Disciplines and areas of study
Italian studies
Program Coordinator: Mr Antonio Pagliaro.
Italian studies combines Italian language study and language skills with the study of Italy and its literature, history and civilisation. The first year units for students who have VCE Italian or equivalent are Italian Advanced 1A and 1B.
Two units for beginners (Italian Beginners 1A and 1B) are offered in first year and sequels to these are available at second and third year levels.
The unit ITA1PCI People of Contemporary Italy—which has no language prerequisite—is strongly recommended for all students who wish to broaden their knowledge of modern Italy.
Latin Beginners 1A and 1B are coordinated and taught by Italian studies. The European studies units EST2RJS/EST3RJS Romeo and Juliet: Fact, Fiction, Film and EST2REI/EST3REI Renaissance Italy, and the history unit HIS2MMI/HIS3MMI. The Making of Modern Italy is also coordinated and largely taught by Italian studies and may be taken as part of the Italian studies major. EST2REI/EST3REI Renaissance Italy is taught in Prato (Italy) in January 2008.
Programs of study
Students will be assigned to language units according to their prior knowledge of Italian. The language streams will merge and be taught and assessed as follows.
There will be a three-year sequence of components for post-VCE students with an initial enrolment in Italian Advanced 1A.
Beginner students will take Italian Beginners 1A and 1B in first year. The continuations are Italian Beginners 2A and 2B, 3A and 3B.
Students shall not be deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of Italian Advanced 1A and 1B unless they pass both the language and non-language components of these units.
Assessment
Unless otherwise stipulated in individual unit descriptions, assessment is by coursework??including such tests as may be prescribed by the tutor as part of the unit??and by examination. Coursework consists of written and oral assignments. Most culture units involve the writing of a major essay and the presentation of at least one seminar paper per semester. Precise details are given by each tutor at the beginning of the unit. Language units involve regular weekly assignments and regular participation in oral work. Language work is also assessed by oral and written examination.
Assessment is based on judgements of the student’s performance, aptitude, and ability. Students are encouraged to discuss their progress with their tutors and with the coordinator, who will be very happy to help them with any problems they may encounter in the course of their studies.
Major in Italian studies
Students who wish to satisfy the degree requirements by taking a major in Italian studies must undertake at least 130 points of Italian studies units, 60 credit points of which must be taken at third year level. Students who wish to proceed to honours are encouraged to take at least 150 credit points of Italian studies units.
| Teaching period | Unit title | Unit code |
|---|---|---|
| First year units (15 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Italian Advanced 1A | ITA1ADA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Italian Beginners 1A | ITA1BEA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Advanced 1B | ITA1ADB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Beginners 1B | ITA1BEB |
| TE-SEM-2 | People of Contemporary Italy1 | ITA1PCI |
| Second year units (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Italian Advanced 2A | ITA2ADA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Italian Beginners 2A | ITA2BEA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Advanced 2B | ITA2ADB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Beginners 2B | ITA2BEB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Translation (on-line unit)1 | ITA2ITT |
| Second or third year units (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Romeo and Juliet: fact, fiction, film1 | EST2RJS/EST3RJS |
| TE-SEM-1 | The Making of Modern Italy2 | HIS2MMI/HIS3MMI |
| WK 1 - 15 | Renaissance Italy (offered in Italy in summer) | EST2REI/EST3REI |
| TE-SEM-2 | Medieval Italy1 | ITA2MEI/ITA3MEI |
| TE-SEM-2 | Renaissance Italy | EST2REI/EST3REI |
| Third year units (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Italian Advanced 3A | ITA3ADA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Italian Beginners 3A | ITA3BEA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Reading Course A | ITA3RCA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Advanced 3B | ITA3ADB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Italian Beginners 3B | ITA3BEB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Reading Course B | ITA3RCB |
- Key: 1 Not available in 2008.
- 2 Students majoring in Italian will have tutorials and texts in Italian.
Note: reading course A and B are only made available to third year students in special circumstances and with the permission of the program coordinator.
Other units recommended for students of Italian
Not all of the units listed below will be available every year.
| Unit title | Unit code |
|---|---|
| Second or third year units (20 credit points) | |
| Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition | LIN2BSA/LIN3BSA |
| Contemporary Italian Cinema | CST2CIC/CST3CIC |
| Cross-cultural Communication | LIN2CCC/LIN3CCC |
Honours
Students majoring in Italian studies who achieve an average mark of at least 70% in second and third years may apply to undertake a fourth, honours year.
The honours year consists of:
- (a) a coursework component of three semester units, and
- (b) a 12000 to 15000 word minor thesis on a topic agreed upon between the student and the supervisor.
Honours students who have not completed the language units ITA3ADA and ITA3ADB will undertake these to count jointly as one fourth year unit and will complete all assessment items, including examinations in the unit.
Assessment is 50% coursework and 50% dissertation. Queries may be directed to the Honours Coordinator.
Study abroad
Students who undertake a three-month course at Perugia University for foreigners subsequent to completing their second year at La Trobe may obtain a maximum of 20 credit points of language at third year level. It is required, however, that the course undertaken be at least of level 4 or above and also that the students present the official university students’ examination booklet certifying that they have obtained a satisfactory result at the official examination for that unit. Study at other tertiary institutions in Italy may also be credited on a similar basis, at the discretion of the program coordinator.
A full description of these units (including the unit name, unit code, credit points, campus/location, unit coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites, and readings) appears at the end of each discipline entry. A full description of ITA units appears below. For the most recent descriptions of all units students, should access the unit database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.