to make progress in understanding and speaking Italian, students must hear and speak it on a daily basis. Therefore, prepare carefully for class by completing all assignments in advance, and be ready to participate in class. If you have to be absent or are ill, contact a classmate to find out the assignments that you missed. You may hand in the homework that you missed while absent on the day that you return to class, but no later. You will be permitted two unexcused absences during the quarter. Other absences are only excused with a valid, written excuse. Repeated and/or lengthy absences as well as lack of quality participation and interaction will affect your course grade. Attendance and participation grades are assigned weekly. Each day is worth 3 points. If you attend all five days and participate and interact in class, you will receive 15 points for the week. For each class missed you will lose three points. For each day that you attend but do not participate and/or are disruptive or disengaged, you will lose up to 2 points.

Quizzes and mini-quizzes:

There are five quizzes (each approximately 30 minutes in length) in this course. They will cover Strategie, Lessico, Strutture, Cultura, and the information in the In Italia boxes throughout the chapter. There is one mini-quiz (approximately 10 minutes in length) in chapter 11. Do not miss the quizzes or the mini-quiz. You will only be allowed a make-up if you contact your instructor beforehand and provide a valid written excuse. Any make-ups will be scheduled at the convenience of your instructor. A missed quiz or mini-quiz without prior notification will count as a zero.

Final Exam:

: The final exam will test your abilities to read and write in Italian. You will be given two readings with comprehension activities that are similar to the readings in your text and workbook/laboratory manual. There will be two compositions. You will be allowed to prepare the first composition in advance, but the topic for the second will be given at the final exam. The topic of the first composition will be Scriviamo! p. 438 of your textbook. You may prepare the text before the exam, but you may not bring it to the exam.

For the final exam only, you will be allowed to consult a dictionary during the exam.

The date of the final exam is in the Master Schedule. The date and time of your final exam are determined by the university and cannot be changed. You should not have any conflicts with exams in other courses.

Homework:

Homework consists of the workbook/laboratory manual, temini (compositions), the video activities from the Strategie section of your text, and any work assigned by the instructor. All graded assignments are worth 20 points each.

• Workbook/Laboratory Manual: Students are expected to complete the workbook/laboratory manual exercises that pertain to the material covered in class on a daily basis. (Hint: Do not procrastinate and do all the workbook/laboratory activities the night before the quiz, because you will not have any time to study for the quiz!) After completing the exercises, use the answer key at the back of your workbook/laboratory manual to correct your work. Be sure to use a different color ink for your corrections so that they will be visible for review later. The workbook will not be accepted without corrections. The workbook (with corrections) is to be presented in class on the days indicated on the schedule.
  
  Please Note: Copying answers directly from the answer key (as opposed to doing the assignment first and then correcting mistakes from the answer key) on workbook/laboratory assignments is considered Academic Misconduct and will be reported. The workbook/laboratory assignments will be collected in class on the day of the chapter test. Be sure to remove the pages from your book, staple them, and put your name on them.
  
  
• Temini (compositions): There will not be a rewrite for the essays in this course. The first version you hand in is the version that will be graded. Please print or type your Temino. Compositions are graded based on the following rubric:

Composition Rubric
Content (1-6 points)
5-6: content well-developed with points elaborated and examples where appropriate
3-4: minimum amount of information necessary to meet instructions
1-2: little information conveyed, sketchy presentation
Comprehensibility (1-6 points)
5-6: easily understood
3-4: understood with some effort
1-2: incomprehensible or understood only with great effort
Vocabulary (1-6 points)
5-6: accurate use of a wide variety of words (for this level)
3-4: accurate use of a restricted, but adequate number of words
1-2: inaccurate word choice or repetitive word use
Length (1-2 points)
2: length requirement was observed
1: length requirement was less than requested

• Video Activities: The day before the Strategie section of each chapter is presented in class, students are asked to read the corresponding pages in the text and complete the activities associated with the DVD that comes in your text/workbook/lab manual package. Please put your answers on a separate sheet of paper to hand in.
  Subtitles must be turned off when watching the DVD. Go to the main menu and highlight "Subtitles off" at the bottom of the screen, then hit Enter/Play while highlighting it. Go back to the chapter you want to watch.

Please Note

• You are expected to read the assigned pages before coming to class so that you are familiar with the topics that will be covered. Remember, this is to your advantage, since the book explains everything in English and class is conducted in Italian!
• The Avanti! Web site (www.mhhe.com/avanti) has a variety of activities to practice grammar and vocabulary and to test your knowledge of the communication strategies and culture topics presented in each chapter. You can also hear a native speaker pronounce the new vocabulary in the chapter. This is a great supplement to your course materials – be sure to give it a try!

