This 4-credit course is designed for students with little or no knowledge of the Italian language, but who have a strong background in another Romance language (i.e. Spanish, French, Rumanian, Portuguese, Catalan, etc.). Italian 201 is an accelerated course that combines Italian 101 and 102 in 1 semester. The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to contemporary Italian language and culture. In this course, you will learn to talk about present and past events, formulate plans for the future, express desires and opinions. Several workshops throughout the semester will develop your reading and writing skills. Instruction is thematic and task-based. You will be actively engaged in authentic communicative activities that have real world relevance. Role-plays, pair and group work will provide you with numerous opportunities to interact with your classmates in Italian. Authentic materials, such as ads, brochures, videos, songs, newspaper and magazine articles, are used to expose you and your classmates to contemporary Italian language and culture. To facilitate acquisition of the target language, this course will be conducted entirely in Italian. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to sign up for Italian 203. Students cannot receive credit for 201 after taking Italian 101 or 102. Prerequisite: 4 semesters (or equivalent proficiency) in another Romance language, or consent of instructor.