Italian Advanced

This course is suitable for those who have already studied Italian for at least four years or have completed the Higher Intermediates course at Hills Road. The course will be based on interactive and communicative methods and will be taught entirely in Italian. A variety of activities will be used, including group discussions, online research on specific topics and viewing of Italian films. Class discussions on a variety of topics will take place on a regular basis and students will be strongly encouraged to express their views and opinions. Grammar will also be an integral component of the course, while the overall aim will be a deeper understanding of Italian culture and society. Continuous assessment will be performed through class activities and weekly homework. There is no specific textbook for this course. Materials and resources will be drawn from a variety of sources, including the Italian national press, the internet and Italian cinema. By the end of the course students will have had the opportunity to: gain confidence in expressing their personal opinions on a variety of topics; read and comment on articles from the national press; gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of Italian society from the post-war period to modern times; appreciate regional differences and understand their historic reasons. During the first term of this course the following grammar will be covered: revision of all the tenses of the indicative; consolidation of the use of the conditional; introduction to the subjunctive.