An Introduction to Contemporary Italy  Intended for students at the intermediate level, this course will afford the opportunity to expand conversation, writing, and reading skills while consolidating knowledge of the more difficult points of grammar. The contextual focus of the course is contemporary Italian culture, including contemporary history and politics, the economy, the division between North and South, immigration from developing countries, environmental issues, and popular music, among others. Italian films, music, and articles from newspapers and news magazines will enhance and complete the learning experience.

Italian Identities: Gender, Race, Culture What does it mean to be "Italian"?  In this course we will analyze Italian identities by reading and listening to a variety of sources and authors, and discuss the role that concepts such as gender, race, nation, culture, value/s, diversity, otherness, and intersectionality play.  While learning about contemporary Italy, we will work on our linguistic, critical, and analytical skills.  Special emphasis will be placed on both Academic and Public Writing, and we will rely on rewriting, editing, and peer reviewing. (ITAL0252 or by permission, taught in Italian) 3hrs. lect./disc.

Beginning Italian III This course emphasizes increased control and proficiency in the language through audiovisual, conversational, and drill methods. Italian life and culture continue to be revealed through the use of realia. Short reading selections on contemporary Italy and discussions enlarge the student's view of Italian life and culture. Students continue to participate in the Italian table. (ITAL 0102 or equivalent) 6 hrs. disc./perf.; 2 hrs. screen.

Italian Culture II: From the Sixties to the Present Day To deepen the historical knowledge gained in ITAL 0251, we will discuss and analyze modern and contemporary Italian literature of various genres, as well as essays, art, and film. In the context of reading, critical viewing, textual analysis, and discussion, we will continue to develop both historical and linguistic competence. Discussion and the writing process, along with selected exercises, will continue to refine grammatical competence.

Beginning Italian  This course is an introduction to the Italian language that provides a foundation in both spoken and written Italian. Focus on the spoken language encourages rapid mastery of the basic structures and vocabulary of contemporary Italian. The exclusive use of Italian in dialogue situations and vocabulary building encourages the student to develop skills in a personalized context. Conversation and drill are stimulated and fostered through active reference to popular Italian music, authentic props, and slides of Italian everyday life and culture. Students are required to participate in the Italian table. 6 hrs. disc./perf.; 2 hrs. screen

Migrations: Politics, Ethics, Literature In this class we will learn about the political and ethical issues of migration. What are the rights of those who migrate and how can we hear and make space for their voices? How can we study and talk about migration in ways that are respectful to everyone? To answer these and other questions, we will analyze different texts (literary, journalistic, essays), learn how to assess their reliability, and apply them to our understanding of migration. We will consider migration in its local and global aspects with a focus on Italy and Europe compared with what happens in other parts of the world (eg. U.S. and Syria), through group and individual research that we will present in oral and written form.

Italy Today: From the Margins to the Center Our goal in this course will be learning about Italy by concentrating on the margins, on what is not mainstream, on those who are not in power.  We will study discrimination, marginalization, racism, and how Italy does, or does not, address them. People can be marginalized through the use of derogatory words and terms, even when speakers do not realize that they are participating in the act of marginalization. We will discover how Italian language affects minority groups (because of race, religion, culture, non-binary or non-conforming genders), and discuss how to translate, into and out of Italian, terms and texts that could help redress some inequalities. We will rely on authors such as Forgacs, Gheno, Guerra, Aime, Hakuzwimana. Taught in Italian. (ITAL 0252 or Instructor's approval) This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.*

Italian Landscapes: History, Culture, Literature, and Identity What is paesaggio, and how similar/different is it from its English equivalent, Landscape? In this course we will study the concept and its relevance for the construction of an Italian identity. In particular, we will discuss the relations between paesaggio and environment, emotions, history, and literature. Through the reading of essays from a variety of scholarly approaches (anthropological, sociological, historical, literary), personal reflection, and group analysis, we will analyze the creation and the changing nature of the meaning and importance of paesaggio. Our focus will be Italy and its regions, with a comparative approach that will include Vermont and Middlebury. 3 hrs. sem

Stefano Mula

Reviews and ratings for Stefano Mula at Middlebury College.Stefano Mula teaches Intro Contemporary Italy, Italian Identities, Beginning Italian and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Stefano Mula good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Mula is fantastic. His class is super engaging, he takes time to explain the concepts if you may not understand, and is super supportive of his students. He only wants the best for you: have fun learning Italian and learn a lot. If you want to take advantage of the Middlebury language program, take this course. The exams are fair and easy, and the weekly writing prompts keep your grammar in check. 

This class showed me the value of respecting and understanding different cultural pedagogies in italy, and how varied teaching styles across cultures shape the way students learn and engage with material.

Great class. Covered a lot of material that built off of italian 101 and 102. Lots of new concepts but constantly reviewed and were tested on in weekly exams that were straightforward and easy to do well on if you went to class. Attendance was key and important for reviewing the concepts enough to keep up with the work. 