Learning objectives
As well as continuing to develop written and oral language skills and translation strategies acquired during the first year of study, the course aims to provide students with solid general and specific knowledge of the methods of analysis of written and oral texts relating to the language of information and entertainment, representing informal and formal everyday language.
During the course students will learn to:
- Recognize and analyze diverse text genres and linguistic registers by applying the theoretical skills they have acquired
- Become more autonomous in the language learning process
- Recognize the pragmatic and communicative intent of different texts (decode the primary and secondary meanings, identify the communicative strategies, the forms of cohesion and relative discourse structure peculiar to the text genre)
- Analyze and decode diverse English texts, whose complexity is expressed not only in terms of formal and informal characteristics of the language, but also in terms of lexical, discursive, and ideological choices;
- communicate and discuss in English at the level B2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference, contents, analyses and theories in an appropriate register, i.e. making the necessary lexical and syntactic choices.
Prerequisites
- - -
Course unit content
The course, which is taught in English, focuses on the analysis of different forms of media discourse for information and persuasive purposes (printed and TV advertising, print and online news, political speeches) and on the introduction of English for Specific Purposes (in particular, Legal English).
In the first part, emphasis will be given to theoretical references and tools which are necessary to analyse different linguistic genres. Then, language in advertisement and newspaper will be analysed to identify their peculiarities, starting from the theoretical framework presented in the first part of the course. For this purpose, authentic materials will be analyzed. Then the language of politics will be taken into account: rhetorical structures and other aspects will be considered to understand how the pragmatic force of the message has been created and how the real communicative intent has been achieved. The last part of the course will focus on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and in particular on legal English.
As far as practical language competence is concerned, the students will attend throughout the academic year classes held by foreign language assistants.
Full programme
- - -
Bibliography
Preliminary text on the study of media language: G. Mansfield, 2006. Changing Channels. Media Language in (Inter)action, Milano: Edizioni LED.
A detailed bibliography of texts (the object of study) will be given during the course and clearly indicated in the examination programme to be distributed.
Teaching methods
In class, the lecturer will present the main elements of media discourse in all its varied aspects, indicating a series of prescribed texts that will be indicated on ELLY platform.
Students will also attend practical lessons held by foreign language assistants throughout the whole academic year.
Assessment methods and criteria
Evaluation of the knowledge and skills acquired during the course will be carried out by means of a preliminary written test and oral examination at the end of the academic year. The knowledge and competences that will be evaluated are as follows:
- written and oral competence in the English language corresponding to the level B2+ (Common European Framework of Reference) and, in particular the acquisition of all language skills (written and spoken) as well as translation strategies from English to Italian and Italian to English in a register appropriate to the text genre and which reflects the communicative functions of the source text;
- knowledge of text features and context, formal, informal and ideological issues relating to the text genre and object of study;
With a view to verifying whether such knowledge and level of competences have been achieved, the aim of the oral examination is to evaluate the ability of the student to re-elaborate, reformulate such knowledge as well as the ability to apply the knowledge and skills gained to text analysis and also apply them at a contrastive level.
The preliminary written text evaluation will be considered insufficient if the student is found lacking in any of the language or translation skills; an evaluation of insufficient (less than 18/30) does not permit access to the oral examination.
A final evaluation of insufficient is determined by the lack on the part of the student: to demonstrate a minimum knowledge of the contents of the course; to express him or herself adequately in English (expected level of B2+) on the topics of the course; to discuss and solve problems regarding the retrieval of information and decoding of complex texts, and to formulate independent critical judgements and opinions. The final evaluation takes into account the competences gained and mark awarded in the preliminary written test.
A final evaluation of sufficient (18-23/30) is determined if the student is able to show that he / or she has mastered the basic notions and contents of the course and is sufficiently able to express them, even simply, at a level of English that at least corresponds in part to the B2+ level. An average mark of (24-27/30) is awarded to the student who can demonstrate he / she possesses a more than sufficient command of the language and theoretical knowledge (24-25/30) or good (26-27/30) according to the above criteria of evaluation. The highest marks ( 28- 30/30 and merit) are likewise awarded on the basis of a very good to excellent command of the language and theoretical knowledge according to the above criteria of evaluation.
Other information
- - -
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
- - -
