New advancement placement course on Italian language and culture

Agreement between Leonardo Da Vinci Academy and UCEMI Toronto

An agreement signed between Leonardo Da Vinci Academy and the Toronto Chapter of Unione Cristiana Enti tra e per i Migranti Italiani ("Christian Union of Associations by and for Italian Migrants", UCEMI) will give high school students an opportunity to attend a course on Italian Language and Culture that will give them a university credit.
"The course, AP Italian Language and Culture, is designed for high school students (grades 9 to 12) and aims to enable students to express themselves in Italian while at the same time expanding the horizon of their Italian culture," said teacher Luciano Iacobelli, first Vice President of UCEMI and course promoter, with Leonardo Da Vinci Academy executive director Dom Tassielli. "We have already opened enrolment for the 2006-2007 school year."
This course will be taught by Italian teachers and will emphasize grammar. "Grammar is the base of correct expression, but students will also learn to write an essay and translate between Italian and English; they will also receive notions of general culture, ranging from music to art history," explained professor Iacobelli. "At the end of the course, which will run from September to May, students will take a three-hour exam in two sections. Section I will consist in a series of questions assessing Listening and Reading comprehension; Section II will include a composition in Italian on a cultural topic such as prominent figures, cities, traditions, or a Canadian personality of Italian origin."
This initiative sounds ambitious. "It truly is a good initiative, kind of an immersion in Italian culture," concluded Iacobelli. "Some details have to be defined yet, but everything will be clear in a matter of days."

Publication Date: 2006-05-14
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=6238