Italian

Spoken in Italy and Switzerland by more than 85 million people, the Italian language is famous for its role in art, cuisine and cinema celebrated throughout the world. Italian provides a strong foundation for students pursuing careers or advanced degrees in art and art history, cultural heritage, design and fashion.

Furthermore, Italy is the eighth largest economy in the world. As a major U.S. business partner, Italy features offices for U.S. firms such as BCG and Johnson & Johnson.

Italian Courses

ITAL 101. Beginning Italian I. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment requires any student with previous exposure to Italian to take the placement test to determine eligibility. For students with no prior knowledge of Italian. Beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.

ITAL 102. Beginning Italian II. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: ITAL 101 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Continuation of beginning grammar, reading, writing and oral skills.

ITAL 201. Intermediate Italian I. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ITAL 102 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Italian. Building toward intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.

ITAL 202. Intermediate Italian II. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ITAL 201 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Italian. Increasing intermediate-level cultural competence and proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing through authentic materials.

ITAL 205. Intermediate Conversation. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ITAL 201. Designed to increase the student's proficiency in the spoken language through audio-oral exercises, dialogues and free conversation.

ITAL 300. Communication and Composition. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ITAL 202, ITAL 205 or a satisfactory score on the VCU Language Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course. Conducted in Italian. Building toward intermediate-high proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. Authentic materials enhance intercultural competence and communication skills.

ITAL 320. Italian Cinema: ____. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for maximum of six credits. Prerequisite ITAL 202 or ITAL 205. Conducted in Italian. Examines Italian culture, history and society by exploring some of the most important genres, directors and actors in Italian cinema. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topic to be offered each semester.

ITAL 330. Themes in Italian Literature: ____. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for maximum of six credits. Prerequisite: ITAL 202 or ITAL 205. Conducted in Italian. An in-depth study of selected topics in Italian texts. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topic to be offered each semester.

ITAL 391. Topics in Italian. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; variable hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credits. Pre- or corequisite: ITAL 320 or ITAL 330. Conducted in Italian. An in-depth study of selected topics in Italian. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.