ITAL 408: ITALIAN CONVERSATION PRACTICUM

Posted in Announcement

ITAL 408 offers you the opportunity to interact with a native speaker of Italian at an Italian university. You will meet your Italian collaborator at least 8 times during the semester for one hour and twenty minutes – you are encouraged to meet once per week. During each session, you will speak for 30 minutes in Italian and 30 minutes in English, and the session will end with 20 minutes of language feedback. You will record and upload your video chat sessions to the instructor on Canvas, and complete self-assessment assignments and provide other feedback as requested. To enroll in this course, you must have completed ITAL 011 Intensive Basic Italian. This course is intended for all intermediate and advanced level students who wish to improve their oral proficiency, maintain their contact with the language, and especially for those planning a semester abroad in Italy.

Objective:

Improve oral fluency and comprehension

Implementation:

You will video chat at least 8 times using ZOOM with an Italian partner at Unisalento, in Lecce, Italy. 

Each session will be 80 minutes long, 30 minutes in English, 30 minutes in Italian, with 20 minutes of language feedback.

Sessions will begin as soon as possible (i.e as soon as an Italian partner has been identified).

Once you have connected with your Italian partner, you will set a date and time for your first session. It is advisable that you settle on a day and time that will work well with your schedules throughout the semester so as to avoid scheduling difficulties later on.

Assessment:

you must upload a recording of 8 complete video chats

after four of your Teletandem sessions, you will complete the post session survey.

at the end of the semester you will submit a Teletandem Portfolio. The portfolio will contain the following items:

A 5-minute video excerpt from your first Teletandem Session

A 5-minute video excerpt from your final Teletandem Session

A 2-page self-assessment written in English or Italian on your progress during the semester. Discuss the reasons why you selected the specific clips from your first and final sessions. Why are they particularly significant?

A 5 minute video recording in Italian in which you describe your Teletandem partner, reflect on your learning during the semester, and give general feedback on the experience.