Italian Language Classes
2024-2025 School Year – Italian Language Classes will be conducted online. Check the quarter’s listings for the class schedules.
Fall 2024
October 3 – December 12
Register by: September 27
No classes Thanksgiving, November 28
Winter 2025
January 7 – March 13
Register by: December 17
Spring 2025
April 3 – June 10
Register by: March 25
Winter Quarter 2025
Classes will be conducted online only
Winter quarter registration (continuation of Fall Quarter) is now open.
Continuing students must register at the same level in which they are currently enrolled.
QUARTER OVERVIEW
Fall quarter is the beginning of the school year. In our program, all levels continue in a sequence lasting 3 quarters (from fall to spring). No stand-alone classes are offered. If you are an absolute beginner, we recommend that you start in the fall with the A1 level. Students who have completed level A2 or B1 or with an equivalent proficiency in Italian, should enroll in B1 or B2 respectively. The advanced conversation class is for students who have completed level B2 or with an equivalent proficiency.
Winter quarter is the second quarter of the school year. Students continuing on from Fall quarter should enroll in the same level as in Fall quarter. For example, if you enrolled in A1 for Fall quarter, enroll in A1 for Winter quarter. If you are a new student and not an absolute beginner, you can join level A1 (second quarter) or any other level according to your proficiency.
Spring quarter is the third quarter of the school year. Students continuing on from Winter quarter should enroll in the same level as in Winter quarter. For example, if you enrolled in A1 for Winter quarter, enroll in A1 for Spring quarter. If you are a new student and not an absolute beginner, you can join level A1 (third quarter) or any other level according to your proficiency.
Please feel free to contact the Language Program Director for guidance and any questions about the language program.
OVERVIEW OF ONLINE CLASSES
During the quarter, students will interact with their instructor and peers through the Zoom video conferencing platform. The Zoom platform allows real time interactions between students and the instructor. Instructors will present in real time the grammatical structures and vocabulary listed in the syllabus. Just as with in-person classes, students will be able to ask questions and interact with the instructor and each other. Follow up exercises and activities will be provided – some during the online connection and others to be completed offline. Outside of class time, students will be able to review material covered during online sessions as well as supplementary materials prepared for them through Canvas by the language program staff and additional complementary resources.
Beginning (A1)
Description
Level A1 is for people with no or little knowledge of Italian. Students will be introduced to the basic phonetic, grammatical and lexical structures through conversation and simple dialogues. During the three-quarter course, students will be engaged in a variety of fun activities and begin their journey of learning Italian.
Instructor
Sec. A – Laura Ciroi
Sec. B – Gabriella Vagnoli
Tuesday & Thursday 7 pm – 8:30 pm (PT)
January 7 – March 13, 2025
Sec. C – Tiziana Pibiri
Monday & Wednesday 7 pm – 8:30 pm (PT)
January 8 – March 14, 2025
CLASS MATERIALS
All class material, including access to given chapters of the recommended edition of the textbook and its ancillaries, will be available through Canvas. Those who prefer to have a physical copy of the textbook, the recommended edition is:
Oggi in Italia. 8th edition.
Merlonghi, Merlonghi, Tursi, O’Connor ISBN
978-0618678129 ISBN-10:0618678123 © 2007
(Not included in the registration fee, available for purchase online through various vendors including Amazon)
fee
$ 225 Non-members
$ 205 Members
Elementary (A2)
Description
Continuation of the beginning class or for people who have already studied some Italian. Students will finish exploring the essential grammar structures while learning appropriate and relevant words and expressions. At the end students should be able to use the basic structures of the language with confidence and will be able to communicate well in daily situations.
Instructor
Sec. A – Francesca Giambartolomei
Sec. B – Nicla Riverso
Tuesday & Thursday 7 pm – 8:30 pm (PT)
January 7 – March 13, 2025
CLASS MATERIALS
All class material, including access to given chapters of the recommended edition of the textbook and its ancillaries, will be available through Canvas.Those who prefer to have a physical copy of the textbook, the recommended edition is:
Oggi in Italia. 8th edition.
