Italian: Beginners – Part 2

Course starts Wednesday 20 January 2027

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30pm.

The weekly schedule below is intended to give an indication of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.

Week 1: Vorrei prenotare una stanza. At the hotel: booking a room; time expressions

Week 2: Ho un problema con la camera. Complaining and asking for information about accommodation; prepositions

Week 3: Che cosa hai fatto in vacanza? Discussing holiday activities; time expressions with the past tense

Week 4: Sono andato al lago. Describing a weekend and past events; weather conditions

Week 5: Vorrei qualche informazione. Means of transport, prices and times; simple directions

Week 6: Mi alzo alle 7! Daily routine and activities; writing a postcard

Week 7: Mio fratello si chiama Paolo. Talking about family and relationships

Week 8: Sapori d’Italia. Italian food and recipes; writing a shopping list

Week 9: Facciamo acquisti! Shopping for clothes: sizes, prices, and items of clothing

Week 10: Che tipo sei? Describing people: physical appearance

Key grammar points

• Present Perfect 
• Reflexive and reciprocal verbs
• Possessive adjectives
• Direct and indirect pronouns

Key functions

• Discussing a vacation and describing accommodation; complaining
• Describing one’s work habits and working hours
• Narrating past events
• Using numbers to state quantities, sizes, times and prices
• Writing short texts, e.g. a postcard, a shopping list, etc.

Course aims

To enable you to communicate at a basic level with speakers of the target language in a limited range of practical, real-life settings.

Course objectives

• To help learners to develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing for basic everyday communication in the target language.
• To help learners to consolidate their listening comprehension skills to understand the gist of very short, basic written texts and audio excerpts.
• To enable learners to use high frequency vocabulary and grammar structures for basic routine communication.

• To equip learners with an appreciation of the culture and civilisation of the country (or countries) in which the target language is spoken.

Learning outcomes

By the end of your course, learners will be better prepared to:

• interact in a simple way using a basic range of language in routine everyday contexts;
• understand and respond to basic spoken or recorded language relating to very familiar everyday situations;
• demonstrate comprehension of very short, simple texts containing high frequency vocabulary and basic grammar structures; 
• write very short texts to provide basic personal information or simple descriptions.    

Level and demands

Pitched at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Find out more about our language levels.

Teaching methods

You will learn through practical, task‑based classroom activities that encourage the active use of the target language. Sessions typically integrate meaningful scenarios, pair and small‑group work, and collaborative problem‑solving in a supportive and friendly environment. These tasks bring together speaking, listening, reading, and writing, enabling you to apply the language purposefully in real‑world situations.

The course is designed to build your spoken and listening abilities while deepening your understanding of cultural nuances, etiquette, and everyday usage. We will work with new grammatical structures through meaningful, communicative tasks, and you will continue developing your reading and writing skills both in class and independently through self‑study.

Assessment methods

You will be set optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.

Mrs Stefania Nini

Stefania holds a Bachelor Degree in Educational Sciences from the Catholic University of Milan and a PGCE in Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology. She has been teaching Italian language and culture for 30 years in Italy and in the UK: her teaching experience spans all age and level ranges. She joined OUDCE’s Italian language team in September 2017.

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses

Textbooks

To participate in the course fully, you will need access to the following textbook:

• New Italian Espresso-Beginner and Pre-Intermediate-Italian course for English speakers- textbook, Gruppo Italiaidea, Alma Edizione; ISBN: 9788861827240

Recommended reading

Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.

Library facilities

All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.

• More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website. 
• This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.

Preparatory reading

• New Italian Espresso- textbook Beginners and pre-Intermediate / Gruppo Italiaidea

Recommended Reading List

Module code: O26P566XIW

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