Italian

What will the course Cover?

The development of oral, listening, reading and writing skills through the use of audio-visual and authentic materials. A complete review of grammatical structures taught in 1st and 2nd year Italian, plus further use of tenses, eg the present conditional; more on pronouns; adverbial expressions, etc. In general the aim is to build up your confidence in speaking in a variety of situations and in different registers, as well as to get you writing clear correct Italian.

Who is this course for?

All with enough previous knowledge to benefit, and/or who have done 2 years or equivalent.

What skills, knowledge or experience do I need to start this course?

See 'Choosing Your Course' in the Programme Guide, and/or ask for Course Information sheets for beginners and lower intermediate.

What should I be able to do by the end of the course?

• make suggestions • describe what is happening at a particular moment • arrange a date • ask for a favour • express surprise and displeasure • give advice • talk about your needs / desires • ask for / give an opinion • talk about your health • talk about future plans • express doubt / uncertainty • write a CV • give reasons for / against • show interest grammar: stare + gerund; stare per + infinitive; combined pronouns; direct object pronouns + passato prossimo; relative pronouns (che / cui); imperative forms; pronouns + imperative; the future simple; the verbs bisognare; if clauses; the present subjunctive of regular verbs

How is the course organised?

The methods used are communicative and interactive, practising all four skills, with a little more emphasis on reading and writing than in lower levels. Activities include listening comprehension with related written work, reading authentic texts, grammar exercises to achieve correctness of usage, language games, role plays. Use of English is kept to a minimum.

What extra study or practice is expected outside of the class?

You'll always have work to review and practise from the previous lesson; you'll have sentences and words to learn by heart; you'll have homework set by the tutor. We recommend that you spend around 20 minutes a day on some kind of language practice - listening to a tape, watching a video, repeating, working with a CD ROM, etc, etc. A visit to the country and / or talking to a native speaker will be of great benefit at this stage. Visit languages websites – ask your tutor for addresses.

How will my progress be assessed?

Every lesson you are given different tasks so that progress can be assessed. Record of your work will be kept in your Individual Learning Plan to help record the steps taken towards achieving your goals.

What can I expect to go on to after this course?

Italian Upper-Intermediate Stage 1

Are there any other costs and what do I need to bring?

Course book: Check with your tutor before buying!

What support is available?

We have 3 main ways of supporting learners.We have 3 main ways of supporting learners. a. Help with literacy or numeracy is available through the basic education programme and the ESOL programme offers help for speakers of other languages. b. Additional support can be provided for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. If you have a disability and feel you need support to get the best from your course you can contact Sean Buckley (sean.buckley@lbhf.gov.uk) to have a confidential discussion on how best we can support your learning. c. The Learner Support Fund is a discretionary scheme, funded by the Skills Funding Agency, to assist learners who may be experiencing difficulties in paying for essential equipment/materials, travel costs, childcare, registration fees and other necessary expenses. Details of all available support and how to access it can be found on our website (hfals.ac.uk), in the Guide and the Student handbook, or from teaching or reception staff. We have 3 main ways of supporting learners. a. Help with literacy or numeracy is available through the basic education programme and the ESOL programme offers help for speakers of other languages. b. Additional support can be provided for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. If you have a disability and feel you need support to get the best from your course you can contact Sean Buckley (sean.buckley@lbhf.gov.uk) to have a confidential discussion on how best we can support your learning. c. The Learner Support Fund is a discretionary scheme, funded by the Skills Funding Agency, to assist learners who may be experiencing difficulties in paying for essential equipment/materials, travel costs, childcare, registration fees and other necessary expenses. Details of all available support and how to access it can be found on our website (hfals.ac.uk), in the Guide and the Student handbook, or from teaching or reception staff. We have 3 main ways of supporti