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This is Elementary Italian I, Summer 2020.

Maria Luisa Gozzi is the professor and can be reached at mlg30@columbia.edu.

Louis J. Moffa is the teaching assistant and can be reached at
ljm2182@columbia.edu.

Our class takes place Monday through Thursday at 6-8:05pm four days a week.

It meets on Zoom: you will find all the appointments on CourseWorks.

There might be meetings outside the class time to work on your projects and review materials and activities.

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The materials, instructions, assignments and announcements, will be available on CourseWorks.

The manual we will refer to is

Percorsi. L’Italia attraverso la lingua e la cultura. 3rd. Edition.
Francesca Italiano, Irene Marchegiani. Pearson.

You will need to be able to consult the textbook and to have access activities in the MyLab website of Pearson.

To access the site:
Columbia University Summer 2020 Elementary 1

ID: CRSKLUE-789549

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We will be covering more than one chapter of the book every week. Due to the intensive nature of this course we will be learning at an accelerated speed. Much material will be covered and you will have to dedicate as much time as possible to your studies.  The class meets four times a week, but you should invest time into your study of Italian daily outside of class time.

Learning a language is a cumulative process and you are expected not to forget what was learned in previous classes.  Please do your best to stay with the pace of the course so that you are able to participate in class and enjoy it.

You are ultimately responsible for all of the material in Percorsi and have to complete the exercises in the MyLab Website, and the other assignments you find on CourseWorks as assigned.

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Successfully attending this course, you will reach the level A1 (Common European Framework of reference) or Novice High (ACTFL).

In this course you will develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Italian, and an understanding of Italian culture, through the use of authentic material.

You will be able to understand basic messages in simple oral and written material containing standard phrases (questions, high-frequency commands, and courtesy formulae) and some sentence-length expressions, supported by proper context and presented in clear and plain language. You will be able to comprehend main ideas in the listening and reading of brief, simple, authentic material (i.e. menus, signs, directions, maps, timetables and advertisements), read edited texts on familiar topics and have a fair understanding of messages of short standard Italian conversations in a number of content areas, presented in a clearly audible speech. You will also understand present events and simple events in the past, presented and in the context of familiar topics (such as weather, meeting new people, school, shopping, etc.)

You will be able to engage in basic conversations relying mainly on short phrases and to respond to open-ended questions as well as to initiate communication on familiar topics (e.g. provide basic information about yourself, your family, interests, likes and dislikes, and daily activities). You will be able to provide general information about Italy (e.g. geography, weather, food, etc.).

Emphasis will be placed on communicative situations involving first and second person; writing activities will include creation of coherent sentences and short paragraphs (simple autobiographical information, brief messages, simple forms and lists) to express personal meaning about a variety of topics where pertinent vocabulary and structure are provided.

You will be able to compare similarities and differences with regard to products and practices of the Italian culture and your own, while demonstrating a cultural awareness and understanding when you communicate.

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Our course will take place entirely online.

We are going from the multidimensional communication environment of a class to the two-dimensional experience of our screens. Nonverbal ways to express meaning (gestures, body language, facial clues) are harder to perceive and decipher. Therefore, it is very important that you focus during our classes.

Consistent engagement, empathy, and clear communication will make our learning experience both enjoyable and rewarding.

Now more than ever it is important that every member of the class takes responsibility for building and maintaining a harmonious community within the class, with flexibility, care and patience.

Language learning happens through interaction, we construct the class all together and its atmosphere and efficiency depends on each of us.

Please ask questions every time something is not clear to you, without hesitation. Do not let uncertainty and potential mistakes stop you. A question is a manifestation of your engagement. Your curiosity makes the class more vivacious and your teacher will be happy to answer any and all questions, and other students will benefit from them.

You can ask questions in class, either by raising your hand virtually on Zoom or using the chat function. Outside of class, please put your questions in the discussion board. The other students will benefit from seeing your questions.

Clear communication is the main way to realize an ideal interaction. Your feedback will help in shaping the class in the most satisfactory way.