Merlonghi, Merlonghi, Tursi, O’Connor ISBN
978-0618678129 ISBN-10:0618678123 © 2007
(Not included in the registration fee, available for purchase online through various vendors, including Amazon)
fee
$ 225 Non-members
$ 205 Members
Intermediate (B1)
Description
Students will be reviewing and reinforcing their knowledge of the language in addition to expanding their vocabulary and ability to understand written and spoken Italian. Students will be exposed to cultural and literary readings and will develop a greater understanding of Italian culture, lifestyle and way of thinking.
INSTRUCTOR
Sec. A – Damiano Pinton
Tuesday & Thursday 7 pm – 8:30 pm (PT)
January 7 – March 13, 2025
CLASS MATERIALS
All class material, including access to given chapters of the recommended edition of the textbook and its ancillaries, will be available through Canvas. Those who prefer to have a physical copy of the textbook, the recommended edition is:
Da Capo. 6th edition
Annamaria Moneti, Graziana Lazzarino
ISBN-10: 1413016405 ISBN-13: 9781413016406 © 2007
(Not included in the registration fee, available for purchase online through various vendors)
fee
$275 Non-Members
$255 Members
Upper Intermediate (B2)
Description
This course is the continuation of the B1 level and will continue to provide a functional review of the grammar. The course will help students to understand articles from newspapers and the web, songs lyrics, literary excerpts, videos, film excerpts, and commercials and develop writing, speaking and listening comprehension skills. At the end of the three-quarter course students will be able to engage effectively in a conversation, express opinions and give simple explanations.
INSTRUCTOR
Sec. A – Tiziana Pibiri
Tuesday & Thursday 7 pm – 8:30 pm (PT)
January 7 – March 13, 2025
CLASS MATERIALS
All class material, including access to given chapters of the recommended edition of the textbook and its ancillaries, will be available through Canvas. Those who prefer to have a physical copy of the textbook, the recommended edition is:
Da Capo. 6th edition
Annamaria Moneti, Graziana Lazzarino
ISBN-10: 1413016405 ISBN-13: 9781413016406 © 2007
(Not included in the registration fee, available for purchase online through various vendors)
fee
$275 Non-Members
$255 Members
Advanced Conversation
Description
A conversational course open to students who have completed level B2 or with equivalent proficiency. This course will advance your fluency, listening and conversational skills, expand vocabulary and improve your grammar. Students will practice spoken Italian in a variety of contexts and will develop communicative tactics and vocabulary to improve oral expression and conversation.
instructor
Sec. A – TBD
CLASS MATERIALS
All class material, including access to given chapters of the recommended edition of the textbook and its ancillaries, will be available through Canvas.Those who prefer to have a physical copy of the textbook the recommended edition is:
fee
$345 Non-Members
$325 Members
Already Registered?
Location
Italian Language Classes are conducted online.
Gabriella Vagnoli was born in Pisa, Tuscany, home of the famous Leaning Tower. She grew up in a multicultural family thanks to her Brazilian mom and remembers teaching Italian for the first time as a child to her Brazilian cousins. She obtained a Laurea in English and Spanish Language and Literature at the Università degli Studi di Pisa and during her college years spent a year in the University of Reading, UK, studying mainly the works of Shakespeare. After obtaining a Certificate as a Teacher of Italian (DITALS II) at the Università per Stranieri di Siena, she has taught in a full immersion school in Florence, a children's full immersion program in Chicago and a Community College in Illinois.
Tiziana was born and raised in Sardinia, a beautiful Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. She has always been passionate about foreign languages and cultures, and studied French and German at the Scuola Superiore Interpreti e Traduttori in Milan, where she obtained her first Foreign Languages and Interpreter BA degree. She then pursued her MA in English and German Language and Literature at IULM, one of the most prestigious universities in Milan, Italy for Language and Communication studies.
Nicla is a native of Napoli, Italy. She has a Laurea in Materie Letterarie (degree in humanities) and a Laurea in Pedagogia (degree in Education) from the Università degli Studi di Cassino. She earned her M.A in Italian and her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington. She has published articles and book chapters on gender and theater as well as politics and religion in Counter-Reformation Italy and in the last years, has been teaching Italian literature, language, and culture in different institutions. In addition to teaching in our program, Nicla is authorized to cover the role of esaminatrice and intervistatrice in our PLIDA Examination Board.