Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)

Module ITAL1061: UNDERSTANDING ITALY FROM THE 1960s TO TODAY

Department: MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES (ITALIAN)

ITAL1061: UNDERSTANDING ITALY FROM THE 1960s TO TODAY

Type Open Level 1 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2006/07 Module Cap None. Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • B at A level in another foreign European Language.

Corequisites

  • Modern European Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: Italian Language 1B (ITAL1021). Others: see Chairman/woman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To introduce first-year students to a corpus of literature, film and other media representing Italian culture from the 1960s to today.
  • To study some of the cultural monuments of Italy's recent past as well as achieve a sense of some of the historical events that contribute most to contemporary Italian society.
  • The module should improve the existing programme by providing a cultural/artistic backdrop against which to teach Italian language in first year.
  • It also intends to provide a foundation for literature/culture courses offered in Year 2 and an introduction to the critical skills needed throughout the degree programme.

Content

  • An in-house booklet will be prepared in the department.
  • The first half of the booklet (Term 1) will be divided into thematic units.
  • It will have excerpts from and about contemporary literature, cinema, music and society (phenomena such as linguistic and cultural diversity and immigration/emigration).
  • The second half (Term 2) will contain items relating to the main historical, artistic and cultural events occurring in Italy from 1960 onwards.
  • It will include literature and journalistic documentation as well as notes on films from that period.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Students should gain an outline knowledge of the historical, artistic and cultural events which have dominated Italian society since the 1960s.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Students should gain an ability to formulate critical observations on Italian texts and other media.
Key Skills:
  • Students will develop skills in critical reading and the expression of ideas both orally and in written form.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • In the first term, lectures will focus on current Italian literature, cinema, music and society.
  • Lectures in the second term will focus on recent Italian history (although the approach will not be purely historical).
  • Seminars will be used to read, examine and analyse texts chosen for their relevance to the historical/cultural/artistic topic of the week.
  • Seminars will also prepare students for presentations in general and for their end of year presentation in particular.
  • Tutorials will be organised throughout the year to discuss essays.
  • Independent learning will be encouraged by preparation for seminars and by research for the summative essay.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 20 Weekly 1 hour 20
Tutorials 1 1 in Term 2 Approx. 15 minutes 0.25
Seminars 10 Fortnightly 1 hour 10
Preparation and Reading 169.75
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Project Component Weighting: 20%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Project 20% (early Term 2) 1000 word 100%
Component: Oral presentation Component Weighting: 20%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Oral presentation (Term 1) (in English) 10 minutes 100%
Component: Essay Component Weighting: 25%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Essay (end Term 2) 1500 word 100%
Component: Examination Component Weighting: 35%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Written examination 1.5 hours 100%

Formative Assessment:

None


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University