Course Catalog - Italian
Italian 101, 102 — Elementary Italian 1, 2
Annually
Designed for students with little or no knowledge of Italian language, this course provides an overview of basic Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication, listening comprehension, and reading. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice. One and one-quarter units each semester.
Italian 201, 202 — Intermediate Italian 1, 2
Annually
Provides a review of Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication. Students also read and discuss Italian literature and cultural material. Four class hours weekly and laboratory practice. Prerequisite: Italian 102 or equivalent. One unit each semester.
Italian 253 — Italian Women Writers
Every third year
Focuses on 20th-century works of Italian women writers such as Sibilla Aleramo, Grazia Deledda, Anna Banti, Natalia Ginzburg, and Dacia Maraini, among others. Topics include the history of women in Italy, Italian feminism, the representation of women in Italian literature, and literary genre. Conducted in English. One unit.
Italian 255 — Italian Cinema
Every third year
Studies the major trends in Italian cinema from the post-war Neorealist period to the present day. Films by directors such as Fellini, De Sica, Visconti, the Taviani brothers, WertmŸller, and Scola, among others, will be viewed and discussed. Conducted in English. One unit.
Italian 257 — 19th Century Italian Novel
Every third year
Focuses on the “birth” of the Italian novel and the principal Italian novels and novelists of the nineteenth century, including Alessandro Manzoni, Giovanni Verga, and Gabriele D’Annunzio. Th e major artistic movements of the century—Romanticism, Realism, and Decadentism—are defi ned and discussed in relation to the novels in question. Conducted in English. One unit.
Italian 260 — Dante
Alternate years
Examines the life and work of Dante Alighieri with a focus on his masterpiece, La Divina Commedia, which will be read in its entirety. A portrait of the political, social, cultural, and religious climate in which Dante wrote will be provided. Conducted in English with discussion group in Italian One unit.
Italian 299, 399 — Special Topics
Alternate years
A special course off ered either semester for the study of a literary or cultural theme, movement or problem. One unit.
Italian 301 — Italian Composition and Conversation
Fall
Offers students intensive oral and written practice in Italian language through an exploration of Italian culture. Authentic materials such as literary texts, newspaper and magazine articles, and video are utilized as a basis for class discussion and written compositions. Grammar is reviewed in context. Prerequisite: Italian 202 or equivalent. One unit.
Italian 320 — Survey of Modern Literature
Alternate years
Traces the principal literary movements of the Italian (and European) tradition from the 17th – 20th century. Works by Giambattista Marino, Carlo Goldoni, Alessandro Manzoni, Giovanni Verga, Luigi Pirandello, and Italo Calvino, among others, will be studied. Discussion of Italian history and literary genre will provide a context for the readings. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.
Italian 411 — Italian Renaissance Literature
Every third year
Representative works of the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries are studied in the context of Renaissance culture and history. Selected works by Petrarch, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Leon Battista Alberti, Poliziano, and Castiglione. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.
Italian 419 — 20th-Century Italian Novel
Every third year
Focuses on the novels, authors, and themes that defi ne 20th-century Italian literature. Works by Italo Svevo, Alberto Moravia, Elsa Morante, Grazia Deledda, Italo Calvino, and Cesare Pavese, among others, will be studied. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.
Italian 491, 492 — Th ird-Year Tutorial
Annually
Eligible third-year students may elect one or both of these courses only with the permission of the department chair. For students who have previously taken all other advanced courses off ered in a given semester. One unit.
Italian 493, 494 — Fourth-Year Tutorial
Annually
Eligible fourth-year students may elect one or both of these courses only with the permission of the department chair. For students who have previously taken all other advanced courses off ered in a given semester. One unit.
* The courses and descriptions listed above are taken directly from the official College Catalog.