THE ITALIAN GAME


Study Italian language and literature in our pleasant classroom at 122 State St., Suite 506


Madison, Wisconsin 53703


Rosine V. Turner, PhD, Instructor [Telephone: 258-0405; E-mail: italiangame@msn.com ]



Enrollment is by E-mail any time until the day before the first class. Classes are limited to eight or nine students, and not all classes have enough students to run, so it is a good idea to register as early as possible, to help everyone’s plans to become firm. E-mail registrations will be honored in order of their date and time, whether or not you receive a speedy acknowledgment. It can be difficult to find me by phone.


Ponte della Maddalena, Borgo a Mozzano


COURSES OFFERED, SEGMENT 1, 2011: JUNE 13 - AUGUST 9


LANGUAGE:


          Italian for Travelers (8 meetings, Mondays, 6:30-8:00, starting June 13)

 Course description: . A 7-lesson, 8 session course providing solid grammatical underpinnings and lots of practice using travel vocabulary and phrases as the grammar examples and in class exercises. The text was designed for this course, and each lesson has a grammar component and then a practice component which has some features of a travel phrase book. The first lesson requires 2 meetings, since it contains the entire pronunciation system of the language, as well as some very basic and essential grammar installation. There is more material in the phrase book component of each lesson than most people have time to digest, and each person can choose the things that interest him or her, among the examples offered, so as to get enough practice with the basic grammar points being explored. Small group work using pictures, mostly taken in Italy, gives chances to practice grammar points in brief conversations. The text is small enough to take with you to Italy, where it can help you as a reference, to get ready for specific practical dialogues when you need to find something out or get some help with something.

(8 sessions: June 13,20,27; July 11,15,18; Aug.1,8. Price: $65.00, including text and disks).



LITERATURE:


Giovanni Guareschi: Mondo piccolo (9 meetings, Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30 P.M. starting June 15)


Very, very funny, often also very moving, totally Italian. Short stories - We will read between 2 and 3 stories per session, depending on the lengths. We read aloud, commenting / reacting when there is the urge. Although Guareschi is thought of as “light” he plows right into hefty realities; his characters have plenty of real enough adventures and problems to deal with, and the picture of Italian life is stuffed with realism, along with Guareschi’s irrepressible humor. There are many editions of this material, containing different stories. We will be using the BUR edtion (Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli) Guareschi: Mondo piccolo - Don Camillo (1948 ) 20th Edition, 2005; ISBN 88-17-11400-6. One can be had in 4 or 5 days, through www.ibs.it



La Chanson de Roland Thursdays, 9:30 - 11, starting Thursday, June 16

(No, [Si’, No! As Italians love to say] you are right; it never was Italian. Never mind. It was chosen by popular acclaim, after the group finished the Aeneid last year (very old Italian, that), and we are part way through. It is a thing one can read with delight in 2 or 3 evenings, but it is so removed in time, tradition and culture that its mode of proceeding is fascinating, for its language, history, literary techniques (right out of the oral tradition), its ideals, and for a rare glimpse into the social and political organization of a very distant time, demanding behaviors, values and loyalties different from ours. We have indulged in wide-ranging discussions, which we look forward to continuing. It would be easy to join in, if anyone is tempted. Use any edition: English, French, Old French or what you want. We find that having different translations and the different French / Old french editions helps to get a grip on puzzling lines. I believe we will be resuming at about Laisse 108 (out of 298) 9 sessions, June 16,23,30; July7,14,21,28; Aug4,11. A reading group, not a course; no fee.