Early Italian Literature

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

The course ITAL250 aims to promote a deeper understanding of early Italian literature.

The course comprises key texts from early Italian literature that are studied from a literary-historical and theoretical perspective.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, the student will

  • be familiar with the selected works on the reading list
  • have acquired knowledge of the literary works¿ cultural and historical contexts
  • have acquired knowledge of key literary theoretical concepts

Skills

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to

  • understand and use the critical concepts in independent analyses of the texts on the reading list
  • discuss the texts thematically and place them in a cultural-historical perspective
  • discuss, in writing and orally, key issues related to the reading list
  • communicate and discuss subjects within their field in written and oral Italian

General competence

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to

  • plan and conduct tasks that span a set period of time
  • communicate key subject matters in writing and orally
  • further develop their knowledge with respect to their educational or professional interests
  • communicate in Italian at a relatively high level of proficiency

ECTS Credits

10

Level of Study

Bachelor

Semester of Instruction

Spring

Place of Instruction

Bergen
Required Previous Knowledge
None, but the instruction language is Italian
Recommended Previous Knowledge
100-level in Italian, or equivalent
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Due to course overlap, the course credits for ITAL250 are reduced by 10 ECTS if the course is combined with ITAL252.
Access to the Course
The course is open to all students admitted to the University of Bergen.
Teaching and learning methods

The course usually comprises a two-hour lecture and a two-hour seminar per week (four class hours) over a period of ten weeks.

If less than 5 students sign up for the course, the teaching may be adjusted to the number of students enrolled. Should this be the case, students will be informed about the alternative teachings plan at the beginning of the semester and before the registration deadline 1 Feb/1 Sep.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

The student attends two compulsory supervision meetings to qualify for submission of the term paper. The supervised term paper is part of the course¿s assessment forms.

During the semester, the student must also present a topic related to the course material in a

15-minute oral presentation. The assessment for the presentation is pass/fail.

An approved compulsory assignment is valid for the course semester and the following semester.

Forms of Assessment

The course assessment consists of two parts:

  1. A supervised term paper of approximately 4000¿5000 words, written in Italian.

The deadline for the paper is 15 May (or the first workday after this date).

  1. An oral examination in Italian where the candidates can be examined on any work from the syllabus.

The term paper and the oral examination each count towards 50% of the final grade.

Students who receive an F on their term paper are not eligible for the oral examination. Both examination forms must be completed in the same semester.

The assignment fulfills the requirement for independent work that is part of the bachelor¿s degree.

Grading Scale
The grading scale is A¿F, where F is a fail.
Assessment Semester
Spring. Students with valid approvals on their mandatory assignments may also be assessed early in the fall semester.
Reading List

Information about the selection of literature can be found in the online reading list.

The reading list will be ready within 1 July for the fall semester, and 1 December for the spring semester.

Students should also extend their knowledge about the authors that are featured on the reading list. Information about the individual authors can be found in literary history, encyclopedias, and companions to the works on the reading list.

Course Evaluation
Evaluation of the course is carried out in accordance with the University of Bergen quality assurance system.
Examination Support Material
None.
Programme Committee
The program committee is responsible for the academic content and structure of the study program, and for the quality of all the subjects therein.
Course Coordinator
The Program Board for Italian
Course Administrator
The Department of Foreign Languages at the Faculty of Humanities has the administrative responsibility for the course and the study program.