Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Listening and viewing with intent supports our acquisition of a new language.
Language and culture are interconnected and shape our perspective, identity, and voice.
The communicative context determines how we express ourselves.
Exploring diverse forms of cultural expression
representing the experience of the people from whose culture they are drawn; for example, celebrations, customs, folklore, language use, traditions, and creative works (e.g., books, paintings, pictures, sculpture, theatre, dance, poetry and prose, filmmaking, musical composition, architecture)
promotes greater understanding of our own cultural identity.
Developing proficiency in a new language provides unique opportunities for careers, travel, personal growth, and study abroad.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
increasingly complex vocabulary, sentence structures and expressions, including:
- complex questionse.g., Perchè hai deciso di andare all’ università? Come mai, non sei venuta a scuola ieri? Cosa faresti se fossi rica?and opinionsLo penso perche; impersonal statements with si (e.g., si pensa, si fa); use of questo, quello; use of direct and indirect object pronouns
- sequenceusing appropriate verb tenses and expressions of time (e.g., prima, poi, domani, dopo domani)of events in stories
- points of view
- explanation and justification of opinions
First Peoples perspectives connecting language and culture, including oral histories
e.g., conversations with an Elder about celebrations, traditions, and protocols
, identity Identity is influenced by, for example, traditions, protocols, celebrations, and festivals.
, and place A sense of place can be influenced by, for example, territory, food, clothing, and creative works.
past, present, and future time frames
may include the passato prossimo, l’imperfetto, il futuro, and nuances of the passato prossimo and l’imperfetto
language formality and etiquette
- use of titles to address people (e.g., Professore Rossi, Avvocato Lanni)
- use of tu and Lei and loro versus Loro
- use of loro and related verb forms
features of major Italian regional dialects
e.g., dialects and expressions from various regions in Italy and what communities are doing to preserve them; the evolution of language (e.g., accents, idiomatic expressions, local slang vocabulary); colloquial expressions from across the Italian-speaking world
cultural aspects of Italian communities
immigrant experiences
Italian creative works
e.g., painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, poetry and prose, filmmaking, musical composition, architecture
contributions
e.g., artists, athletes, humanitarians, inventors, educators
of Italians and Italian Canadians, past and present
ethics of cultural appropriation
use of a cultural motif, theme, “voice,” image, knowledge, story, song, or drama, shared without permission or without appropriate context or in a way that may misrepresent the real experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn
and plagiarism
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Thinking and communicating
Recognize how choice of words
e.g., degrees of formality, degrees of directness, choice of verb tense and modality
affects meaning
Derive meaning
Understand key information, supporting details, time, and place.
in speech and a variety of other texts
Comprehend stories and different viewpoints
Interpret a wide variety of texts
“Text” is a generic term referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication. Oral, written, and visual elements can also be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Use various strategies
For example:
to increase understanding and produce oral and written language
- rephrase in Italian to compensate for unknown expressions
- make personal notes to use as a reference for oral and written production
- actively review common, useful expressions and patterns to refine communication
Narrate and write stories
- Use expressions of time and transitional signs to show logical progression.
- Use past, present, and future time frames.
Stories are a narrative form of text that can be oral, written, or visual. Stories are derived from truth or fiction and may be used to seek and impart knowledge, entertain, share history, and strengthen a sense of identity.
Respond personally
provide personal interpretations or opinions
to a variety of texts
Exchange ideas
with peers, teachers, and members of the wider community; can include virtual/online conversations
and information, both orally and in writing
Express themselves with growing fluency, both orally and in writing
Share information using the presentation format
e.g., digital, visual, verbal; aids such as charts, graphics, illustrations, music, photographs, videos, props, digital media
best suited to their own and others' diverse abilities
Personal and social awareness
Identify perspectives
A text can reflect the author’s personal point of view which may include bias.
in texts
Recognize connections between language and culture
as expressed through creative works, regional dialects, historical origins of words, and expressions
Engage in experiences
e.g., blogs, classroom and school visits (including virtual/online visits), concerts, exchanges, festivals, films, plays, social media, and businesses where Italian is spoken
with Italian people and communities
Explore opportunities to continue language acquisition beyond graduation
Identify and explore educational and personal/professional opportunities
e.g., academic research, translation, international affairs, government, teaching, travel, study abroad
requiring proficiency in Italian
Analyze personal, shared, and others' experiences, perspectives, and worldviews through a cultural lens
e.g., values, practices, traditions, perceptions
Recognize First Peoples perspectives and knowledge; other ways of knowing
e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit; and/or gender-related, subject/discipline-specific, cultural, embodied, intuitive
, and local cultural knowledge