ITC 305 - Advanced Italian: The Power of Language

Course unit(s): 1
Meets Explore Core requirement (students beginning Fall 2024 and later): IC
Prerequisite or corequisite: ITC 204 Intermediate Italian II

Ever since Dante, writers and thinkers have utilized and shaped the Italian language as a vehicle to investigate and contemplate every aspect of experience. This course ushers students into that “bella scola” of the Italian literary, artistic and scientific tradition, where they will explore topics of universal human importance, while deepening their knowledge of Italian history, art and culture, and refining their Italian language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). The course is organized into three thematic units (past topics have included: Nature & Human Nature, Organized Crime & Corruption, Rome, Sacred Spaces, Young Adulthood in Italy, Immigration & Community, etc.). The primary focus of study are 20th- and 21st-century works of literature and art that examine these themes in a wide range of genres, including novellas, short stories, poems, essays, visual art and music. Study of advanced grammar and stylistics takes place within the context of reading, viewing and discussing these works and discussing the topics they treat. Students hone their linguistic and analytical skills through the study of these texts, as well as the artistic, social and historical environments that gave rise to them. Emphasis is placed on classroom discussion and analytical writing. This course is taught entirely in Italian. Prerequisite: ITL 204 or equivalent.