This module is inactive in the selected year. The information shown below is for the academic year that the module was last running in, prior to the year selected.

2011/12 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ITAL3350 Specialised Uses of Italian

20 creditsClass Size: 16

Module manager: Alessandra Flore
Email: a.flore@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan), Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2011/12

Pre-requisite qualifications

Level 2 Italian

Module replaces

ITAL3133

This module is not approved as an Elective

Objectives

This module aims to introduce students to a range of different specialised uses of Italian. The primary goal of this module will be to enable students to speak and to interpret into Italian on a wide variety of topics.

This module will be primarily practical and 'hands-on' in its approach.

On completion of the module, students will be expected to have acquired specialist linguistic knowledge in a variety of areas. In particular, they should have:
- greatly improved their vocabulary (including that relating to technical and specialist terminology) in Italian;
- they should have gained confidence in the use of grammatical and semantic structures in many different contexts;
- they should be able to show effective communication and competence in argumentation when speaking Italian and they should have gained a variety of transferrable and professional skills, including interpersonal relationship management, stress control, improved memory skills, ability to speak in public and faster decision-making processes.

The module will make use of a wide range of different linguistic exercises, including 'creative' oral skills when interpreting into the target language, summarising (both from Italian and from English source-texts), adaption of material for different audiences (eg the reworking of a specialised scientific text for a 'lay' audience), interpreting and translating consecutively and so on.

The topics analysed will range from those related to successful Italian industries and businesses (for instance fashion and textiles, vision glasses, cars and engines, cosmetics and cosmetic procedures, regional cuisine, health and medical devices) to other relevant subjects, such as bureaucratic documents, advertising, electrical appliances, technical manuals, tourism and travelling, world politics, etc.

The different types of sectional language and texts chosen for discussion and analysis will be varied, and will aim to gradually increase in difficulty as the module progresses. Through the use of contemporary materials (which will be updated frequently in order to maintain the currency of the module), the module will encourage students to deepen their knowledge not only of the Italian language and its varieties, but also of contemporary Italian society.

Indeed, to instil an understanding of the links between language and society will be a core aim of this module.

Learning outcomes
Specifically, on completion of this module, students should be able to:

- write and speak Italian accurately and fluently in a range of different specialised contexts;
- use a register appropriate to the context in both the written and the spoken language;
- use appropriate technical vocabulary relating to the contexts studied;
- show an awareness of how to develop further areas of specialised lexical knowledge as necessary, including a knowledge of the specialised tools available to the linguist for this purpose (dictionaries, glossaries, databases, etc.);
- show sensitivity towards questions of cultural transposition and cultural borrowing;
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of the linguist in contemporary Italian society (including in the business, academic and political worlds).

Skills outcomes
On completion of this module students should, additionally be able to:

- communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
- use IT efficiently, both as a means of communication and as an aid to learning;
- take notes quickly and accurately and improve their short time memory;
- research new topics independently and thoroughly;
- show good inter-personal skills;
- show an understanding of the role of body-language and non-verbal cues in aiding communication;
- take personal responsibility for their own learning and learn how to work in a team.

Syllabus

- interpreting studies
- memory exercises
- consecutive interpreting.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Group learning	10	3.00	30.00
Tutorial	10	2.00	20.00
Independent online learning hours			30.00
Private study hours			120.00
Total Contact hours			50.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students will prepare a glossary each week, gathering real-life examples and practising their language skills in specialist contexts.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Weekly practice sessions carried out in class; oversight of glossaries.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Commentary of 500 words	20.00
Presentation	Class performance in interpreting	35.00
In-course Assessment	Attendance and participation in class	10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		65.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Practical Exam / OSCE	0 hr 15 mins	35.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		35.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 20/02/2012

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD