This course employs the latest language teaching methodology to provide students with an interactive learning experience. Students will be introduced to the basics of the Italian language, as well as to contemporary Italy and its culture. In class, students will practice the four skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing - through a variety of activities. 

This innovative course is designed for complete beginners seeking rapid progress in language proficiency and the opportunity to fulfill their language requirement within one year. Equivalent to ITAS 101 and 102, this course prepares students for ITAS 201 or ITAS 203 (combined 201 and 202). ITAS 103 employs cutting-edge teaching tools to create an interactive learning experience. Methods include in-class conversation, role-playing activities, and blended learning supported by the latest technology. Through daily practice and reinforcement of all language skills, students will achieve intermediate-level proficiency in Italian and gain a foundational understanding of modern Italian society in a single semester. No textbook is required; students will have free access to an online platform offering comprehensive course materials, including videos, readings, grammar charts, self-corrected exercises, and tests.

This seminar is a collective close-reading of Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first canticle of the Divine Comedy, along with extended selections from Purgatorio and Paradiso. We will examine the poem's historical context, its intricate narrative structure, and its enduring influence. We will treat Dante’s poem as a gateway into the medieval world. Secondary reading will include near-contemporary chroniclers, theologians and poets as well as classic Greek and Roman authors such as Aristotle, Virgil and Ovid. No historical or religious background knowledge is required, only attention to detail and a willingness to be surprised. Sample discussion questions we will tackle with Dante: How can I distinguish between love and lust? How do I navigate a hyper-polarized society? What is justice? Is there value in suffering? How far should political prosecution go? How can I stand up to authority in a world where dissent is dangerous? Why are there spots on the moon?

This course employs the same language teaching methodology used in ITAS 101. Students will advance their language proficiency and their knowledge of contemporary Italian society through daily practice, both in the classroom and on their own. In addition, they will watch and discuss an Italian contemporary film, and read some short stories in Italian. Oral presentations are also incorporated in the curriculum.

This seminar is dedicated to the representation of Italian cities in Italian literature, art, and cinema from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century. By presenting cities as spatial narratives, we will introduce students to some of the most important moments in Italian history and will invite them to examine the representation of urban landscape as a privileged vantage point to understand Italian culture. The seminar is designed to introduce students to the field of Italian Studies and to provide them with a solid background in Italian history and culture.

The aim of this course is to develop students' fluency in spoken and written Italian. The reading of short stories, articles from Italian newspapers, and selected texts on Italian culture as well as the writing of compositions are used to promote critical and analytical skills. Listening is practiced through the viewing of Italian films. Both reading and listening activities are followed by in-class discussions. Three periods.

This course is dedicated to the representation and exploration of landscape in the Italian poetic tradition. By studying how the varied and beautiful Italian landscape found expression in the literary works of major poets, students will be exposed to a rich body of work and the tradition it both follows and renews. In particular, the course will focus on a series of specific themes, giving special attention to language and style. These will include: the opposition between rural and urban landscapes; the tension between dialects and the national language; the complex dynamics of tradition and innovation; issues of sustainability in the representation of Italian landscape. Through initial exposure to selected classical poets, including Dante and Petrarch, students will gain in-depth knowledge of the main formal structures of Italian poetry, from the classical sonnet, going on to free verse. In addition, we will read poems by the Italian greats of the twentieth century, i.e., Ungaretti, Saba and Montale, as well as works by contemporary poets, such as Bassani, Caproni, Sereni, Cavalli and Valduga, which deal with issues of preservation of the Italian natural landscape.

The course will be taught in English.

Students who wish to take the course to fulfill the major or minor in Italian should register for ITAS 320.