Italian: Intermediate Conversation

Course starts Tuesday 13 April 2027

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 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: Italian cuisine. Recipes and sourcing ingredients.

Week 2: Talking about art. La primavera di Botticelli.

Week 3: Journey to Italy: Lazio.

Week 4: Italian news.

Week 5: Navigating traditions: fêtes, markets, shops.

Week 6: Games.

Week 7: Holiday scenarios.

Week 8: Italian music.

Week 9: Living abroad: pleasures and hiccups.

Week 10: Italian geography and landscapes.

Key grammar points

• The impersonal form
• The imperfect and present perfect
• Personal pronouns
• The subjunctive
• Prepositions

Key functions

• Expressing opinions
• Narrating events
• Formal/informal registers 
• Giving reasons
• Use of idioms and common collocations

Course aims

Enhance learners’ conversational skills to interact confidently in familiar situations, at work and while travelling in a country where the language is spoken.

Course objectives

• Develop learners’ comprehension skills to understand the language of diverse speakers, including different accents and faster speech.
• Enhance fluency through class activities that cover a variety of situations likely to be encountered at work, in social contexts and while travelling abroad.
• Encourage the use of a variety of lexical repertoire and grammar structures to construct clear and coherent sentences.
• Consolidate understanding of cultural nuances, some idiomatic expressions, and social etiquette.

Learning outcomes

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

• understand standard speech at natural speed in a variety of situations likely to be encountered at work, in social contexts and while travelling abroad.
• speak confidently in a variety of contexts, initiating and maintaining conversations on a range of topics.
• use a range of lexical repertoire and grammar structures to express ideas and give reasons.
• recognise cultural nuances and some idiomatic expressions.

Level and demands

This course is pitched at B1 Level 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

Formative assessment will be conducted through a range of classroom tasks and collaborative activities, including discussions, debates, role‑plays, and short presentations, in which learners use the language to achieve communicative goals. Tasks based on authentic or semi‑authentic audio and video materials will be used to evaluate learners’ understanding of spoken language in context. Participants are encouraged to engage actively in these activities in order to benefit from continuous tutor feedback and support ongoing progress.

Dr Francesca Magnabosco

Francesca graduated from the University of Turin, Italy (BA; MPhil) and obtained her DPhil in Italian literature from the University of Oxford. For the University of Oxford, she works as lecturer in Italian Renaissance literature (Pembroke College), and as tutor in Italian, for both the sub-Faculty of Italian and the Department for Continuing Education. She is also a writer and translator.

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

No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.

Recommended reading

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

Course Reading

• Online resources: Collins Italian Dictionary 
• Susanna Nocchi – Italian Grammar in Practice – updated edition (Alma Edizioni, 2022)

Recommended Reading List

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.

Module code: O26P573XIW

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