Degree Programmes
The minor in Italian aims to give students a good command of Italian in the four skill areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as to provide them with an in-depth understanding of contemporary Italian society and culture. The minor in Italian is offered to students from the following faculties: Faculty of Arts, Faculties of Arts and Education (BA&BEd[LangEd]), Faculty of Business and Economics, Faculty of Education (BSc[Exercise & Health]), Faculty of Engineering (BEng[CompSc]), Faculty of Science and Faculty of Social Sciences.
A minor in Italian consists of 24 credits of second and third-year courses plus the applicable first year prerequisites. The checklist below summarizes the requirements of the Italian minor:
Year I
ITAL1001 Italian I.1 (6 credits)
ITAL1002 Italian I.2 (6 credits)
Year 2
ITAL2001 Italian II.1 (6 credits)
ITAL2002 Italian II.2 (6 credits)
Year 3
ITAL3001 Italian III.1 (6 credits)
ITAL3002 Italian III.2 (6 credits)
The courses ITAL2023 and ITAL3022 are offered as inter-faculty electives to students in the Faculties of Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law and Medicine.
The broadening course YLAN0002 Italy and the Wider European Framework is offered in 2010/2011.
Learning Outcomes
Students who have completed a BA programme in Italian should be able to:
• Pursue a life-long appreciation of the Italian language and of cultures where Italian is spoken
• Provide innovative solutions to diverse problems or situations
• Demonstrate knowledge of Italian-speaking societies, cultures, politics, and economy
• Identify the major contributions and influences of Italian-speaking cultures to Western civilization
• Recognize how different cultural backgrounds influence interactions with others
• Demonstrate competence, sensitivity, and open-mindedness when communicating and working
• Use their insight into the cultures of the Italian-speaking world in order to critically evaluate the differences and commonalities between Italian-speaking societies and cultures and their own
• Understand the Italian language in daily life as well as academic and professional contexts
• Use the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Italian
• Develop an appreciation of all facets of human heritage and respect for humanistic values
First Year
ITAL1001. Italian I.1 (6 credits)
This course is intended for complete beginners in Italian and does not require any previous knowledge of the language. Participants will acquire a basic knowledge in the four areas of competence (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) with a particular emphasis on communicative skills.
Prerequisite: Nil
Assessment: 100% coursework
This course will be offered in the first semester.
ITAL1002. Italian I.2 (6 credits)
This course is a continuation of ITAL1001. Italian I.1. It will further develop the four areas of competence with the view of expanding students’ linguistic, pronunciation, and communicative skills. Participants will be asked to make use of a range of materials available in the School’s self-access facilities (which include audio, video, CD Rom and computer programmes), as well as to take advantage of resources accessible through Internet.
Prerequisite: Students must have satisfactorily completed ITAL1001. Italian I.1. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL1002 without having previously completed ITAL1001. Italian I.1 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board through the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the requisite standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework
This course will be offered in the second semester.
Second Year
ITAL2001. Italian II.1 (6 credits)
This course is a continuation of ITAL1002. Italian I.2. and continues to develop students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing Italian. It introduces new syntactic and morphological structures and provides students with opportunities to practice those learnt previously in a variety of contexts. The course also examines aspects of Italian society and culture. Audio visual materials are used throughout the course and small group tutorials are arranged on a weekly basis.
Prerequisites: ITAL1002 or Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL2001 without having previously completed ITAL1002 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board through the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
ITAL2002. Italian II.2 (6 credits)
This course is a continuation of ITAL2001. Italian II.1 and further develops students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing Italian to an intermediate level of proficiency. It introduces more complex syntactic and morphological structures and provides students with opportunities to practice those learnt previously in a variety of contexts. The course also examines aspects of Italian society and culture. Audio visual materials are used throughout the course and small group tutorials are arranged on a weekly basis.
Prerequisites: ITAL2001. Italian II.1. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL2002 without having previously completed ITAL2001 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board though the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
ITAL2021. Italian reading course (6 credits)
This course is designed to expand students’ knowledge of the Italian language through the analysis of authentic texts related to different aspects of Italian culture. The texts studied include literary excerpts, newspaper and magazine articles, and song lyrics. Every week, students are asked to analyze specific texts prior to each lesson for further discussion in class. The main medium of instruction is Italian
Prerequisites: ITAL1002. Italian I.2. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL2021 without having previously completed ITAL1002 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board though the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
ITAL2022. Italian for business (6 credits)
This course introduces the vocabulary and phraseology – for both oral and written communication – typical of business and commercial fields in Italy. It also provides insight into various aspects of the Italian economy and Italian business culture and explores how they differ from those of other cultures. As part of the course students are required to liaise with locally based Italian companies, set up a short-term work placement shadowing a specific member of staff, and write a report on their experience, in Italian
Prerequisites: ITAL1002. Italian I.2. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL2022 without having previously completed ITAL1002 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board though the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
ITAL2023. Italian lifestyle and culture (6 credits)
(This course is offered to non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadening purposes.).
