Italian
Italian is the seventh most studied language in the world with over 68 million speakers worldwide. Italy’s cultural significance reaches from antiquity to the present day, so knowing Italian can benefit a career in business, culinary arts, art and art history, music, interior design, fashion, graphic design, tool manufacturing, robotics, space engineering, construction, transportation, and environmental affairs. Italian brands such as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Gucci, Armani, Prada, Benetton, Barilla, and Lavazza are renowned all over the world for the outstanding quality of their products. Today, Italy is one of the top world economies with many employers looking for people who speak Italian.
Course Types and Course Levels Offered
We offer elementary- to intermediate-level grammar based courses.
| Contact |
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| Chair Dr. Vic Fusilero |
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Phone: (818) 947-2822 |
| Email: @email |
| Office Location Foreign Language Building, Room 105 |
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Department Student Drop-In Hours Mondays-Thursdays 11am-1pm Individual Instructor Student Drop-In Hours email for availability |
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Department |
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Pathway |
Programs
Italian Degrees
This degree provides solid foundation in the study of Italian for those wishing to continue their education in languages. Students will be able to demonstrate effective skills in the four major areas of language study (reading, writing, speaking, listening comprehension), and demonstrate knowledge of the global society, and the role of Italy and of the Italian language and culture in the contemporary world. Click the tabs below to find out more about the Italian AA degree.
This degree is an alternative to the individual language majors of Italian, French, German, and Spanish, and is especially suitable for those students with prior instruction in a foreign language. The student must complete Semester 4 or higher in a primary language (French, German, Italian, or Spanish), demonstrating effective skills in the four major areas of language study (reading, writing, speaking, listening comprehension) in that language, as well as cultural proficiency. The student must also complete two sequential courses in a secondary language (German, Italian, Spanish, or French), demonstrating a minimum of advanced elementary language and cultural knowledge in that language.
Resources
World Languages and Cultures - Clubs and Events
To enhance your study of world languages and cultures, check out the World Languages Film Forum events:
Every semester the Department of World Languages and Cultures screens movies as part of that semester's curriculum for our enrolled students. Please contact your instructor for more information.
Start Learning a World Language
First Steps
Want to begin learning Italian at Valley? Take these easy steps to enroll as a Valley College student:
If you’re already a Valley Student and want to study Italian, take these easy steps:
1. If you’ve already previously studied Italian, make an appointment to take the Italian Prerequisite Challenge.
2. Register for your classes! If you’re a complete beginner, enroll in Italian 1. That’s it!
If you’re a high school student, and want to study Italian at Valley College, take these easy steps to sign up:
1. You will need to enroll as BOTH a “(i) New Student” AND a “(ii) High School Student (9-12) or a “Elementary/Middle School Student (K-8). You can find the enrollment information here:
LAVC Admissions K-12
2. If you’ve taken Italian before, you’ll need to take the Italian Prerequisite Challenge.
3. Register for your classes! If you’re a complete beginner, enroll in Italian 1. That’s it!
You’ll need to be a currently enrolled Valley College student to take our language classes. To sign up for classes, you’ll need to apply and enroll LAVC Admissions
at Valley College. After you've finished enrolling, you can then sign up for your language class!
Prerequisite Challenge
If you’d like to take Italian at Valley and you have previous experience with the language, you can enroll in a higher-level course by first taking the Italian Prerequisite Challenge. This process will make sure that you’re enrolled in the appropriate level to begin your language study at Valley.
You’ll have to take the Prerequisite Challenge if you already have some experience with Italian, for example, you’ve previously studied it or you are a native or heritage Italian speaker.
If you don’t have any experience with Italian, you don’t have to take the Prerequisite Challenge, and you can enroll in Italian 1.
One of our full-time faculty members. Please email the following instructors to make an appointment for the Prerequisite Challenge in your language:
Italian: Dr. Vic Fusilero: @email
1. The Prerequisite Challenge will assess your speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency in the language and usually takes at least 30 minutes.
2. There are different levels of the Prerequisite Challenge, depending on the level that you are planning to enroll in. For example, if you’d like to enroll in Level 4, you will be taking the Prerequisite Challenge to enroll in Level 4 of your chosen language. If you are unsure which level you are at, the faculty member will gladly advise you of your current approximately level and administer the appropriate level Prerequisite Challenge.
3. The Prerequisite Challenge cannot be taken to receive credit for a course.
Faculty Profiles
- Pronouns: he/him
- Degrees: B.A. Spanish, Assumption College; M.A. Italian, University of California, Los Angeles
- Teaches: Elementary Italian I, Elementary Italian II, Intermediate Italian I, Directed Study: Italian
- Roles: Member, LAVC Work Environment Committee; Helps coordinate the Italian Division
- Fun Facts: I have been teaching Italian for the past 45 years. I began my teaching career at UCLA as a Teaching Assistant. After receiving my M.A., I went to teach Italian at Santa Monica College as an adjunct professor and I remained there until Spring 2020. I began teaching at LAVC in 1988. I retired from full-time teaching at LAVC in 2017. I returned as an adjunct professor in Spring 2018. My favorite pasttime is gardening and visiting my hometown in the region of Abruzzi, Italy.
- Pronouns: she/her
- Degrees: B.A. Italian, University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A. Italian, University of California, Los Angeles
- Teaches: Elementary Italian I, Elementary Italian II
- Fun Facts: I spent a year studying abroad at the University of Bologna, Italy. I am a soccer loving, art, film, and food appreciating Professoressa di Italiano! My daughter was born in Rome, and we have extended family in Sardegna.