An intensive study of Italian language and culture. This course completes the sequence of ITAL 103 and 203. After a brief review of important material of Intermediate Italian (ITAL 203), we will cover the last four chapters of Parliamo italiano (Unita 9-12). ITAL 204 is designed to reinforce and deepen the students' knowledge of Italian and its idiomatic usage, and to improve their reading and writing skills through a more in-depth study of more complex grammatical forms. Students are encouraged to practice Italian using grammatical concepts in an active manner. There will be oral and written exercises, short readings, and vocabulary expansion. Special attention will be given to readings, oral comprehension and written compositions. To improve their listening and reading comprehension, students will also view and analyze film clips, and read short articles in newspapers and magazines on current events and global issues pertaining to Italy and the European Union.