Stay in touch and write an email to signal a problem, a concern, a suggestion. You will receive an answer in a few hours. Be more patient during weekends, but express any perplexity at any time.

Do assigned work consistently and thoroughly.  Continuity is the basis for remembering and internalizing new information, and you will help make the course more effective and enjoyable by your active and continuous contributions.

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Please use your computer/laptop to access Zoom, you will have to participate not only speaking but also typing and will need access to an efficient keyboard.

You are expected to share your video on zoom throughout the whole duration of the class. Your face has to be visible, so please make sure that the light in your room allows it. If you prefer you can use a virtual background.

Make sure the space in which you attend your class is not disturbed and allows you to listen and talk without disturbances. If your environment is not quiet, please use headphones with a microphone and keep your microphone muted.

You are also expected to be dressed with a certain level of decorum, appropriate for an in-person class. This being an Italian course, you will learn how much appearances matter to Italians, not only as a frivolous concern but also as a legacy of centuries of artistic pursuit.

Please turn off your cell phones and other devices during class, and avoid the distraction of incoming external messages and other solicitations.

You can drink your water, tea, coffee etc. in class, but please do not eat. Make sure you eat something before class if necessary, as class is from 6-8pm.

Do not get up and leave your screen randomly. Maintain a certain composure and send a message to let us know if you need to leave for any reason.

If your child, cat, dog, enters your space… don’t lose your concentration and avoid exhibiting it for a prolonged stretch of time.

Please let the professor know immediately if you experience any technical problems.

We will take a break during the two-hour class, and do varied activities to make it as interesting and captivating as possible.

Your participation and disposition will contribute to the success of each class. Please do not sit back and watch the class, but engage in it, giving your unique contribution.

Focus exclusively on what is taking place in class, that is the best way to learn and take advantage of our time together. Your engagement shows your respect to the other students and to the teachers, and ultimately, to yourself.

Italian is the language spoken in our class. Due to the online nature of this specific class, we may occasionally use English when clarity would be otherwise too compromised, but please use only Italian to interact with the teacher and the other students (even when you are in the breakout rooms…) unless the teacher indicates otherwise.

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Participation (20%)

Practice assignments/Homework (20%)

Quizzes (20%)

Projects and Presentations (20%)

Final Exam (20%)

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You are expected to be attend all the classes regularly and punctually.

This is a very intense course and your presence in every class is vital for your learning and consolidating your knowledge of Italian, but also to proceed smoothly together with the other students.

The pace of the class is quite quick and you will find it difficult to keep up if you miss a class.  We will cover in six weeks what this course usually completes in an entire semester.  Please make every effort to attend each and every class.  Be ready to dedicate yourself to this class for the duration of the term.

If you find that you must for serious reasons be absent from a class please get in touch with the professor in advance.

An absence is absolutely not considered an excuse for not knowing your assignment.

Unjustified late arrivals or early departures count as absences.

If you miss more than 3 classes you will no longer be considered part of the class, and must drop the course, or will receive an F grade.

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Your success and your enjoying and profiting from the class is determined by:

·       Active participation in ALL activities –synchronous and asynchronous (namely during class and in all the individual and group activities outside of the class time)

·       Timely completion of assignments – these are often the stepping stones to the next class.

·       Timely communication with instructors (if you are falling behind – get in touch!)

·       Solid internet connection, well-functioning camera, quiet Zoom environment

·       Familiarization with learning apps that we use in class

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During class and for your activities outside of class we will engage with a variety of online tools. Besides the different functions of CourseWorks, such as the Discussion space, the Quizzes, etc., we are going to use Google documents and other apps.

Please get familiar with their features as soon as you can.

We might use:

Flipgrid https://info.flipgrid.com

Padlet https://padlet.com

Quizalize

Peardeck

And maybe Kahoot

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Homework is a very important part of this course and it will affect your final course grade.  It is your responsibility to come to each and every class prepared. You can read your assignments on CourseWorks and the manual website. If you don’t see them on a specific day, or you have problems in opening an attachment, please contact the teachers promptly by e-mail. Please exchange telephone numbers, contact info, and/or e-mail addresses with two classmates so that you will always have a way to verify what was done in class and possible variations in the program.

