Last updated: July 13, 2020 @ 12:46PM

Italian Studies

This program is offered through the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Chair
Carmela Colella

Academic Adviser
Liz Hay

General Information

Administrative Assistant
Violetta Clitheroe

905-688-5550, extension 3312
Mackenzie Chown A240
brocku.ca/modernlanguages

The Department aims to provide students with extensive knowledge of the spoken and written Italian language, literature and culture. Internship and Community Service Learning opportunities are also available. In addition to the courses taught in the language, the Italian Studies program provides courses in Cinema, Culture, Art and Architecture taught in English. As well, the Department offers a series of courses taught in English (designated SCLC) that may be acceptable for credit toward a degree in Italian Studies. Students are encouraged to participate in one or more of the study programs in Italy.

Summer Studies in Italy
The Italian Section of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers a summer course in Italy in Rome, Florence and Siena: ITAL 3F50 Reading the Italian City (in conjunction with the Department of History, Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and the Department of Visual Arts). In addition, the Section facilitates the taking of courses, on letter of permission, in Italy offered by other Universities. Students may also take language courses through the University of Siena for Foreigners in Tuscany. Contact the Department for information.

Program Notes
  1. Students with one or more credits of high school Italian or a previous university Italian credit take ITAL 1F90 and may not take ITAL 1F00 without permission of the Department. Permission is granted only in the most exceptional cases.
  2. Students with no high school credits in the language or no formal instruction in the language take ITAL 1F00.
  3. ITAL 1F00 is an introductory language course. Students who register in the course must submit an official high school transcript to the instructor in order to demonstrate that they meet course requirements before the end of the second week of classes. Failure to do so will result in de-registration from the course.
  4. Students who took ITAL 1F90 in Year 2 must take ITAL 2F00 in Year 3.
  5. The Department reserves the right to refuse admission to and/or credit for any of its language courses to a student who has, in the view of the Department, a level of competence unsuited to that course.
  6. In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
    In 15 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
    In some circumstances, in order to meet university degree and program requirements, more than 15 or 20 credits may be taken.

Pass Program

Year 1
·   ITAL 1F00 or 1F90
·   one Sciences context credit
·   one Social Sciences context credit
·   two elective credits

Year 2
·   ITAL 1F90 or 2F00
·   one and one-half credits from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2Q90, and one-half MLLC or ITAL credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above (see program notes 5 and 6)
·   two elective credits

Year 3
·   ITAL 2F00 and one and one-half credits from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2Q90, 3F50, 3P92, 3P93, 3Q90, 3Q91 and one-half MLLC or ITAL credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above, or two credits from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2Q90, 3F50, 3P92, 3P93, 3Q90, 3Q91 and one credit ITAL or MLLC numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program notes 4 and 5)
·   two elective credits

Combined Major Program

Students may take a Combined Major in Italian and a second discipline. For requirements in the other discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.

Honours

Year 1
·   ITAL 1F00 or 1F90
·   one credit from the co-major discipline
·   one Sciences context credit
·   one Social Sciences context credit
·   one elective credit

Year 2
·   ITAL 1F90 or 2F00
·   one credit from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, MLLC 2Q90 or one and one-half credits from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2Q90 and one-half MLLC or ITAL credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above (see program note 5)
·   two credits from the co-major discipline
·   one elective credit

Year 3
·   ITAL 2F00 and one credit from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2Q90 or one and one-half credits from ITAL 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2P94, 2P96, 2Q90, and one-half MLLC or ITAL credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program notes 4 and 5)
·   two credits from the co-major discipline
·   one elective credit

Year 4
·   One and one-half credits from ITAL 3F50, 3P92, 3P93, 3Q90, 3Q91, and one-half MLLC or ITAL credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above (see program note 5)
·   two credits from the co-major discipline
·   one elective credit

Pass

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Minor in Italian Studies

Students in other disciplines may obtain a Minor in Italian within their degree program by completing the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:
·   ITAL 1F90 and 2F00
·   two credits from ITAL 1F00, 2P80, 2P90, 2P92, 2Q90, 3Q91, 3F50, 3P93

Course Descriptions

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course
* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.

ITALIAN COURSES

ITAL 1F00
Introductory Italian
Beginner's course for students with no formal knowledge of Standard Italian. Acquisition of reading and oral skills, basic grammar, conversation and composition.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Note: students who have taken a previous Italian course in high school will not be permitted to take this course. Students must submit an official high school transcript to the instructor in order to demonstrate that they meet course requirements before the end of the second week of classes. Failure to do so will result in de-registration from the course. Community Service Learning component is available for those students interested.