Oral Exams

During the last three days of the quarter, students will take a 5 minute individual oral exams in class. The exam questions will include (but may not be limited to), the same questions that appear throughout the DVD that accompanies Avanti! (Capitoli 1-15) and the "Parliamo / Intervista" on pg. 467 of Avanti! (end of Capitolo 16). Students should be prepared to respond to the same questions and interact in similar situations as those in the DVD. Notes/scripts will not be allowed at the Exam. (Hint: Prepare for the exam by reviewing the DVD and by practicing the questions on pg. 467 with another student.) Points (out of 50) will be awarded based on the following rubric:

Disability Services:

Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access and participation in this course must be registered with the Office for Disability Services (ODS). Please contact ODS at (614) 292-3307 or (614) 292-0901 (TDD). Students should also contact their instructor as soon as possible to explore potential accommodations.

Academic Integrity Statement:

Students enrolled in courses at The Ohio State University are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic conduct. All suspected cases of misconduct will be reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct as required by University rules. Examples of academic misconduct in this course include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Copying work or otherwise turning in written work that is not original to you. Cheating in this case applies both to the copier and the person who allows his or her work to be copied.
• Copying answers directly from the answer key (as opposed to doing the assignment first and then correcting mistakes from the answer key) on workbook assignments.
• Having someone else do or write your assignments for you.
• Using a translator in any way to complete compositions, presentations or other assignments.
• Having anyone other than your instructor help you with your compositions or presentations. Tutors may answer questions about assignments from the workbook or textbook, but they may not help with compositions or presentations.
• Receiving or passing exam information to other students before, during or after the exam. Cheating in this case applies both to the receiver of the exam information and the person who gives the information.
• Alteration of university forms used to drop or add courses to a program, or unauthorized use of those forms including the forging of signatures.
• Use of any unauthorized aids on exams (e.g., cheat sheets, textbook, etc) is strictly prohibited.

Please Note: Students are responsible for understanding what constitutes academic dishonesty. For more information on this topic, consult the Ohio State University's policy on Academic Misconduct at: http://dent.osu.edu/studentaffairs/Documents/Student_Reference_Manual/academic_misconduct.htm#Acad All suspected cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct as required by University rules.

Quick-facts about the Italian Major and Minor

The Italian Major and Minor

You can get a major in Italian by taking 10 courses beyond Italian 104. Majors must take Italian 202 and at least two Italian 600-level courses (or above) at OSU.

Two courses in English that are offered in the Department of French and Italian may count for the major. You may choose from the following: Italian 251, 221, and 616. (If used for the major, these courses may not count for a GEC.)

The Italian Minor

You can get a minor in Italian by taking 4 courses beyond Italian 104. Minors must take Italian 202 and a 400-level course at OSU. Courses in English do not count toward the minor.

What about Study Abroad

Up to 15 credits of Italian 697 (Study at a foreign institution) and additional transfer credit may be counted toward the major or minor.

For more information contact Jodi Obert (obert.1@osu.edu).

Study Abroad Opportunities in Italy

The Ohio State University Study Abroad Program in Italy, offered in cooperation with the Università degli Studi di Lecce and its Scuola di Italiano per Stranieri offers the possibility of obtaining up to twenty hours of credit for study in Italy during the month of July (4 weeks) or the months of July and August (8 weeks). The prerequisites for admission to this program are 1) a minimum 2.7 cumulative G.P.A., 2) a minimum 2.7 GPA in Italian, and 3) successful completion of Italian 102 or higher. Students who study at Lecce will receive OSU credit for Italian 103 and 104 or, depending on their prior preparation and length of stay, for some combination of elementary and intermediate Italian courses and up to fifteen hours of Italian 697. It is also possible to study in Lecce during the academic year. Please contact the Office of International Affairs for more information.

For information about full-immersion service learning in Siena for a semester or a full year, or about studying at the Universitá degli Studi di Lecce for a semester or a full year, please see Ms. Carla Onorato (carlaonorato@yahoo.com).

For students who would like to take coursework in English in Italy, the Office of International Affairs (OIA) has information about programs offered during the academic year in Perugia, Florence, and Rome that are administered in collaboration with Arcadia College. Please be sure to contact the Study Abroad Advisor to determine whether language courses can be transferred to OSU for OSU credit.

If you would like to attend a program other than those offered through OSU, please see the Study Abroad Advisor for suggestions. Note that 1) the study abroad advisor in the Department of French and Italian must pre-approve your course of study. You will need to provide information about the school you will attend as well as course descriptions and syllabi for the courses you intend to take. 2) course work will only be accepted from Italian language schools/universities other than those listed above if students return to OSU with grades for their work from the host institution. Transfer credit cannot be given based solely on a certificate of attendance. 3) at least a full quarter before departure you should contact Grace Johnson in the Office of International Affairs for the appropriate paperwork.

Information about scholarships for study abroad can be obtained from the Office of International Affairs, Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Avenue. Students should not forget to investigate other sources for support, such as the Rotary Club and other local organizations.

The Italian faculty of the Department of French and Italian strongly supports Study Abroad in Italy and will be glad to provide interested students with further information, encouragement, and even travel tips. Contact the Study Abroad Advisor for more information.

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