Homework assignments include written as well as oral assignments.

Homework is graded and counts towards your grade (see grading policy). In order to keep the pace of the course, you are requested to study and to do homework on a daily basis. All homework is due on the day assigned (will not be accepted late unless there are exceptional circumstances).

Improvement is a very important part of the course and you are required to actively work on it. You must show improvement by not repeating the same mistakes over and over. After your homework has been reviewed, please spend time looking at your instructors’ indications and comments, and make the requested corrections.

An absence is not considered an excuse for not doing your assignment.

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There are weekly announced quizzes. They emphasize the vocabulary and grammatical structures contained in each chapter, and reflect the other activities and materials covered in class. They may include listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and writing. The lowest grade on a quiz is dropped. There are no make-up quizzes (unless there are exceptional circumstances). If you miss a quiz, it will be counted as a 0 and dropped.

Your quizzes and the final examination are cumulative.

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You will find all the information regarding the course on CourseWorks. Occasionally the professor or the assistant will send messages to your Columbia University email address. You are expected to check your email on a regular basis, and to respond in a timely manner if you are asked to provide some information.

“Columbia University has established email as an official means of communication with students. The University expects that every student will receive email at his or her Columbia University email address and will read email on a frequent and consistent basis. A student's failure to receive and read University communications in a timely manner does not absolve that student from knowing and complying with the content of such communications.”

See http://www.essential-policies.columbia.edu/student-email-communication-policy

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By participating in this class, we all commit to adhering to the Honor Code for academic integrity (Link below). This is especially important in an online format. You will not learn much if you solve problems via online translators, copying, or resorting to outside help.

https://www.college.columbia.edu/academics/academicintegrity

Any work submitted by you as a student in this course for academic credit will be your own work. All instructors expect that students work in accordance to the student honor code and be cognizant of the consequences of committing an academic integrity violation in this class. All students are required to affirm their adherence to the code for each piece of work and graded assignment. It is the expectation that students adhere to this statement each time they are required to complete work for the course.

Internet research guidelines: The careful use of Internet resources is encouraged and a list of recommended websites will be given. Failure to cite Internet and other non-traditional media sources in your written work constitutes plagiarism. It is not allowed to use online translator.

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We understand that our members represent a rich variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The Italian department is committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity.

We would like to create a learning environment for my students that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and honors your identities. While working together to build this community we ask all members to:

-        share their unique experiences, values and beliefs

-        be open to the views of others

-        honor the uniqueness of their colleagues

-        appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other in this community

-        value each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner

-        keep confidential discussions that the community has of a personal (or professional) nature

-        use this opportunity together to discuss ways in which we can create an inclusive environment in this course and across Columbia University community

Please let us know if you have a name and/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your official Columbia records

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Italian has binary grammatical genders for referring to persons and nouns. This linguistic pattern does not represent more fluid perceptions of social gender. While there is no consensus in Italian, even in trans and non-binary communities, how this can be solved, we are committed to working to find solutions so that everyone can feel welcome in our space. Please be respectful of everyone's preferred pronouns. One solution non-binary native speakers utilize is to switch between feminine and masculine pronouns and adjective endings fluidly while speaking/writing. If you have concerns about this binary nature of the language as regards your gender identity and expression, please feel free to reach out.

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People learn languages in different ways, and we strive to offer many paths to learning in our classes. Feel free to let us know what works for you (visual support, better color contrasts, audio, specific activities...). If you have, or suspect you have, a disability of any kind, please contact Disability Services so that accommodations can be put in place.

If you have any sort of disability recognized by Columbia University or an impairment that prevents you from behaving like every student is expected to do, communicate it to the professor at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as it is detected.

https://health.columbia.edu/content/disability-services