Study Abroad: Bologna Course Information

Course description

ITAL 0110 – Intensive Elementary Italian

An intensive beginner course which meets 15 hours per week for a total of 90 hours, taught by two instructors. The aim of the course is to develop basic communicative competence in the Italian language, that is, to enable students to interact using language which is both grammatically correct and appropriate to the situation. The course will develop proficiency in "basic" communicative functions (asking and giving information, apologizing, socializing, expressing likes and dislikes, etc.), as well as in "extended" functions (narrating, expressing emotions, uncertainty, opinions, hypotheses). Students will actively practice grammar structures on-site, interacting in the Bologna environment with the help of trained tutors. The course will develop all four skills in an integrated approach, with more stress placed on speaking and listening. Students will write journals and personal letters and read a short story. Classroom activities will use a variety of techniques and authentic materials.

Additional Activities

Language Relax

These meetings with your Language Partner will increase in frequency during the course according to the instructor - time and place at student's choice. These activities provide you the opportunity to speak informally with Italian university students.

Sample Weekly Schedule

(Note: These events are subject to change)

Daily Schedule
9:30-12:30 - Language Class
12:30- 13:30 -Lunch (on your own)
Lunch (with language partner activities - twice per week)
13:30-14:30 -Language Class
15:00- 17.00 - guided tour (museum, artisan shop, etc.) (once per week)
Saturday: four one-day excursions and one overnight trip (Ravenna, Modena, Montova, Verona & Venice)

Free Time
Since this is an intensive program, you have limited free time. While dates are subject to change, you will have the following free time. Optional events will be offered during the free time.

  1. One weekend
  2. One afternoon per week
  3. Five evenings per week
  4. Two Sundays

Examples of optional evening or weekend activities (costs not included in the program fee):

  1. Local cultural events
  2. Bologna by Night - Shopping/Cooking/Eating together
  3. Sunday day trip  - culinary trip to Parma, Modena or Reggio Emilia; seaside trip to Rimini or Riccione