ITAL 1F90
Intermediate Italian
Review of basic grammar; composition and oral practice. Discussions based on cultural topics, cities and the art of Italy.
Lectures, tutorial, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 1F00, (1F01), one or more high school Italian credits or permission of instructor.
Note: Community Service Learning component is available for those students interested.

ITAL 1P91
Italian for International Exchange Students
Acquisition of reading and oral skills, grammar, conversation and composition. Cultural topics, cities and the art of Italy.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
Note: open to international exchange students and non-native speakers of Italian.

ITAL 1P96
Italian Culture and Civilization
Artistic heritage of Italy and the intellectual, political and social forces that have shaped the mentality and way of life of the Italians. Selected texts and multi-media material.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: not open to ITAL (single or combined) majors and minors.
Note: given in English.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained ITAL 1P95 and INTC 1P96.

ITAL 2F00
Language, Literature and Culture
Grammar review; oral and written practice. Introduction to the study of film, literary texts and principles of criticism.
Lectures, tutorial, 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 1F90 or permission of instructor.

ITAL 2P80
Italian Cinema
(also offered as STAC 2P80)
Major film directors and cultural trends in Italian cinema. Influence of Italian film on America directors such as Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola. Films studied include those by De Sica, Rossellini, Fellini, Antonioni, Bertolucci, Wertmüller, Amelio, Moretti and Sorrentino.
Lectures, 3 hours per week, plus film lab.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian required.

ITAL 2P90
Translation and Language Practice
Translation of selected material from magazine articles, essays and various texts focusing on interference between English and Italian. Introduction to business correspondence.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 1F90 or permission of instructor.

ITAL 2P92
Early to High Renaissance Art and Architecture
(also offered as MARS 2P92 and VISA 2P92)
Major monuments, buildings and art works of the period from several critical perspectives including the humanist influence on the arts in Florence and Rome, the issue of patronage and the question of the artist's cultural status.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one of ITAL 1F90, MARS 1F90, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English.

ITAL 2P94
Linguistic and Cultural Regionalism in Italy
Cultural, socio-political and economic issues and conditions that characterize the regions of Italy. Emphasis on regional linguistic variants and dialects, and the establishment of a linguistic standard.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Note: given in English. ITAL 1F90 recommended.

ITAL 2P95
Modern Culture and Civilization
Historical changes and key issues in 19th- and 20th-century Italy focusing on Italian unification, Fascism and modern Italy. Arts and literature representative of the period.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Note: given in English.

ITAL 2P96
Italian Culture and Society
Overview of the intellectual, political and social forces that have shaped modern-day Italy. Focus on historical periods and how these are reflected in art, literature, architecture and society. Selected texts and multi-media material.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: open to ITAL (single or combined) majors and minors.
Note: given in English.

ITAL 2P98
Italians in Canada and Italy-Canada Relations
(also offered as CANA 2P98)
History of Italian immigration in Canada focusing on Ontario. Italian-Canadian literature including such writers as Nino Ricci and Mary Di Michele. Cultural and economic relations between Italy and Canada including World War II internment experience. Italian contribution to the arts in Canada (art, music, film, literature).
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 5.0 overall credits or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian required.

ITAL 2P99
Medieval and Renaissance Tales
(also offered as MARS 2P99)
Evolution and development of Novella Collections in Europe, emphasizing the Frame Tale function. Selections from Boccaccio, Chaucer, Marguerite de Navarre, Miguel de Cervantes, Maria de Zayas.
Lecture, seminar, 3 hours per week.

ITAL 2Q90
Digital Archives: Construction, Scholarship and Functionality
(also offered as IASC 2Q90 and STAC 2Q90)
Digital archives, their functionality, development and role in Humanities research. Sites studied will range from library collections to single authors and artist projects, including museum and audio archives. Engagement in the creation of a digital archive.
Lectures, lab, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 5.0 overall credits or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian required.

ITAL 2Q95
Queer Stories in Italy and the West
(also offered as WGST 2Q95)
Expression and treatment of sexual and gender diversity in Italy through theories of gender and sexuality, literature, theatre, and film. Themes include colonialism, activism, migration, and the tensions within Italy’s social movements. Exploration of topics through comparisons and connections between Italy and other parts of the Western world.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 4.0 overall credits or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English

ITAL 3F50
Reading the Italian Medieval and Renaissance City
(also offered as HIST 3F50, MARS 3F50 and VISA 3F50)
Exploring key monuments, churches, museums and urban sites. Concept of the city as expressed through art, literature and architecture from Medieval to Baroque times. Historical and geographical influences and factors in shaping the city, its culture and traditions. Cities include Rome, Assisi, Florence and Siena.
Prerequisite(s): one ITAL, HIST, MARS or VISA credit or permission of the course co-ordinator.
Note: offered in Italy during Spring session. Given in English. No knowledge of Italian is needed. Course begins in May on campus during the Spring Evening session (3-4 weeks). Departure for Italy: end of May or beginning of June for a two-week study tour of Rome, Assisi, Florence and Siena. Students are responsible for travel, accommodation and other expenses.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in ITAL (VISA) 2F99 and ITAL (MARS/VISA) 3M50.

