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ITAL10110

Academic Year 2024/2025

Italy (ITAL10110)

Subject:
Italian
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Marco Bellardi
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This is an elective module designed as an introduction to Italian culture from a variety of perspectives. It is designed for non-specialists, so students do not need to be familiar either with Italian language or with the country of Italy before taking this module.
NOTE: the module will be taught in person this year but students have the possibility to join the classes online as well.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module, students will have:
• An awareness of Italy as a country
• Familiarity with cultural elements of Italy
• A new knowledge of certain aspects of historical and modern Italy
• An ability to respond to basic quiz questions on module content
• An ability to prepare a presentation on one or more aspects of Italy touched on during this module

Note that students must not use generative AI in any assignment for any purpose.

Indicative Module Content:

This module will cover a wide variety of weekly topics taught by specialist lecturers:
Week 1, Tuesday 21 January. Introduction to the module. Constructing and Deconstructing Italianness (Dr Marco Bellardi)
Week 2, Tuesday 28 January. Dante's World: The Divine Comedy and Its Cultural Context (Dr Giulia Cipriani)
Week 3, Tuesday 4 February. Dante Today: The Modern Adaptations of an Italian Icon (Dr Giulia Cipriani)
Week 4, Tuesday 11 February. Understanding a cultural revolution: an introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Dott. Matilde Icardi)
Week 5, Tuesday 18 February. Commedia dell’Arte Masks as Stereotypes in Early Modern Theatre (Dr Serena Laiena)
Week 6, Tuesday 25 February. Gioachino Rossini and Italian opera (Dr Francesco Milella González Luna)
Week 7, Tuesday 4 March. The Resistenza - History and Context (Dr Paolo Acquaviva)
Reading weeks, 10-23 March. No class
Week 8, Tuesday 25 March. The Resistenza - Issues and Legacy (Dr Paolo Acquaviva)
Week 9, Tuesday 1 April. Primo Levi and the Italian Holocaust Literature (Dr Mara Josi)
Week 10, Tuesday 8 April. The Mafia in Italy: Men of Honour, Repentants and the Maxi Trial (Dr Mara Josi)
Week 11, Tuesday 15 April. Inspector Montalbano’s Sicily: the Local Dimension from National to Transnational (Dr Serena Laiena)
Week 12, Tuesday 22 April. Old and new migrations. Emanuele Crialese’s 'Golden Door' and Andrea Segre’s 'Shun Li' and the Poet (Dr Marco Bellardi) + Q&A

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

38

Autonomous Student Learning

40

Lectures

24

Total

102


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be based largely on individual self-study (although students are welcome to discuss in groups).
Teaching strategies will favour lectures, including some interactive discussions and student participation. Readings will be set from one week to the next (see BrightSpace). Through broader bibliographies and online references, students are encouraged to read more deeply into individual topics that might be of interest to them.
As this module is an Elective, it is expected that students are not necessarily students of language, of cultures, of literature, or of Humanities and the Teaching/Learning approaches will reflect this non-specialist awareness.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Short quizzes based on weekly lecture topics Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
60
No
Assignment(Including Essay): Final assignment: a 10-min visual video-presentation on one of the weekly subjects covered during the module. The file is to be uploaded onto BrightSpace (further information will be provided). Week 14 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
40
No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided in the form of summative assessment (on quizzes) and also for final e-presentation. Also, individual feedback may be provided at any time during term by agreed appointment to individual students who wish to request an appointment with individual lecturers or with the module coordinator.

Name Role
Professor Paolo Acquaviva Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Giulia Cipriani Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Matilde Icardi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Mara Josi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Serena Laiena Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Francesco Milella Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 17:00 - 18:50