Italian 200: Intensive Pre-Intermediate Italian

(Caorle, Italy)

Caorle Campanile

The Course
This course is a special section of intermediate Italian, designed for students who want to immerse themselves in an Italian-speaking environment before going on to continue their study of the language in the fall 2009 semester.  It will include activities designed to expand vocabulary and the ability to use a broader variety of language forms in oral and written Italian.  Class discussions, presentations, and writing assignments will explore central issues in the contemporary life and culture of Italy, as suggested by short stories, articles, and films.

The program includes three weeks of intensive Italian language classes in the morning, taught by Barbara Garbin, Visiting Lecturer in Italian at Mount Holyoke College.  Students will explore the rich cultural history of the Veneto region through afternoon field trips and other cultural activities.

Caorle
Caorle is a charming seaport, rich in culture, history and traditions. It is located 30 miles from Venice, and from Venice International Airport. Being relatively small and away from major tourist routes, Caorle gives students endless opportunities to interact with local people and experience authentic Italian culture.

Caorle Lagoon

Caorle's history goes back to the first millennium B.C. The depredations of the Huns coming from Eastern Europe drove the peoples of nearby areas to take refuge in these safe havens, and the present town was probably founded in 452 A.D.  Later on included in the Venetian Republic, Caorle became a “miniature Venice,” with its own “calli” (alleys) and sunny “campielli” (little squares).

Nearby, Caorle's lagoon offers thousands of acres of wetlands and woodlands, a perfect environment for numerous animal and plant species. Here and there, the “casoni” can be seen, the traditional fisherman's thatch houses, which are unique historical and architectural records. It is not easy to describe a natural scene in which the only sound is that of the oars or the birds in flight, but Ernest Hemingway surely succeeded in it, in some of the finest pages of his novel “Across the River and Into the Trees” (1948), written after several stays in Caorle.

The Centro de Lingua e Cultura Italiana IL FARO, located in the center of town, will provide classroom space for the program.  Housing will be in double rooms in small, family-run hotels or B&Bs located within walking distance of the Centro, the bus station, and the historic district. 

Dates
Dates for the summer portion of the 2009 program are tentatively set for June 1-19, and will be confirmed in the spring.  Orientation and a tour of the town will be held in the afternoon of the designated arrival day.  Students who wish to arrive earlier should consult with Barbara Garbin about arranging for housing, and will be responsible for any additional cost. 

Program Activities
The program will include a rich array of field trips and activities to enable students to complement their work in class with a deeper knowledge of Italian history and culture.  The tentative schedule of field trips (subject to change) includes:

• Day trip to Venice and/or Venice Islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello)
• Visit to the Roman and early-Christian archeological site and museum in Concordia Sagittaria
• Boat trip to “Hemingway’s” Valle Vecchia
• Visit to the International Mosaics School in Spilimbergo 
• Evening concerts and theatrical plays “in piazza”
• Visit of a local D.O.C. winery
• Trip to Gorizia and bordering Slovenia

Caorle Piazza

Requirements & Application
Admission to the course will be determined by application.  Accepted students must register for this course, Italian 200, in the Fall 2009 semester, and will receive 2 credits for successful completion; they are also expected to register for the complementary intermediate course Italian 201. Applicants must have completed one year of Italian at Mount Holyoke or in the Five Colleges; students who have studied Italian elsewhere should consult with Barbara Garbin about whether they have sufficient language background for the course. 

Applications are available on-line, and from the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives (102 Porter Hall) and the Department of Classics and Italian (105 Ciruti Center) at Mount Holyoke.  Students must submit the application form and the required waiver of liability.  Completed applications are due in the Department of Classics and Italian on February 16, 2009.  Notification will be made within about two weeks. Students will be required to attend a series of orientation meetings with Prof. Garbin in the spring semester, prior to departure for Italy.

Students are responsible for obtaining valid passports.  US citizens are not required to obtain a visa to enter Italy for stays that do not exceed 90 days; citizens of other countries should consult the Italian Embassy website for information about visa requirements.

Historic District

Costs and Timeline
The fee for the program is estimated at $2,100; the cost will be confirmed in the spring.  Limited financial aid is available. The fee will cover double-occupancy room, breakfasts and dinners, field trips, and transportation to and from the airport designated for arrivals.  Students will be responsible for lunches, international airfare, and all incidental expenses. A minimum enrollment of 10 students will be required for the program to run.

Students accepted to the program will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of $500 by February 28, and the balance by March 30. 

All students must have their own health insurance that covers them in Italy.  Program participants will be covered by AIG Assist, which provides evacuation to adequate hospital facilities in the event of a medical emergency that cannot be treated on-site. 

For further information about the program, contact:

Barbara Garbin
Visiting Lecturer in Italian
Mount Holyoke College
Tel: (413) 538-2218