ITAL 3M20-3M24
Special Topics in Italian
Special topic in an area not represented by other courses.

ITAL 3P05
History of the Roman Republic
(also offered as CLAS 3P05 and HIST 3P05)
History of Rome to the Battle of Actium (31 BC) emphasizing social and political developments from the Gracchi to Julius Caesar.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Note: CLAS 1P92 is recommended.

ITAL 3P06
History of the Early Roman Empire
(also offered as CLAS 3P06 and HIST 3P06)
History of Rome from the Battle of Actium to the death of Marcus Aurelius (AD 180) emphasizing social and political developments.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Note: CLAS 3P05 is recommended.

ITAL 3P22
Art and Architecture of the Roman Republic and Early Empire
(also offered as CLAS 3P22 and VISA 3P22)
Art and architecture of the cultures of the Italian peninsula, in the first millennium BC, within the framework of cultural change and external influences.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Note: one credit from CLAS or VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 recommended.

ITAL 3P23
Art and Architecture of the Roman Empire
(also offered as CLAS 3P23 and VISA 3P23)
Roman art and architecture from Augustus to Late Antiquity. Christian art and architecture and the influence of Roman aesthetics on the Renaissance and beyond.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Note: one credit from CLAS or VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99 recommended.

ITAL 3P90
Literature of the 19th Century
Literary and cultural movements of the 1800s; socio-cultural issues in pre- and post-Unification Italy. Authors may include Manzoni, Foscolo, Leopardi and Verga.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 5.0 overall credits or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English.

ITAL 3P92
Petrarch and Boccaccio
(also offered as MARS 3P92)
Literature, arts and culture of the Middle Ages emphasizing Petrarch's Canzoniere (Song Book) and Boccaccio's Decameron, and the works and genres that they influenced.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one ITAL, MARS credit or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is required.

ITAL 3P93
Dante's Inferno
(also offered as MARS 3P93)
Dante's Divine Comedy and the world it created and reflected focusing on the Inferno. References to relevant visual arts (illustrations and adaptations of the Divine Comedy by such artists as Doré, Rodin and the Pre-Raphaelites).
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 5.0 overall credits or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English. No knowledge of Italian is required.

ITAL 3P94
Modern and Contemporary Italian Literature in Translation
Overview of the trends and genres in Italian literature during the 20th and 21st centuries. Representative writings selected from major novelists, short-story writers and poets, such as Pirandello, Montale, Moravia, Calvino, Morante and Eco.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 5.0 overall credits or permission of instructor.
Note: given in English.

ITAL 3P97
Italian for Teachers
Approaches to the teaching of Italian as a second language. Teaching methods, educational materials and multi-media resources.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 2F00 and one ITAL credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above or permission of instructor.

ITAL 3Q91
Grammar, Composition and Conversation
Language practice through written compositions, analyses of texts, discussions and presentations.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 2F00 or permission of instructor.

ITAL 4P04
Translation: Applications
Translation practice. Interrelationships between English and Italian. Application of translation methodologies to a variety of texts.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 2F00 or permission of instructor.

ITAL 4P55
The Later Roman Empire
(also offered as CLAS 4P55 and MARS 4P55)
History of the Roman Empire from the death of Marcus Aurelius to late Antiquity.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one CLAS credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above or permission of the Department.

INTERNSHIP COURSE

ITAL 3Q90
Translating and Interpreting in the Community: An Internship
May include health care, tourism, wine industry, judicial services and business.
Tutorial, 1.5 hours per week plus internship placement time.
Restriction: open to ITAL (single or combined) majors with a minimum 70 percent major average and permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 2F00 and 2P90.
Note: enrolment will be limited to the number of placements available. Italian Minors will be considered in exceptional cases. Students will be interviewed in Italian in order to select appropriate placements. Participation is required in an orientation to the co-op experience, goal setting, and resume and interview skills preparation. Part-time internship in a business where Italian is used. Students will be placed in the community for experiential learning.