Italian Language

Italian Language Instructor

The Department of Literature Italian Program offers students the opportunity to develop linguistic proficiency and cultural literacy through a combination of language instruction and cultural exploration. The program includes intermediate and upper-intermediate language courses taught in Italian (listed as LTIT) and a range of upper-division literature and culture courses offered in English (listed as LTEU), allowing students from across disciplines to engage with Italy’s rich intellectual and artistic traditions.

All of our Italian Language courses and the Italian Literature in translation courses count towards the Italian Studies Minor and the European Studies Major and Minor.

Italian Courses

Intermediate: LTIT 2A → LTIT 2B → LTIT 50

Students must be placed into the appropriate course level in order to enroll. See the "Placement Exam" details below.

Placement Exam

Students who have studied Latin at a school or college before arriving at UCSD should contact the Latin Language instructor to discuss the level of Latin appropriate for their continued study of the language.

Additional Resources

Italian Requirements and Info:

Our language courses are designed to strengthen communication skills, deepen grammar knowledge, and build cultural awareness.

Culture is not something abstract—it is something you can taste, see, and experience. It’s built from everyday life, shaped by history, landscape, local traditions, and, of course, by what people eat and where they live. In fact, two major elements deeply woven into the Italian sense of identity and culture are food and geography, which are inseparable and thus play a major role in our language courses.

LTIT 2A – Intermediate Italian I
Level B1 based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) guidelines**
This course emphasizes cultural themes including food, travel, and daily life, stressing spoken, written, and gestural communication, and reviews major grammar concepts.
LTIT 2B – Intermediate Italian II
Level B1 based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) guidelines**
This course continues the development of fluency through more complex grammatical structures, authentic texts, and multimedia.
LTIT 50 – Upper-Intermediate Italian
Level B2 based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) guidelines**
LTIT 50 focuses on analysis of Italian culture through conversation, film, social media, short stories, and journalism. Strong emphasis on oral components.

**for more information about the CEFR classification, please visit https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bc7b

Learning Outcomes for Intermediate Italian:

Students completing the Department of Literature’s Italian Language Program will be able to:

Communicate effectively in Italian at the intermediate or advanced level.
Analyze Italian cultural products (texts, films, music, visual arts) in historical and social contexts.
Develop intercultural awareness and critical thinking skills applicable across disciplines.

Literature and Culture Courses in Translation

The Department of Literature also offers several upper division courses in English translation, focusing on Italian literature and culture. Open to all students, these courses explore the works of major Italian writers, artists, and thinkers without requiring knowledge of the Italian language.

These courses can be taken more than once for credit as long as the topic changes, as it does on a rotating basis:

LTEU 100 – Introduction to Italian Literature
LTEU 105 – Medieval Studies
LTEU 140 – Italian Literature in Translation
LTEU 146 – Studies in Modern Italian Prose

Study Abroad Opportunities

The Italian Language Program is also designed to prepare students for participation in Education Abroad Programs. Students are encouraged to apply for semester or summer programs in cities such as Bologna, Florence, and Rome to experience immersive language and cultural learning. Although previous knowledge of Italian is not required by EAP’s University of Bologna program, the equivalent of two years of language instruction is strongly recommended.