About ITA 112

Course Description

4 hours, 3 credits. Elements of communication, grammar, and culture. Development of oral and written expression and comprehension. Oral/aural practice in the Language Laboratory. Course taught in Italian. PREREQ: ITA 111 or Departmental placement exam.

About this course

This course is designed to provide a solid foundation in the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, along with cultural awareness. In accordance with ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, the primary objective of this ITAL 112 class is to help you develop the necessary skills to communicate proficiently in Italian and to function effectively within Italian-speaking cultures in real-life situations.  The methodology used in the course will be primarily communicative, that is, actually using what we learn for the purposes of communication and using language in authentic contexts.  As much as possible, the course will be taught in Italian. 

NOTE: This course is an in-person course. You are required to attend the in-person class sessions as listed on CUNYfirst barring illness or emergency. Many learning tools are digital, and some class assignments, activities, or assessments may be provided online through digital course platforms.

Course Materials

Required digital resource: One-semester access to Percorsi, 2020 edition, on LingroHub. *
IMPORTANT: Other OAR (Open Access Resources) will be made available during the semester.

LINGRO code for our course: 9a26e1 

LingroLearning. ISBN: 9781734878318. Includes Web-based eBook version of the textbook, online homework platform, and additional learning resources.*Available for purchase at either:

•  1) The Lehman Bookstore (https://www.bkstr.com/lehmanstore), which can ship the access card to your home, or  2) Purchase directly from LingroLearning when registering for the platform (https://hub.lingrolearning.com/#/login – see registration instructions on Blackboard).

Optional: If you purchase the Percorsi textbook from a vendor other than the Lehman Bookstore or LingroLearning you MUST ensure that you have the separately purchased access code to LingroLab Supersite.*If using the digital instead of print textbook, please bring an internet-ready device (laptop, tablet) to class to view the textbook for classroom activities.

Web Resources:          

Online resources for Italian: http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/deanhum/langlit/italian/index.htm            

Blackboard via CUNY Portal: https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/

LingroHub login: https://hub.lingrolearning.com/#/login

Placement in this course

ITA 112 requires having taken less than three years of Italian in high school, in addition to passing ITA 111 or its equivalent through transfer and not having native capacities in the language. Alternatively, you took a placement exam at Lehman College and were placed in this course. This course is not for students who do not satisfy these prerequisites.  Students who do not fall within one of these categories are advised to speak with their instructor right away and to seek advising from a Department of Languages & Literatures faculty member to be placed in the appropriate level as soon as possible within the semester.  If you feel you are in the wrong level course, speak to your professor right away; course changes cannot be granted after Week 2 of the semester.

Incorrectly reporting or misrepresenting your language skills may give you or be an attempt to give you an unfair advantage over other students in the course level for which you registered and could be a violation of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy.  More information on the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy can be found at: https://policy.cuny.edu/general-policy/article-i/, Policy 1.03.

Course Objectives

Each student will be expected to:

1) Converse (speak with acceptable pronunciation and understandable spoken Italian) in simple but correct Italian, demonstrating mastery of the vocabulary and grammatical concepts included through Chapter 10 in the textbook;
2) Write in simple but correct Italian, demonstrating mastery of the vocabulary and grammatical concepts included through Chapter 10 in the text;

3) Read and understand simple Italian texts, as in realia hand-outs and the reading selections included through Chapter 10 in the book;

4) Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speech and conduct within Italian-speaking cultures, as well as an understanding of cultural differences and similarities between Italy and the U.S.

Additionally,

1) By learning to understand, speak, read and write in a language other than English, students will improve their communication skills and reading strategies in English,

2) By studying the structure of a foreign language, students will enhance their abilities in interpretive, analytic, and adaptive reasoning,

3) Because a language always expresses a culture, students studying Italian 112 will improve their understanding of their own society through comparison with the cultural aspects of people in Italian speaking societies.

Methodology

In-class inductive grammar presentation, communicative practice, listening and reading comprehension, question-answer group activities, conversations, peer interaction in Italian, roleplays, simulations, target-language tasks, oral recordings, film/television/video activities, music, and written assignments (discussion board, possibly journal/composition writing, email, homework, weekly quizzes).

Grade Breakdown

Attendance and punctuality                                                                                                   20%

Homework                                                                                                                              16%

Cultural Enrichment assignments (videos, audios, Language Center)                                     4%

Quizzes                                                                                                                                     20%

Chapter assessments                                                                                                                20%

Final assessment                                                                                                                      20%

*You are required to attend the class, be on time, and participate actively. As per the course requirements (see section below), you are allowed 3 absences without penalty throughout the semester. If you miss 5 or more classes, you can FAIL the course. Completing the work online without attending the class does NOT count as attendance or participation. 

The Department of Languages and Literatures uses the following letter grades and their numerical equivalents for your final grade:

Grade   —         Percentage       — GPA Value

A         —        93 – 100           —        4.0

A-        —        92 – 90             —        3.7

B+       —        87 – 89             —        3.3

B          —        83 – 86             —        3.0

B-        —        80 – 82             —        2.7

C+       —        77 -79              —        2.3

C         —        73 – 76             —        2.0

C-        —        70 – 72            —        1.7

D+       —        67 – 69             —        1.3

D         —        60 – 66             —        1.0

F          —        60 >                 —        0.0

Course Requirements

Attendance, Participation, and Lateness

· Attendance is mandatory, given this is a basic skills course. You are expected to actively participate in class. (Please see http://lehman.smartcatalogiq.com/2019-2021/Undergraduate-Bulletin/Appendix/Board-of-Trustees-Rules-and-Regulations-on-Campus-Conduct/Attendance-and-Absences).

· You are permitted three absences throughout the semester without penalty.  However, each additional absence will diminish your overall final grade by 2%. At the instructor’s discretion, if you incur more than five absences total throughout the semester, you fail the class.

· You are expected to arrive on time to class and to remain for the full duration of the class session.  Three late arrivals to class, or early departures, equal an absence.

• You are required to activate and regularly use their Lehman email account for all communications with the instructor. Personal email accounts (e.g., Gmail) are not permitted for official correspondence. Important course information will be posted on Blackboard or sent to your Lehman email, so you must review it frequently to stay updated.

· It is your responsibility to communicate with your instructor by email if you are experiencing a major medical or family emergency.  Medical absences typically require official documentation (from a medical office, test result, etc.).  While a medical absence will generally be excused, please understand that a very prolonged medical absence may result in missing too much of the experiential language learning that takes place during class time, and so you may be advised to withdraw from the course and attempt it again in a future semester.

Procedure for instructor absence or forced cancellation of in-person class session

In the case of instructor illness, or in the case of dangerous weather or safety conditions, you are expected to check Blackboard before class time for a class announcement. In case of emergency use of remote class, you are expected to attend the session as you would regular class and participate in the interactive online class (microphone and camera on). If there are any doubts, please check with the office of the Department of Languages & Literatures in Carman Hall 257.

Homework

Homework will be assigned either daily or weekly, as needed.  Most homework will be assigned through the Percorsi on LingroHub online homework platform (also contains a Web-based eBook version of the Percorsi textbook), and must be completed by the due date posted on the LingroHub assignment calendar.  Your LingroHub account must be in your name to receive credit.  As homework is a requirement of this course, failure to purchase access and to sufficiently complete the homework assignments will result in failing the class, at the instructor’s discretion.  Additional homework assignments outside LingroHub may be assigned as well, with specific instructions and due dates provided on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to LingroHub assignments, you may have to periodically complete additional online activities, discussion board interaction, and other tasks either individually, in a small group, or by electronic interaction with the class. Instructions will be provided on Blackboard. This work is part of your Homework grade and may count differently from regular homework assigned throughout the semester.

Cultural Enrichment Assignments and Language Center (Carman Hall B37)

As part of their homework, students will complete one hour of cultural enrichment assignments every twi weeks, which will account for 20% of their overall homework grade. These assignments are designed to enhance oral production, comprehension, and interaction in the target language. They will involve a variety of activities, including using audio and video resources, completing tasks on the textbook supersite, and attending cultural events at the Language Center. The focus of these assignments is to provide students with practical language use and cultural experiences, enriching their understanding and application of the language in real-world contexts.

The new Lehman Language Center (Carman Hall B37) is a space where you can put your language skills into practice and enrich your learning experience in a fun and interactive way. The center offers various activities, including conversation tables, board game sessions, movie screenings, and cultural events, all designed to help you practice the language outside the classroom. Participation in these activities not only enriches your understanding of different cultures but also provides an opportunity to connect with others who share your interest in language learning. Additionally, your instructor may offer extra credit for attending these events, providing an added incentive to actively engage and apply your language skills in diverse and enjoyable settings.

