1st Year Information

• Aims and Objectives
• Single Honours Ab-initio
• Single Honours Post A-Level
• Joint Honours Ab-initio
• Joint Honours Post A-Level
• Reading List 2012-13 (PDF 91KB)
• Assessment criteria for language work (29kb word format)
• Year One Handbook 2012-13 (709kb pdf format)

Aims and Objectives

Both staff and students have certain expectations regarding the first year and we hope that these coincide in large measure.
The Department has a number of formally declared aims which includes:

• seeking to offer students a high-quality learning experience in a stimulating, supportive and responsive learning environment.
• promoting good teaching practice among all staff, encouraging development and innovation in course content and teaching methodology.
• promoting our active belief in the validity of teaching conducted in an atmosphere of research.

Our major objectives are to produce graduates with:

• a high level of achievement in the principal areas of linguistic expertise, both written and spoken
• a good knowledge of Italian cultural and literary history.
• informed critical skills relevant to major areas of Italian cultural studies.

We aim to achieve these through a varied and carefully graded language programme and the provision of a mixture of core and optional cultural units from the Middle Ages to the present together with appropriate analytical tools to assist in the process of understanding and interpretation.

• to enable students to realise their academic and personal potential by enhancing their written and oral skills, by promoting intellectual curiosity and independent study, and by encouraging the development of flexible and critical minds.
• to promote subject specific and transferable skills in a way which will enhance student employability, provide for a continuing self-education and, where appropriate, equip them for post-graduate training.

First Year - Student Learning Outcomes

Clearly there is a link between these departmental aims and objectives and some of the expectations and aspirations which you yourself may have in connection with your first year. The following learning outcomes summarise broadly what we expect you to have achieved academically by the end of Year

You should have:

• established a sound knowledge of and ability to handle the basic grammatical structures of the language.
• gained confidence in your own ability to express yourself and communicate orally in Italian.
• extended and refined your vocabulary through reading and other work.
• developed an awareness of different ways of reading, interpreting and consciousness of critical methodologies.
• begun to develop transferable skills with a view to the future (e.g. language skills, computer literacy, word processing skills, web skills etc.)

All units have detailed learning outcomes specific to their content. You will be made aware of these and have an opportunity to discuss them with a member of staff at the beginning of each unit.

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Single Honours: Ab Initio

Your main task in Year 1 is to master the basic grammatical structures of the language and to begin to develop skills in the four major areas of language acquisition: writing, reading, listening and speaking. Every week you will do five hours of language, organised as follows: 4 hours of language study (grammar and development of reading and writing skills), 1 hour of oral/aural work. In the course of each Teaching Block you will be expected to spend a fair amount of time on the study and revision of language through the Multimedia Centre and a range of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning facilities and approaches, used both in class and for independent study.
Single Honours Ab Initio candidates take ALL units listed below, including Open Units, to achieve their 120 Credit point quota.

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Single Honours: Post A-Level

Your main task in Year 1 is to revise and consolidate your knowledge of Italian grammar and to increase the range and sophistication of your language skills. A dedicated course manual covering the core curriculum will be handed to you in class. Although you are likely to possess already an interesting array of Italian language books, your tutor will advise you in class at the beginning of term on what textbook you will be required to purchase for your first year of study in Bristol. There are three language hours per week, 2 of which focus on grammar, comprehension, composition and translation, and 1 on oral/aural skills. With the aid of our range of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning facilities and approaches, used both in class and for independent study, your aim will be to improve your linguistic fluency in regard to a whole range of language skills.

Single Honours Post A level candidates take ALL units listed below, including Open Units, to achieve their 120 Credit point quota.

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Joint Honours: Ab Initio

Your main task in Year 1 is to master the basic grammatical structures of the language and to begin to develop skills in the four major areas of language acquisition: writing, reading, listening and speaking. Every week you will do five hours of language, organised as follows: 4 hours of language study (grammar and development of reading and writing skills), 1 hour of oral/aural work. In the course of each Teaching Block you will be expected to spend a fair amount of time on the study and revision of language through the Multimedia Centre and a range of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning facilities and approaches, used both in class and for independent study. Check the First Year notice board for your group (the beginners form the majority of the intake and are normally divided into groups) and your timetable.

Joint Hons Ab initio candidates take ALL MANDATORY units to achieve their quota of 60 credit points.

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Joint Honours: Post A-Level

Your main task in Year 1 is to revise and consolidate your knowledge of Italian grammar and to increase the range and sophistication of your language skills. A dedicated course manual covering the core curriculum will be handed to you in class. Although you are likely to possess already an interesting array of Italian language books, your tutor will advise you in class at the beginning of term on what textbook you will be required to purchase for your first year of study in Bristol. There are three language hours per week, 2 of which focus on grammar, comprehension, composition and translation, and 1 on oral/aural skills. With the aid of our range of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning facilities and approaches, used both in class and for independent study, your aim will be to improve your linguistic fluency in regard to a whole range of language skills.

Joint Hons Post A’ level candidates take ALL MANDATORY units listed below, PLUS ONE out of the three option units in Teaching Block 2 to achieve their 60 Credit point quota.

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