Italian B2.3 Upper Intermediate Course

Nuovo Espresso 4 B2.3 Outline

Unit 7 – In giro per musei (Going Around Museums)

Communicative Objectives:

• Start and conclude an exposition.
• Conclude, focus.
• Narrate specifying details.
• Describe an image.
• Express agreement and/or disagreement.

Grammar & Vocabulary:

• Review and expansion of prepositions of place In and A.
• Tense agreement in the subjunctive: review and in-depth study.
• The infinitive used as a noun.
• Relative pronouns: review and in-depth study.
• The possessive relative pronoun Il cui.
• The relative pronoun Il che.

Unit 8 – L'Italia sostenibile (Sustainable Italy)

• Communicative Objectives:
• Express a judgment, an evaluation.
• Express perplexity.
• Talk about environmental problems.
• Make proposals.
• Express desires.

Grammar & Vocabulary:

• Position of pronouns with gerund, participle, infinitive, and imperative.
• Review and expansion of the position of the adjective.
• The different uses of the future.
• Position of the adverb.

Unit 9 – Curiosità d'Italia (Curiosities of Italy)

Communicative Objectives:

• Express a doubt.
• Explain something.
• Give a compliment.
• Ask for and give advice.
• Talk about a cultural event in a detailed way.

Grammar & Vocabulary:

• Geography: Position of the definite article with geographic names.
• The Gerund: Review and expansion of present and past gerunds, including the concessive gerund (Pur + gerund).
• Pronominal Verbs: Common expressions such as A dirla tutta (to tell the truth), Sbrigarsela da soli (to handle it alone), and Arrampicarsi sugli specchi (to claw at mirrors/clutch at straws).
• Linguistics: Homonyms and words with two plural forms.
• Economy: Terms related to pharmaceutical, mechanical, and advanced technologies.

Unit 10 – Una... centomila (One... one hundred thousand)

Communicative Objectives:

• Conduct an interview.
• Contradict a common opinion.
• Clarify or point something out.
• Debate and discuss.

Grammar & Vocabulary:

• The Subjunctive:
  • Use in comparative clauses (e.g., più/meno... di quanto).
  • Use with consecutive expressions such as In modo che and Far sì che.
• Word Formation: Formation of the plural of compound words.
• Colloquialisms: Use of Mica for emphasis and common pronominal verbs like Prendersela (to take offense) and Darci giù (to overdo it).
• Comparisons: The comparative of equality using Tanto... quanto or Così... come.
• Italian History and Language: Dialects, regional variants, and the history of the Unification of Italy.