Skip to main content
College of Humanities
French & Italian
Donate

High School Italian

Which Italian class should I start with?

Check the Reference Guide

This quick reference guide can help you decide which class to start with, depending on your high school Italian experience. Note that these are recommendations, which you can confirm with other factors explained below and by consulting with the Italian Adviser.

Use the Add/Drop period at the start of each BYU term/semester

The chart below offers recommendations. Start where you feel comfortable and try out an Italian section during the add/drop period of your first semester. You may change to another section or course if you feel like your original selection is not the right fit.

Meet with Dr. Paul or Dr. Orton

If you are unsure about your class placement, you can meet with Dr. Dan Paul (daniel_paul@byu.edu) or Dr. Marie Orton (marie_orton@byu.edu). They will conduct a mini OPI interview with you to determine your proficiency and guide your placement in an Italian course.

Placement using the Laser

The Center for Language Studies offers a self-evaluation device called the LASER. This test collects information about your Italian schoolwork and immersive experiences while collecting writing and speaking samples. It provides a recommendation for where you should start according to your language ability, but it requires a faculty evaluator. Learn more about this assessment on the Center for Language Studies website.

  • Recommended course: Italian 101

    This course aims to help students:

    • Become familiar with basic grammatical rules in Italian;
    • Understand simple sentences on familiar subjects in Italian;
    • And speak simple sentences on familiar subjects in Italian.

  • Recommended course: Italian 101 or Italian 102

    Italian 101 and Italian 102 aim to help students:

    • Become familiar with basic grammatical rules in Italian;
    • Understand simple sentences on familiar subjects in Italian;
    • And speak simple sentences on familiar subjects in Italian.

  • Recommended course: Italian 102 or Italian 201
    Italian 102 is a continuation of Italian 101. Italian 201 is Intermediate Italian 1.

    Italian 102 aims to help students:

    • Become familiar with basic grammatical rules in Italian;
    • Understand simple sentences on familiar subjects in Italian;
    • And speak simple sentences on familiar subjects in Italian.

    Italian 201 aims to help students:

    • Expand their knowledge of Italian grammar;
    • Learn how to handle most uncomplicated communication and social situations in Italian;
    • Sustain a general conversation;
    • Read texts dealing with descriptions and narration.

  • Recommended course: Italian 201
    Italian 201 is Intermediate Italian 1. It focuses on reading, writing, conversation, vocabulary building, and reviewing grammar.

    Italian 201 aims to help students:

    • Expand their knowledge of Italian grammar;
    • Learn how to handle most uncomplicated communication and social situations in Italian;
    • Sustain a general conversation;
    • Read texts dealing with descriptions and narration.
Hidden image

Click below for more detailed course information from the University Catalog.

Explore Italian Courses