This course provides a literary, social, and historical outline of Italian civilization and contemporary culture, with a particular emphasis on youth culture. Topics covered range from the visual arts, music, customs and traditions in different regions and cities, to cinema, cultural tourism, food, fashion, and education. The course examines what it means to be “Italian” in the world today and encourages students to reflect on the elements that contribute to the construction of a national identity. The course is taught in English.
Prerequisites: Nil
Assessment: 100% coursework
Second and Third Year
ITAL2221. History of the Italian language and grammar (6 credits)
This course will provide students with an overview of the history of the Italian language and the grammar of Italian. It will offer a broad outline of the historical development of the Italian language and other Romance languages deriving from Latin. This will be followed by a discussion on the use of various regional languages by influential intellectuals before and after the unification of Italy. After the unification (1861), one of these languages became Italy’s official language while the other local idioms gained the status of dialects, which still survive in various degrees today. Finally, the course will introduce students to important issues in standard Italian syntax. The course will also introduce students to some of the issues in Standard Italian syntax.
Prerequisite: ITAL2001. Italian II.2
Assessment: 100% coursework. In order to be granted credits for this course, participants will be requested to produce a statement with the mention of a grade from the host institution.
Third Year
ITAL3001. Italian III.1 (6 credits)
This course is a continuation of Italian II.2. It further explores the different linguistic aspects of the language and continues to develop students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing Italian to an advanced level of proficiency. It introduces new syntactic and morphological structures and provides students with opportunities to practice those learnt previously in a variety of contexts. The course also examines aspects of Italian society and culture, including the North/South divide, organized crime and the media. Audio visual materials are used throughout the course and small group tutorials are arranged on a weekly basis.
Prerequisites: ITAL2002 Italian II.2. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL3001 without having previously completed ITAL2002 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board though the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework
ITAL3002. Italian III.2 (6 credits)
This course is a continuation of ITAL3001. Italian III.1. It further explores the different linguistic aspects of the language and continues to develop students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing Italian to an advanced level of proficiency. It introduces new syntactic and morphological structures and provides students with opportunities to practice those learnt previously in a variety of contexts. The course also examines aspects of Italian society and culture, including the North/South divide, organized crime and the media. Audio visual materials are used throughout the course and small group tutorials are arranged on a weekly basis.
Prerequisites: ITAL3001. Italian III.1. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL3002 without having previously completed ITAL3001 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board though the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework
ITAL3021. Contemporary Italian literature (6 credits)
This course introduces students to some of the most prominent Italian writers of the 20th century and their literary masterpieces. These include Primo Levi, Alberto Moravia, Cesare Pavese, Italo Calvino and Pier Paolo Pasolini. The works of contemporary writers, such as Antonio Tabucchi, Susanna Tamaro, and Andrea Camilleri are considered. The selection of texts will also serve as a basis for discussion of various aspects of Italian culture and society. Students are required to read excerpts from these texts in their original language.
Prerequisites: ITAL2002. Italian II.2. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL3021 without having previously completed ITAL2002 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board though the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework
ITAL3022. Society and politics of modern Italy (6 credits)
This course provides an overview of Italian contemporary society and culture in its manifold aspects with particular emphasis on politics. The course explores how various issues that existed prior to Italy's unification approximately 150 years ago have endured and continue to impact the country today, including the economic gap between the North and the South. It will also examine the existence of organized crime – the Mafia and the Camorra – as well as other legal and illegal organizations that are active players in Italian politics and society. This course is taught in English.
Prerequisites: Nil
Assessment: 100% coursework
ITAL3119. Overseas immersion language course - Italian (6 credits)
This course provides an opportunity to study Italian and to experience linguistic and cultural immersion in a partner institution located in a [Italian-speaking] country. The course usually takes place during the summer months (e.g., June, July and/or August) and the duration of the stay may vary from two weeks to one month, but must include at least 60 hours of formal class tuition. Students typically take part in this course after the completion of their second year of language studies at HKU. The course is designed to build on and to reinforce the language competence acquired during the previous years of study as well as to prepare the participants for more advanced work in the final years of the programme.
Prerequisite: Students must have completed ITAL2002. Italian II.2. Students wishing to be admitted to ITAL3119 without having previously completed ITAL2002. Italian II.2 will be required to satisfy the Faculty Board through the Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures that they have attained elsewhere the required standard.
Assessment: 100% coursework. In order to be granted credits for this course, participants are requested to check with the teacher in charge prior to their enrolment and departure whether the course they have chosen is suitable for the purpose and, after completing of the course, (1) to produce a formal statement of attendance and certified transcript bearing mention of the final grade(s) obtained from the host institution, as well as the level attained according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL); (2) to provide a portfolio including i. a learning journal written in Italian relating to daily class activities and, ii. samples of assessments (written assignments, tests, examinations, projects etc.) along with evaluation results.
Enrollment to ITAL3119 Overseas Immersion Language Course:
http://www.hku.hk/smlc/files/ital3119.pdf
Download Application Form:
http://www.hku.hk/smlc/files/3119appform.doc