Advanced Italian II: Advanced Written Expression - Writing for Social Justice
ITAL 50
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Italian 50 will focus on writing as a form of civic engagement through the lens of social justice in Italy. This theme-based course is designed to develop advanced competence in written expression through guided examination of stylistics and pragmatics. It will revisit grammatical structures, refine speaking and writing skills, and advance critical and meaningful exchanges through the discussion of social justice themes in Italy. The course will include the exploration of both literary and non-literary genres and authentic texts (films, novels, newspaper articles, podcasts, etc.) that will help students perfect their personal style in Italian. Students will investigate themes such as LGBTQ+ activism and civil right movements in Italy, prison education, sexism and gender in Italian literature, culture, and society, among others, by analyzing a wide range of authentic texts, films, documents, and materials. By the end of the course, students will be able to: recognize and produce different genres of written and spoken Italian; identify features of language including differences in register; and write more confidently in academic Italian. Students will enhance their writing proficiency and develop their academic language by practicing different types of creative and analytical writing assignments (movie and book reviews, social media posts, subjective and objective descriptions, argumentative essays, among others).
Course Notes
Conducted in Italian. Appropriate for concentrators electing the Italian Studies or Romance Studies track. May not be taken Pass/Fail, but may be taken Sat/Unsat by GSAS students. Not open to auditors.
Class Notes
This course counts toward the Certificate for Civic Engagement (CCE), within the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship (MPES). The Certificate for Civic Engagement recognizes Harvard College students who have demonstrated sustained participation in public service and civic involvement during their undergraduate experience.
Recommended Prep
A score between 721-750 on the SAT II or on the Harvard Placement Test; Italian 40; or permission of course head.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
