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 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.

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.

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

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.

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 Beginning Italian, Italian Identities, Migrations: Pol, Ethics, Lit and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Stefano Mula good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This class was fun, interesting, and very laid-back. We had small quizzes every week and daily homework assignments. The course is not too difficult. Professor Mula is an excellent instructor who genuinely cares about whether you are learning.

I loved this class! Stefano Mula is a very understanding teacher and will give you extensions on assignments and let you take quizzes later if you need more time. This course does have homework everyday on canvas, but it takes about 30 mins and is not difficult. We had weekly quizzes and an exam every 3rd week. 

Professor Mula is a great professor to begin learning Italian with. His teaching style involves a lot of discussion between students in small groups, which I feel has been very effective to my learning. He designs his lessons to be fun and engaging while still having you repeatedly practice new material to become better acquainted with the language. Overall a great class, highly recommend taking an Italian class with Professor Mula.