Overview

This language module is designed for students who have completed Level 906/006 Intermediate 6 or have a B1+ standard of the language in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), for example an A level. Through a variety of methods, students will develop an advanced competence in reading, writing, listening, and speaking and an understanding of advanced grammar and syntax. At the end of this 12 week-module, students will have reached a B2 proficiency level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and will be able to give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans as well as narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe their reactions to it. They will be able to produce clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and to enter unprepared into conversation with native speakers with a degree of fluency on a variety of topics. They will have a good understanding of life and culture in countries where the language is spoken and intercultural skills necessary for their language proficiency level. 

Syllabus

Functional Content:

  • Discussing, verifying and confirming an argument in both informal and formal contexts
  • Expressing criticism and dissent
  • Expressing pros and cons of a situation
  • Expressing wishes or intentions
  • Reporting and evaluating statistics and data
  • Talking about oneself and other people
  • Describing emotions using different register
  • Exchanging information and more complex advice relating to one’s job 

Grammatical content:

  • Relative pronouns: double and possessive
  • Pronominal verbs cavarsela, entrarci, uscirsene
  • The position of adjectives in the sentence
  • Left dislocation
  • The “si” construction: impersonal and passive
  • The future perfect (future anteriore)
  • Time sequence of verbs: the use of conditional with the subjunctive
  • The conditional sentences (type 3: impossibility)
  • The use of the gerund to express cause and hypothesis
  • Elements of syntax 

Lexical content:

The topics covered in this module may vary from the suggested list below, as it anticipated that the content will be discussed, possibly amended, and agreed with the students during the first class.

  • · Stili e scelte di vita
  • · Lingua e comunicazione – pubblicità e televisione
  • · La società italiana tra tradizione e modernità – diritti, tradizioni e arte
  • · La giustizia in Italia– diritti e doveri nella società e in politica 

Week 12: Written and speaking tests will take place this week. Completing the assessment is required for students taking the course as part of their degree. For all other students, taking the tests is also strongly recommended, as a measure of your progress and learning. 

Textbook details:

Al dente 4, Barcellona: Casa delle lLngue, ISBN: 9788416943739, price: approx £25 (units 1-4) We recommend our students to buy their textbooks from Blackwell’s on campus. They have a price match policy and you can pre-order over the phone with them and pick the book when you are on campus. 

Study Hours

The total number of study hours for this module is 150 hours, in line with undergraduate university modules. This includes class meetings, assessment preparation and self-directed study in line with guidance from the course lecturer.

If you are studying on the extracurricular option, we recognise that the total number of hours that you may be able to study every week may depend on your availability and previous experience studying languages, however, expected contribution to classes, homework completion, and learning outcomes will not vary. 

Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.

Course Lecturer: Christina Diamantatou

Christina finished her CertEd, Cambridge CELTA and MA in Applied Linguistics while working as a language teacher in FE. Her ideas around student retention and student engagement had contributed to high levels of engagement in first year students and persistence to the second year of college. She joined the University of Liverpool in 2017. Her professional interests include the improvement of language teaching; the professional development of teachers; and the refinement of theory and method in language teaching. Christina's research examines curriculum improvement and pedagogy in modern languages, and the nature of educational reform.

Fees for language courses are £190/£95.

Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.

Visit our fee bands page to see which fee applies to you.

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