For the Spring 2026 Open Sessions Schedule, please visit: Resources

Assessment and Examination

Exams and examination practices

Assessing your language learning progress is critical for measuring your language development and for ensuring your preparation for continued language study.  This course will include a variety of assessment modes.  The two main modes of assessment are written assessments (“quizzes” or longer “exams”) and oral assessments (“speaking assessments” or “chapter presentations”). Your instructor may decide to include assessments in other formats, such as an oral exam, a project, or an online assessment to be completed outside of class time. Assume that outside resources are not permitted for these, unless specific instructions state otherwise.

Chapter assessments

Chapter assessments will cover one textbook chapter. A written chapter assessment typically takes the form of a longer exam during class time, including oral and written exercises to assess mastery of vocabulary and grammar structures, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and written expression in the form of a short composition on a topic thematically-related to chapter content.  

Your instructor may assign an oral chapter assessment, counting towards or in lieu of a longer exam, in the form of a chapter presentation in which you will generally be asked to record a video or audio presentation to be submitted to your instructor by the due date.  Specific instructions for each presentation will be sent to you by your instructor.  In each presentation you will demonstrate your ability to use target vocabulary and grammatical structures as well as cultural competency as developed in class.

Quizzes

Because learning a language requires consistency, quizzes will be given approximately once a week or more or less, as needed.  Quizzes will vary in length, and at different times may include written exercises to assess mastery of vocabulary and grammar structures. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.  There are no make-up quizzes. If you miss a quiz, it counts as your one dropped quiz.

Speaking Assessments

At least twice during the semester, each student will have a brief (3 – 4 minutes) oral interview with the instructor, assessing the student’s spoken proficiency as appropriate to the course level, including pronunciation, grammatical structure, vocabulary use, communicative ability, and content of what is expressed.  Your instructor will ask you several oral questions drawn from the thematic units of chapters already covered in the course.  One speaking assessment will count as part of the student’s grade on Chapter Assessment #2 (minimum 10 points) and a second speaking assessment will count as part of the student’s grade on the Final Assessment (minimum 10 points).  Additional speaking activities or projects may be included in the Assessments portion of the course grade, in which case instructions and details will always be provided.

Final Assessment

The cumulative final assessment will be at the end of the semester, on 5/20 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. You will be given instructions in advance.  To ensure each student’s preparedness for the following course level, a failing grade (less than 60%) on the final assessment/presentation may result in a grade of F in the course at the instructor’s discretion.

Films

During the semester, we will watch sequences of Italian-language films to foster listening comprehension and cultural exposure.  You may be asked to complete activities based on what you see and hear. Also stay tuned for information from your instructor about the Italian Film Series!

Lehman Tutoring Center (part of Instructional Support Services, in Old Gym 205)

The Lehman Tutoring Center (LTC) is offering in person tutoring on campus. Language study falls under “Humanities” tutoring. For more information, please see: https://www.lehman.cuny.edu/academics/instructional-support-services/humanities-tutoring.php Or, simply request an appointment or receive drop-in virtual tutoring during business hours in the LTC’s Blackboard Collaborate virtual center via this link: https://us.bbcollab.com/collab/ui/session/guest/adf7cbc464854e299feb75e3e9e15442 

Academic Integrity

The use of online translation programs or the submission of work that is not your own are prohibited and constitute cheating according to College policy.  This will result in a grade of zero for the given assignment and/or the course and referral to the Dean of Student Affairs.  Except for quizzes and exams, you are permitted to use a print or online dictionary, as long as the work is your own.  Any cited text, quotations, or ideas used in an assignment that are not your own must be cited, credited and recognized in a bibliography or bibliographic footnote.  Please refer to http://lehman.smartcatalogiq.com/2019-2021/Undergraduate-Bulletin/Academic-Services-and-Policies/Academic-Integrity.

Accommodating Disabilities

Lehman College is committed to providing access to all programs and curricula to all students.  Students with disabilities who may need classroom accommodation are encouraged to register with the Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS).  To obtain accommodations, students must present a Letter of Accommodation from OSDS to their instructor to obtain accommodations.  For detailed information on services and resources, visit http://www.lehman.edu/student-disability-services/ or contact the OSDS by email at [email protected] or telephone at (718) 960-8441.