ITALIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM
During the SUMMER 2023 Period, some classes will be in person during the day.
Early Birds and Night Owls Classes will be only online.
Early Birds and Night Owls Classes will be only online.
- If you are NOT enrolling for a 101 class, please call or write for a placement test. Cost will be deducted from tuition.
- Classes meet for 90 minutes. If there are 2–3 students, the classes meet for one hour.
- Textbooks are in the "Calendar of Classes" page.
- Enrollment is contingent upon advanced payment for course and materials.
- Students may enroll mid-session or at times not listed on the schedule.
- If you are NOT VACCINATED, please enroll in an online class.
- CDC proof of vaccination or recovery may be asked at the door.
- Our teachers and staff are fully vaccinated.
- .Please note you should have a good internet connection to avoid any technical issues. AISPhila will not be held responsible for any connectivity issues the student may have.
- In the event that you cannot attend in person, AISPhila will let them join the lesson via Zoom. In this case, students who will be following the lesson remotely will ONLY be able to sit in on the class, without actively participating in activities SPECIFICALLY planned out for in-person learning.
- Please inquire (215) 735 3250 or email for more information.
ONLINE CLASSES for Early Birds and Night Owls!
Early Learners: classes start at 7:00 am ONLINE
For many people Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca (Morning has Gold in the Mouth) and they can learn easily when the mind is still fresh, before the stress of the day begin. For these students, we are offering 4 classes of different levels
For many people Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca (Morning has Gold in the Mouth) and they can learn easily when the mind is still fresh, before the stress of the day begin. For these students, we are offering 4 classes of different levels
- Taking morning classes allows you to get more done during the day. No stress to finish work before your evening class!
- Less distractions: less phone calls, chat, social media; no problem for skipping dinner nor taking a very late train home.
- According to a study done at Texas University in 2018, it is proven that early birds tend to get better grades than the night owls.
Language Classes for Beginners and Elementary students
Books:
New Italian Espresso Textbook - UPDATED EDITION Beginner and pre-intermediate
New Italian Espr esso Workbook- UPDATED EDITION Beginner and pre-intermediate
BEGINNERS
Italian 101 is structured as a first Period beginning Italian class. Homework is assigned on a weekly basis, but no grades will be issued. This class is perfect for a beginner with no previous Italian language experience, or for those who need to review basic Italian language and grammar. This is a structured class, taught to accommodate the pace of the group. Italian 101 will aid those who desire to begin speaking and understanding Italian. Our goal will be to cover the first 3 units of our text. Italian 101 will also provide a solid foundation for those who wish to continue studying Italian. Beginning Italian courses tend to fill up fast. A spot in the class will only be reserved once both the payment and enrollment form have been received.
Development of basic language skills. Introduction to fundamental grammatical structures with emphasis on speaking, listening, comprehension and elementary writing assignments. Conducted in Italian and English. No prerequisites.
Beginner 101
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
greet people appropriately, use conventional expressions to ask about meaning, pronunciation and spelling, introduce oneself, inquire about someone’s health, provide others with basic information about oneself , order and pay in a caffé and in a restaurant, use courtesy expressions
GRAMMAR: present tense of essere, stare and first conjugation verbs, singular and plural nouns, definite and indefinite articles, adjective agreement, cardinal numbers
Beginner 102
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
talk about one’s profession and workplace, inquire about someone’s occupation, describe people’s daily actions, discuss free time and leisure activities, talk about people’s interests, express one’s likes and dislikes
GRAMMAR: present tense of second and third conjugation verbs, present tense of irregular –are verbs, use of “piacere”, adverbs of frequency, negation forms
Beginner 103
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
describe a city, follow and give directions, identify buildings, businesses and places where to shop, ask for information on accommodation, book a hotel room and make a complaint
GRAMMAR: present tense of irregular –ere/-ire verbs, c’è and ci sono, prepositions of place, modal verbs, compound prepositions
Beginner 104
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
talk about past events, describe one’s routine and daily life in detail, discuss lifestyles, describe one’s family, explain family habits and holidays
GRAMMAR: passato prossimo, reflexive verbs, possessive adjectives and pronouns
ELEMENTARY
Continued study of grammar and syntax with emphasis on more advanced structural principles. More extensive readings on cultural, social, and literary topics and viewing of videos form the basis for class discussions and written work. Conducted in Italian with some English.
