Humanities and Language Courses

This course offers an innovative way to learn the Italian language and develop environmental consciousness while exploring Florence and its green urban areas. Through the study of the relationship between humans and nature, the human role in ecology, and the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, students will learn basic Italian vocabulary and usage in the form of experiential learning. The course aims to develop four basic Italian language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), while providing experiences and on-site lessons aimed at expanding the connection between individuals and the natural world and developing sustainable lifestyles. Each topic, excursion, and experience will be supported by a structured class of Italian language, providing a great opportunity to explore Florence, its parks, its people, and its traditions from a new perspective while learning and practicing the Italian language. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.

SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.

The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the course site platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.

This course develops basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in basic sentences, recognize gender and number in both nouns and adjectives, and begin approaching the Passato Prossimo. Emphasis will be given to the oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.

This intensive six-credit course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of Italian. It will give students the opportunity to experience a total language immersion, learning how to use gradually more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. The course will start from linguistic fundamentals and essential grammatical structures, including singular and plural forms of articles, adjectives, nouns, and their agreement; regular and some irregular conjugations of -are, -ere, -ire verbs in the Present tense; and simple prepositions. It will then move on to reflexive verbs, conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the Past, and direct object pronouns. It will finally introduce students to Future and Conditional tenses, possessive adjectives, and indirect object pronouns, along with the continued practice of expanding vocabulary and gradual building of complexity in grammatical structures. All lessons will be taught in Italian.

Pre-requisites: One semester of Italian language or equivalent.

This course builds on and extends fundamental skills developed in the beginning-level course. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency skills and integration of language and culture through more extensive reading and writing. Upon course completion, students will be able to express polite requests using the Present Conditional and develop their language ability by using direct and indirect object pronouns. This course is aimed at students who already have a basic vocabulary of Italian and some knowledge of elementary language structures.

Pre-requisites: Two semesters of Italian language or equivalent. Italian Language Placement Test required.

This level is for those students who already have an active knowledge of elementary language structures (i.e. the expression of past actions and events, discussion of future plans), can communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and can understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to use more complex pronouns both in spoken and written Italian and will have a basic grasp of the following topics: Condizionale, Trapassato Prossimo, Pronomi Relativi, Imperativo and a basic grasp of the four tenses of Subjunctive.

An introduction to listening, reading, writing and translation techniques used in the composition, reading and understanding of basic Māori. Designed for students with little or no knowledge of the language, and for those with some fluency wishing to understand simple sentence structure and composition.

The aim of this course is to teach the basic structure of simple sentences in Māori so that you can compose, read and understand basic Māori. Students will also learn a set of terms which will enable them to talk about and analyse the structure of Māori and many other languages. Another skill you will acquire, or improve upon, is the ability to translate Māori sentences and simple texts into English and English sentences into Māori. Students will be equiped with the linguistic terminology to explain the structure of the Māori language, as well as the ability to manipulate a basic Māori construction to suit many occasions.

This course focuses on the relationship between students and the city. Students will receive an overview of basic Italian language structures used to develop communication skills. Students will also develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in daily life contexts such as shopping for food, clothes, interacting with Italians, talking about yourself, habits and hobbies. Emphasis will be given to oral expression of practical vocabulary. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before. The coursework will invite students to practice the acquired knowledge in a native environment.

This course seeks to offer an overview of the Italian culture through the exploration of the city of Florence. Students will become familiar with the main Italian and Florentine cultural aspects through the observation of street names, studied as an intangible cultural heritage. In particular, students will learn about Italian social dynamics and traditions related to education, business, social life, healthcare, politics, religion, and sports. The course is held entirely outside as it makes use of the city as its learning environment. Students are therefore encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and develop a critical gaze. The course is further enriched by basic notions of Italian language, with exercises based on grammar, vocabulary, and communicative functions. The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.

This course offers an innovative way to learn the Italian language and develop environmental consciousness while exploring Florence and its green urban areas. Through the study of the relationship between humans and nature, the human role in ecology, and the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, students will learn basic Italian vocabulary and usage in the form of experiential learning. The course aims to develop four basic Italian language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), while providing experiences and on-site lessons aimed at expanding the connection between individuals and the natural world and developing sustainable lifestyles. Each topic, excursion, and experience will be supported by a structured class of Italian language, providing a great opportunity to explore Florence, its parks, its people, and its traditions from a new perspective while learning and practicing the Italian language. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.

SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.

The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the course site platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.

In a pluralistic and multicultural society, it is important to provide individuals with the appropriate tools to develop balanced and integrated personalities that are capable of social interaction with sensitivity and a wide understanding. A skillful communication creates positive relationships and working teams as well as social groups including individuals from different cultures, religions beliefs, sexual preferences, age and physical characteristics. In order to arrive at this form of intercultural communication, it is necessary to acquire basic competencies and psychological knowledge of the lotic – verbal, intuitive and creative areas. Course topics analyze the subjectivity of perception, the influence of cultural patterns on identity, the interdependence of contemporary life and working contexts, and the capacity to acquire useful skills and experience for effective communication.

This course develops basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in basic sentences, recognize gender and number in both nouns and adjectives, and begin approaching the Passato Prossimo. Emphasis will be given to the oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.

Introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

Advanced introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. More advanced students will focus on reading Japanese newspapers and understanding other media outlets. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.

Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.

This Advanced Japanese course is geared towards learning modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and of the more complex grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language of different types of speech styles (casual, formal, polite, etc.), although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

Introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

This high-intermediate Japanese course is an introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and introduction of the more complex grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language of different types of speech styles (casual, formal, polite, etc.), although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised.

Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

After completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Produce simple sentences
• Ask and answer questions about him/herself, about others, and about things s/he has or needs
• Produce simple statements concerning his/her needs or usual subjects and to answer questions of this type when they are directed to him/her
• Use culturally appropriate non-verbal communication

This course offers an innovative way to learn the Italian language and develop environmental consciousness while exploring Florence and its green urban areas. Through the study of the relationship between humans and nature, the human role in ecology, and the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, students will learn basic Italian vocabulary and usage in the form of experiential learning. The course aims to develop four basic Italian language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), while providing experiences and on-site lessons aimed at expanding the connection between individuals and the natural world and developing sustainable lifestyles. Each topic, excursion, and experience will be supported by a structured class of Italian language, providing a great opportunity to explore Florence, its parks, its people, and its traditions from a new perspective while learning and practicing the Italian language. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.

SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.

The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the course site platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.

This course develops basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in basic sentences, recognize gender and number in both nouns and adjectives, and begin approaching the Passato Prossimo. Emphasis will be given to the oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.

This intensive six-credit course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of Italian. It will give students the opportunity to experience a total language immersion, learning how to use gradually more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. The course will start from linguistic fundamentals and essential grammatical structures, including singular and plural forms of articles, adjectives, nouns, and their agreement; regular and some irregular conjugations of -are, -ere, -ire verbs in the Present tense; and simple prepositions. It will then move on to reflexive verbs, conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the Past, and direct object pronouns. It will finally introduce students to Future and Conditional tenses, possessive adjectives, and indirect object pronouns, along with the continued practice of expanding vocabulary and gradual building of complexity in grammatical structures. All lessons will be taught in Italian.

Pre-requisites: One semester of Italian language or equivalent.

This course builds on and extends fundamental skills developed in the beginning-level course. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency skills and integration of language and culture through more extensive reading and writing. Upon course completion, students will be able to express polite requests using the Present Conditional and develop their language ability by using direct and indirect object pronouns. This course is aimed at students who already have a basic vocabulary of Italian and some knowledge of elementary language structures.

Pre-requisites: Two semesters of Italian language or equivalent. Italian Language Placement Test required.

This level is for those students who already have an active knowledge of elementary language structures (i.e. the expression of past actions and events, discussion of future plans), can communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and can understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to use more complex pronouns both in spoken and written Italian and will have a basic grasp of the following topics: Condizionale, Trapassato Prossimo, Pronomi Relativi, Imperativo and a basic grasp of the four tenses of Subjunctive.

Advanced introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. More advanced students will focus on reading Japanese newspapers and understanding other media outlets. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.

Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.

This Advanced Japanese course is geared towards learning modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and of the more complex grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language of different types of speech styles (casual, formal, polite, etc.), although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

Introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

This high-intermediate Japanese course is an introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and introduction of the more complex grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language of different types of speech styles (casual, formal, polite, etc.), although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised.

Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.

After completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Produce simple sentences
• Ask and answer questions about him/herself, about others, and about things s/he has or needs
• Produce simple statements concerning his/her needs or usual subjects and to answer questions of this type when they are directed to him/her
• Use culturally appropriate non-verbal communication