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Summer Preparation: Italian Post A-Level

Your summer preparation must focus on both the study of language and the study of literature, culture and history.

Preparation for language work

A comprehensive description of preparatory work and resources can be found on theÌý'Italian in Year 1 -ÌýPost A-Level (Option B)' page.

Preparation for the study of literature, culture and history, for paper ‘Texts and Contexts’:

A. General introductory and background material

For general background on Italian literature, culture, language and history, see:

  • The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ History of Italian Literature, ed. Peter Brand and Lino Pertile (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ University Press, 1996; 2nd rev. edn 1999)
  • Oxford Short History of Italy, general editor John Davis (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 7 vols, 2000-2004)
  • Italian Cultural Studies: An Introduction, ed. by David Forgacs and Robert Lumley (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996)

B. Set texts for the first-year course ‘Texts and Contexts’ (IT1)

These are the topics that you will study during your first year. Before arriving in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼, you can best prepare for this course by getting to know some or all of the core texts:

  • Giotto, (early 14th century)
  • Dante Alighieri, Commedia (early 14th century; selected canti only: Inferno 5, 33, PurgartorioÌý28, Paradiso 33)
  • Fellini, La dolce vita
  • Shirin Ramzanali Fazel, Lontano da Mogadiscio (1994 and later editions)
  • Linguistics. *Course material will be provided in lectures

For each of the first four texts students will be provided with a course handbook (handbooks contain contextual material, further reading and suggestions for supervision work).