Elementary 201
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
discuss one’s eating habits, talk about typical Italian dishes, understand recipe instructions, do grocery shopping, shop for clothes, describe one’s look, talk about future events
GRAMMAR: past tense of reflexive verbs, direct pronouns, partitive article, indefinite adjectives
Elementary 202
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
talk about future plans and events, shop for clothes, describe one’s look, discuss past situations that occurred repeatedly and talk about one’s childhood
GRAMMAR: direct and indirect pronouns, agreement between direct pronouns and past participles, future indicative, forms and use of the imperfect tense,
Elementary 203
Understand and provide detailed physical descriptions, discuss one’s personality, describe actions that are going on right now, make, accept or refuse an invitation, give home descriptions, go house hunting, give advice
GRAMMAR: superlative adjectives, progressive form, present gerund forms of regular and irregular verbs, ordinal numbers, comparatives, present conditional, ci
Elementary 204
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
comparing Italian and American social habits and traditions, understand travel blogs, understand and give orders recommendations and instructions, discuss the do’s and don’ts for tourists, underline cultural differences
GRAMMAR: informal and formal imperative forms, position of direct and indirect pronouns with the imperative mood, comprehensive review of grammatical rules
Books:
New Italian Espresso Textbook - UPDATED EDITION Beginner and pre-intermediate
New Italian Espr esso Workbook- UPDATED EDITION Beginner and pre-intermediate
BEGINNERS
Italian 101 is structured as a first Period beginning Italian class. Homework is assigned on a weekly basis, but no grades will be issued. This class is perfect for a beginner with no previous Italian language experience, or for those who need to review basic Italian language and grammar. This is a structured class, taught to accommodate the pace of the group. Italian 101 will aid those who desire to begin speaking and understanding Italian. Our goal will be to cover the first 3 units of our text. Italian 101 will also provide a solid foundation for those who wish to continue studying Italian. Beginning Italian courses tend to fill up fast. A spot in the class will only be reserved once both the payment and enrollment form have been received.
Development of basic language skills. Introduction to fundamental grammatical structures with emphasis on speaking, listening, comprehension and elementary writing assignments. Conducted in Italian and English. No prerequisites.
Beginner 101
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
greet people appropriately, use conventional expressions to ask about meaning, pronunciation and spelling, introduce oneself, inquire about someone’s health, provide others with basic information about oneself , order and pay in a caffé and in a restaurant, use courtesy expressions
GRAMMAR: present tense of essere, stare and first conjugation verbs, singular and plural nouns, definite and indefinite articles, adjective agreement, cardinal numbers
Beginner 102
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
talk about one’s profession and workplace, inquire about someone’s occupation, describe people’s daily actions, discuss free time and leisure activities, talk about people’s interests, express one’s likes and dislikes
GRAMMAR: present tense of second and third conjugation verbs, present tense of irregular –are verbs, use of “piacere”, adverbs of frequency, negation forms
Beginner 103
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
describe a city, follow and give directions, identify buildings, businesses and places where to shop, ask for information on accommodation, book a hotel room and make a complaint
GRAMMAR: present tense of irregular –ere/-ire verbs, c’è and ci sono, prepositions of place, modal verbs, compound prepositions
Beginner 104
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
talk about past events, describe one’s routine and daily life in detail, discuss lifestyles, describe one’s family, explain family habits and holidays
GRAMMAR: passato prossimo, reflexive verbs, possessive adjectives and pronouns
ELEMENTARY
Continued study of grammar and syntax with emphasis on more advanced structural principles. More extensive readings on cultural, social, and literary topics and viewing of videos form the basis for class discussions and written work. Conducted in Italian with some English.
Elementary 201
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
discuss one’s eating habits, talk about typical Italian dishes, understand recipe instructions, do grocery shopping, shop for clothes, describe one’s look, talk about future events
GRAMMAR: past tense of reflexive verbs, direct pronouns, partitive article, indefinite adjectives
Elementary 202
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
talk about future plans and events, shop for clothes, describe one’s look, discuss past situations that occurred repeatedly and talk about one’s childhood
GRAMMAR: direct and indirect pronouns, agreement between direct pronouns and past participles, future indicative, forms and use of the imperfect tense,
Elementary 203
Understand and provide detailed physical descriptions, discuss one’s personality, describe actions that are going on right now, make, accept or refuse an invitation, give home descriptions, go house hunting, give advice
GRAMMAR: superlative adjectives, progressive form, present gerund forms of regular and irregular verbs, ordinal numbers, comparatives, present conditional, ci
Elementary 204
At the end of the 10-class period, students will be able to:
comparing Italian and American social habits and traditions, understand travel blogs, understand and give orders recommendations and instructions, discuss the do’s and don’ts for tourists, underline cultural differences
GRAMMAR: informal and formal imperative forms, position of direct and indirect pronouns with the imperative mood, comprehensive review of grammatical rules
Classi di lingua per studenti intermedi e avanzati
Our intermediate and advanced programs are aimed at enhancing the students’ knowledge and appreciation of various aspects of Italian culture, heritage, history and contemporary social issues. Both programs revolve around a series of progressively more complex interpretive activities of authentic Italian texts, both written and oral, such as literary masterpieces, contemporary novels, short stories, selected articles on topics of interests, theatrical performances, films, and videos. Reading and viewing activities will subsequently lead to various interpersonal and presentational tasks in class. Emphasis will be placed on expanding vocabulary, reviewing and improving complex grammatical structures. Course work includes oral and written assignments. Entirely conducted in Italian.
