Italian Courses

ITL 101. Elementary Italian I - 1 course unit
Elementary Italian I provides an interactive introduction to the language and culture of contemporary Italy. This course uses a unique program designed specifically for Muhlenberg students and based on Spu n ti, a free, multimedia curriculum authored by Muhlenberg faculty. Grammar and vocabulary are taught through a dynamic, student-centered and culturally rich approach, enabling students to learn through communication. Class is conducted almost entirely in Italian. ITL 101 is intended for students with little to no knowledge of Italian. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week.

ITL 102. Elementary Italian II - 1 course unit
This course begins with a brief review of the topics covered in ITL 101, and then builds upon that foundation to expand and strengthen students’ language skills and knowledge of contemporary Italian culture. Like ITL 101, this course provides an interactive introduction to the language and culture of contemporary Italy. We use a unique program designed specifically for Muhlenberg students and based on Spunti, a free, multimedia curriculum authored by Muhlenberg faculty. Grammar and vocabulary are taught through a dynamic, student-centered and cuturally rich approach, enabling students to learn through communication. Class is conducted almost entirely in Italian. ITL 102 is intended for students with a limited knowledge of Italian. Assignment by placement test. Four class hours per week.

ITL 203. Intermediate Italian I - 1 course unit
This course is the first semester of the Intermediate Italian language sequence. Students continue to deepen and refine their knowledge and command of Italian language and culture, building upon the skills acquired in Elementary Italian. This course uses a unique program designed specifically for Muhlenberg students and based on Spunti, a free, multimedia curriculum authored by Muhlenberg faculty. Italian 203 uses authentic examples of Italian cultural production, such as films, songs, commercials, and literary excerpts, as the starting points (or spunti) for analysis of grammar and exploration of contemporary Italian culture and society. Each spunto provides varied activities for the improvement of students’ linguistic and cultural competence in a dynamic and communicative environment. This class is designed for students with a strong foundation in basic Italian. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week.

ITL 204. Intermediate Italian II - 1 course unit
This course is the second semester of the Intermediate Italian language sequence. Students continue to deepen and refine their knowledge and command of Italian language and culture. This course uses a unique program designed specifically for Muhlenberg students and based on Spunti, a free, multimedia curriculum authored by Muhlenberg faculty. Italian 204 uses authentic examples of Italian cultural production, such as films, songs, commercials, and literary excerpts, as the starting points (or spunti) for analysis of grammar and exploration of contemporary Italian culture, society, and history. Each spunto provides varied activities for the improvement of students’ linguistic and cultural competence in a dynamic and communicative environment. This class is designed for students with a strong foundation in basic Italian and some facility with more complex grammatical structures. Assignment by placement test. Three class hours per week.

ITL 305. Advanced Italian: The Power of Language - 1 courseunit
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 great 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 and Human Nature, Organized Crime and Corruption, Rome, Sacred Spaces, Young Adulthood in Italy, Immigration and 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 class discussion and analytical writing. This course is taught entirely in Italian. Prerequisite: ITL 204 or equivalent. Three class hours per week.

Upper-Level Elective Courses
The Italian Studies Program offers a steadily growing roster of upper-level culture courses. These include courses on Italian literature, film, theater, cuisine, culture, and history. Students at the advanced level can sign up for the Italian-language section within these upper-level courses. At present, upper-level ITL courses include:

ITL 220. The Italian-American Experience
ITL 313. Italian Theatre in Translation: Spectacle, Tradition & Innovation
ITL 315. Eatalians: An Exploration of Italian Culinary Culture
ITL 321. Cinecittà: Italian Cities in Italian Cinema
ITL 323. Jewish Italy: Two Thousand Years of History & Culture
ITL 388. Translating and Performing Italian Drama
ITL 389. Fighting for Freedom: A Multilingual Approach to Advocacy

Interdisciplinary Courses
One of the great strengths of the Italian Studies Program is its interdisciplinary nature. Faculty with expertise in a wide variety of disciplines, including literature, history, theater, art history and philosophy, offer courses that contribute to the IS Progam. Listed below are some of the Italian Studies courses that are offered regularly.

ARH 208. Baroque Art
ARH 301. Italian Renaissance Art
ENG 313/314. Medieval Literature
HST 247. Civil War, Holocaust, Crisis: Europe 1900-1945
HST 315/316. Renaissance
HST 388. History of Modern Italy
MUS 219. Opera
MUS 221. Music History I: Medieval to 1750
PHL 281. Language, Communication and Interpretation
THR 351. Commedia dell’arte