ITAL 3311 is designed for students who have completed intermediate-level Italian and are prepared to function independently in an immersive Italian-language environment. Aligned with the ACTFL Advanced Mid–Advanced High range and the CEFR B2 level, the course develops students’ ability to communicate effectively on a wide range of topics while strengthening linguistic accuracy and cultural competence.

The course integrates intensive practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing with the study of past and present Italian culture, society, and literature. Using a multimedia, content-based approach, students engage with a variety of authentic materials, including newspaper and magazine articles, television series, music, podcasts, digital media and literary texts. These materials serve as the basis for discussions, presentations, analytical writing, and collaborative activities centered on themes such as identity, migration, multiculturalism, and social change in contemporary Italy.

The course focuses on the following:

• Developing fluency, spontaneity, and confidence in oral and written communication.

• Strengthening grammatical and syntactic accuracy through contextualized practice.

• Expanding vocabulary and communicative strategies for formal and informal settings.

• Interpreting and analyzing literary texts and a variety of multimedia and cultural materials.

• Presenting and supporting opinions through discussion, presentations, and analytical writing.

• Enhancing intercultural awareness through engagement with past and present Italian society, culture, and literature.

By the end of this seven-week immersion program, students should reach a B2 level of proficiency and perform consistently within the ACTFL Advanced range. They will be able to participate confidently in extended conversations, narrate and describe in major time frames, present and support opinions on concrete and abstract topics, understand the main ideas and details of authentic multimedia and literary texts, and engage critically with past and present cultural and social issues in Italy.