Grammatica: The limits of my language means the limits of my world
The more we are able to speak a language the more we are able to not only communicate but to understand the culture that surrounds it. This beginner course is designed for students who are approaching the study of the Italian language for the first time. Studying in country means that as students acquire the language they will be able to immediately apply it and acquire a more in-depth knowledge of Italian culture and society. By using authentic and varied materials students will acquire the lexical, phonological and syntactical competences needed to communicate in language, as well as increase cross-cultural and intercultural competency. During the course, therefore, much importance is given to developing the students’ ability to communicate in Italian. We will begin with simpler situations gradually arriving at more complex structures. The approach to grammar is functional to the context so that grammar becomes a tool for communication. For this reason, active participation in the classroom is very important both in individual and group work. The objective of the teaching method is to try to highlight the resources and capabilities of each student paying attention to the learning style of each one, because the teacher is not only the person that gives information and corrects errors, but is also a guide to discovering the new language, that must be felt as an encouraging challenge.
La Meglio Gioventù: La cultura giovanile in Italia
The course will explore the expression and representation of youth culture in Italy from the 20th to the 21st century in literature, cinema, music, and visual arts. This course will cover the history and evolution of a constantly changing reality: youth culture beyond stereotypes. Students will investigate youth in Italy through pop culture and the recent history of Italy, from the cultural revolution of the 1960s, the protests of the 1970s, the advent of new technologies in the 1980s and 90s, to the challenges of the present. Through digital tools, readings, visits, meetings, and an experiential approach, we will try to understand better Italian youth culture. The main objective is to investigate the cultural realities of youth, juxtapose different youth cultures, explore issues of identity, the need for belonging and purpose, assigned roles in society, the relationship with authority, social and political activism, leisure time, as well as fashion and cultural production. Students will be asked to draw on their own experiences in order to compare and contrast different cultural realities.
Il Rinascimento a Firenze
This course presents an in-depth study of Italian Renaissance Art through the direct analysis of the major architecture, sculpture and painting artworks from XIV to XVI century displayed in the Florentine museums and churches. Its first objective is to provide the students with the capability to identify the most important artworks from the major Florentine collections. Those artworks will not only be viewed in the respect of their stylistic characteristics but also in relation to their social religious, historical and political contest. The second course’s objective is therefore to lead the students to read the artwork’s connections with the subject, the artist’s will and the commissioner’s urgencies.
Love, Power and Magic: the language of Jewels in Italian and European culture
Italy is an ideal observatory for the study of jewellery especially during the Roman period and the Renaissance but also at the present time since high quality craftsmanship is still active onsite, especially in Florence. Therefore, this course aims to take advantage of the city, its museums and its artisan’s workshops to provide the students with a comprehensive look at the historical evolution of jewellery. The major techniques and most typical materials such as metals and gemstones will be the focus but much attention will be paid to the symbolism of the jewels’ shapes and the magic virtues of the precious stones as told by the lapidaries throughout the centuries. The analysis will take place through a review of precious items (personal Jewels and precious objects) and paintings organized in a chronological order and divided by cultural areas, starting from the study of archaeological evidence to contemporary jewels.
The Italians: Food, Culture and Society
Italy possesses one of the richest culinary traditions in the world, with roots reaching back to ancient times. Students explore literature detailing matters of Italian food culture in a dense array of settings. The course is designed to provide an introduction to Italian culture, with a particular focus on the role of food. The aim is to offer an original and engaging analysis of the various phenomena of Italian customs, with a socio-anthropological slant but based on solid scientific foundations exposing students to Italy’s rich culinary network and discover the link between the territory and its inhabitants.
STUDIO ART CLASSES
