Learning objectives
<br />In this type of course, the only role of the instructor is to guide and assist participants in their self-taught programme; therefore, it is difficult to learn a foreign language from the beginning as in a traditional language course. This type of course is useful for: <br />- re-accessing skills acquired in the past and subsequently forgotten; <br />- working on weak points (e.g., difficulties in listening comprehensions, grammatical questions, phonetic uncertainties, vocabulary weak spots);<br />- learn sector-specific jargon (tourism/business); <br />- working with various types of texts (newsletters, personal and business letters, announcements, advertising brochures, etc.);<br />- improving one’s overall linguistic ability; <br />- acquire familiarity with the foreign language;<br />- or – for those who already are – simply remain in contact with the foreign language. <br /> <br />
Prerequisites
Fundamentals of the chosen language
Course unit content
<br />It is a computer language laboratory course in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish, German), with access to Internet.
Full programme
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Bibliography
There is no specific reading list, just a list of recommended websites; in the event remedial grammatical work is required, students may bring their grammar texts and suitable material will be searched for together, if it cannot be found on-line.<br />
Teaching methods
<br />Teaching method <br />The instructor’s task is to recommend the websites and materials suitable for self-teaching in the four languages (material also exists for many other languages). Following a sheet (sheet 1) with basic sites, materials are presented on the following topics (partly selected on the basis of student request)<br />- easy listening material for children and teenagers; radio news and current events programmes (sheet 2);<br />- a range of beginning writing exercises (sheet 3);<br />- dictation, phonetics and reading (sheet 4);<br />- self-evaluation test (sheet 5)<br />A sixth sheet will be provided with on-line dictionaries. <br />Starting from this base, each year the course will be reworked in order to keep the self-teaching material proposed up-to-date.<br />Suggestions from students for research topics of sites are always much appreciated. <br />Assessment methods<br />At the end of the course, there will be a written exam divided into two parts:<br />- a comprehension test: students will be given a 500-word text and will be asked to answer approx. 15 questions in Italian on its content (max. 18 pts.);<br />- a text with 18 blanks to be filled in – often there is more than one possible answer (max. 18 pts.);<br />The final exam is taken in only one language. Students will have approx. two hours for the exam and they may bring any resource (except electronic ones) they deem useful: dictionaries, grammar books, textbooks, etc. <br />
Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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