INTERMEDIATE
Textbook (required for all): "Grammatica italiana" Ask the teacher! Different reading/audio books per class, from $20 to $30.
301 – Intermediate I
Comprehension and interpretation of an audiobook (Price TBA, usually $20-25) read by a native speaker; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: articles, nouns, adjectives, indicative mood of regular and irregular verbs, imperative forms
302 – Intermediate II
Comprehension and interpretation of an audiobook (Price TBA, usually $20-25) read by a native speaker; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: subjunctive and conditional mood, common idiomatic expressions
303 – Intermediate III
Comprehension and interpretation of an Italian contemporary novel (Price TBA, usually $25-30) and/or a film/TV series; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: subjunctive and conditional mood, idiomatic expressions
304 – 305 Intermediate IV and V
Comprehension and interpretation of an Italian contemporary novel (Price TBA, usually $25-30) and/or a film/TV series; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: pronominal verbs, double-object pronouns, reported speech, hypothetical speech
ADVANCED
401 - 403 Advanced I and II
Comprehension and interpretation of an Italian contemporary novel (Price TBA, usually $25-30) and/or a film/TV series; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: review of the most complex structures on an as-needed basis, focus mostly on vocabulary expansion
INTERMEDIATE
Textbook (required for all): "Grammatica italiana" Ask the teacher! Different reading/audio books per class, from $20 to $30.
301 – Intermediate I
Comprehension and interpretation of an audiobook (Price TBA, usually $20-25) read by a native speaker; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: articles, nouns, adjectives, indicative mood of regular and irregular verbs, imperative forms
302 – Intermediate II
Comprehension and interpretation of an audiobook (Price TBA, usually $20-25) read by a native speaker; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: subjunctive and conditional mood, common idiomatic expressions
303 – Intermediate III
Comprehension and interpretation of an Italian contemporary novel (Price TBA, usually $25-30) and/or a film/TV series; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: subjunctive and conditional mood, idiomatic expressions
304 – 305 Intermediate IV and V
Comprehension and interpretation of an Italian contemporary novel (Price TBA, usually $25-30) and/or a film/TV series; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: in-depth review of the following grammatical structures: pronominal verbs, double-object pronouns, reported speech, hypothetical speech
ADVANCED
401 - 403 Advanced I and II
Comprehension and interpretation of an Italian contemporary novel (Price TBA, usually $25-30) and/or a film/TV series; whole class, pair discussions and/or presentational activities to follow
Grammar: review of the most complex structures on an as-needed basis, focus mostly on vocabulary expansion
If you are NOT enrolling for a 101 class, please call or write for a placement test. Cost will be deducted from tuition.
Classes meet for 90 minutes. If there are 2–3 students, classes meet for one hour.
Enrollment is contingent upon advanced payment for course and materials.
Students may enroll mid-session or at times not listed on the schedule. Please inquire (215) 735 3250 or email for more information.
Please inquire about our private and semi-private classes and packages
TUITION REFUNDS
To be eligible for a tuition refund, students must contact the AIS office at least 24 hours before the first class ($30 will be retained by AIS). After the first class, only a credit for the next session will be issued. No credit is issued after the end of the fourth week of classes. The Society reserves the right to cancel a class as circumstances demand; in this case unused tuition will be refunded.
Classes meet for 90 minutes. If there are 2–3 students, classes meet for one hour.
Enrollment is contingent upon advanced payment for course and materials.
Students may enroll mid-session or at times not listed on the schedule. Please inquire (215) 735 3250 or email for more information.
Please inquire about our private and semi-private classes and packages
TUITION REFUNDS
To be eligible for a tuition refund, students must contact the AIS office at least 24 hours before the first class ($30 will be retained by AIS). After the first class, only a credit for the next session will be issued. No credit is issued after the end of the fourth week of classes. The Society reserves the right to cancel a class as circumstances demand; in this case unused tuition will be refunded.
The America-Italy Society of Philadelphia promotes friendship and cultural understanding between the Republic of Italy and the United States of America