Italian B1.1 follows Italian A2 Conclusion and begins the B1 stage, building on approximately 200 hours of prior study. The course develops more detailed communication through personal experiences, opinions and everyday interactions, extending the language used to express reactions, make plans and discuss different situations.

Students practise sharing memories and aspirations, discussing cultural or linguistic misunderstandings, and expressing feelings such as surprise, relief, doubt and impatience. They also explore digital communication and geographical descriptions, while developing grammatical structures for recounting past events, expressing hypotheses and obligations, and using pronouns more effectively.

DELIVERY MODE

Language courses are offered in two delivery modes:

• Face-to-Face: WEA Sydney
• Online: via Zoom or Microsoft Teams

Please check the delivery mode listed before enrolling, as some classes are face-to-face and others are online.

TEXTBOOK

• Nuovo Espresso PLUS 2 - A2 (Alma Edizioni: 2025), ISBN: 9788861828469

Suggested Textbook Suppliers: Abbey's Bookshop · Intext Book Company / Language International Bookshop · The Language People

The textbook is not included in the course fee. Please check textbook availability with the supplier and wait until your course is confirmed before purchasing. WEA Sydney cannot accept responsibility for textbook purchases if a course is cancelled. Courses are confirmed or cancelled at least 7 days before the start date.

COURSE OUTLINE

Communication

• Make comparisons and analogies.
• Invite someone to do something together, offer help and make plans.
• Ask for and express opinions, including agreement and disagreement.
• Express surprise, relief, joy, understanding and doubt.
• Describe cultural or linguistic mishaps.
• Express memories, nostalgia and aspirations.
• Make complaints and express impatience.
• Express prohibitions.
• Indicate the geographical location of a place.

Grammar

• Revision of passato prossimo and imperfect, and introduction to trapassato prossimo (past perfect).
• The construction prima di + infinitive and the preposition a + infinitive.
• Conditional forms of dovere to express hypotheses.
• Revision of direct and indirect pronouns, including combined pronouns.
• Pronominal particles ci and ne, and pronominal verbs.
• Revision of subjunctive versus indicative.
• The negative prefix in-.
• The verb toccare to express obligation.
• Possessive adjectives and pronouns.
• Fixed expressions with the preposition in.

Vocabulary

• Foreign words used in Italian.
• Technology and digital communication.
• Expressions of courtesy and politeness.
• Everyday, idiomatic and pragmatic expressions.
• Geographical terms.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Exchange opinions, make comparisons, invite others to activities and respond to different viewpoints and emotional reactions.
2. Discuss memories, aspirations and cultural or linguistic experiences, including expressing complaints, impatience and prohibitions.
3. Make plans, offer assistance and describe geographical locations using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures.