Courses

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 242 - Italian Cinema and Society
Alternate years
An examination of Italian society through the medium of film. Social, cultural, and politcal issues such as the North/South question, poiltical corruption, and immigration will be explored. Directors whose works will be screened and discussed include Pasolini, Salvatores, Rosi, Giordana, Moretti, Crialese, and Virzi. Conducted in English. One unit.

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, Wertmüller, and Scola, among others, will be viewed and discussed. 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. One unit.

Italian 299, 399 - Special Topics
Alternate years
A special course offered either semester for the study of a literary or cultural theme, movement or issue. 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 323 - Introduction to Comtemporary Italy
Alternate years
Explores the history and the culture of Italy from Fascism to contemporary Italy, passing through the economic boom, the "Leaden Years" and the Mafia. Along with historical and cultural information, students will read newspaper articles, lettters, excerpts from novels and shot stories from authors such as Calvino Levi, and others. They will also see films by directors like Scola, e Sica, and Giordana. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.

Italian 411 - Italian Renaissance Literature
Every third year
Focuses on 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 will be studied. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.

Italian 415 - Sicily through Literature and Film
Alternate years
Introduces students to the celebrated literature of Sicilit, the land of mythology and the Mafia, and home to many of Italy's most important writers. The course concentrates on modern Italian literature, tracing the evolution of Sicily's culture from the Unification in 1861 to today. Students will read works by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Giovanni Verga, Maria Messina, Luigi Pirandello, Leonardo Sciascia, and Andrea Camilleri and see films based on their works. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.

Italian 420 - 20th-Century Italian Novel and World War II
Every third year
A study of twentieth-century Italian narrative focusing on the experience of the war. Topics include antifascist resistance, the partisan war, the Holocaust and Italian Jews, and changes in Italian political, economic, social and cultural life resulting from the war. Authors studied include Italo Calvino, Carlo Levi, Giorgio Bassani, Cesare Pavese, Natalia Ginzburg, Primo Levi, Alberto Moravia and Elsa Morante. Students will also view and discuss films adapted from several such works in class. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 301 or equivalent. One unit.

Italian 491, 492 - Third-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 offered 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 offered in a given semester. One unit.

The final authority on College and departmental policy, including faculty and course information, is the Course Catalog.  Please consult the Catalog for more information.