Learning objectives
At the end of the course students will:
- be able to actively work with different text types using the tools of the text linguistics in a contrastive, intertextual and intercultural perspective;
- be able to use the correct terminology when discussing linguistic phenomena;
- have acquired metalinguistic awareness;
- be able to critically reflect and justify their own translation choices, also by comparing their translations with peers’ translations and with different translations of the same source text;
- have acquired knowledge of the history of German language.
Prerequisites
- Knowledge of the Italian language (spoken and written);
- At least B1 CERF level (spoken and written) of the German language.
Course unit content
Text linguistics, text analysis, translation, history of the German language
Full programme
The Language and Translation German II course is intended for German language students of the Degree in Modern Foreign Languages and Civilisations.
The course aims at acquisition of the key concepts of the text linguistics. At the end of the course students will be able to actively work with different text types using the tools of the text linguistics in a contrastive, intertextual and intercultural perspective.
Aspects of the history of the German language will be discussed as well.
The monographic course lessons also include practical exercises designed for the acquisition of translation skills from German to Italian.
Bibliography
1) Foschi Albert Marina (2016). Il profilo stilistico del testo: guida al confronto intertestuale e interculturale (tedesco e italiano). Pisa: Pisa University Press.
ISBN: 978-8867417483
2) Ballestracci Sabrina (2003), Stili e testi in lingua tedesca. Strumenti per l’analisi. Roma: Carocci. ISBN: 8843070177
3) Maria Cristina Temperini e Silvana Vassilli (2008). Übersetzungskurs Deutsch-Italienisch. Mit Übungen zur Textanalyse. Hamburg: Buske. ISBN: 978-3875484830
Teaching methods
- Frontal lectures supported by presentations and videos during which dialogue and discussion are encouraged;
- Practical exercises designed for translations and text analysis (in plenum, in small groups and individual);
- Further materials and extra resources will be uploaded on the e-learning webpage of the course.
Students are encouraged to actively participate in the lessons.
Lessons are held in Italian and in German.
Assessment methods and criteria
Competences and skills will be assessed through 2 types of summative evaluations as follows:
1) 2 compulsory preparatory written exams that must be taken before the oral exam: the lector’s examination and the translation.
The lector’s examination has 3 parts: listening comprehension, reading comprehension and written production, and its structure follows the models provided by the language assistant. The overall duration the lector’s examination is 3 hours, and the exam is assessed with 30-point grading scale (marks ranging from 0 to 30).
The second written examination consists in a translation from German to Italian. The use of dictionaries is allowed. The overall duration of the written examination is 2 hours, and the exam is assessed with 30-point grading scale (marks ranging from 0 to 30).
2) 1 oral examination which consists in questions about the theoretical framework and its application to the analysis of the texts discussed during the lectures. The knowledge of the theoretical notions as well as the use of the correct terminology when discussing linguistic phenomena will be objects of evaluation.
Students are required to study all the texts translated and discussed during the lessons too: these texts will be commented during the oral examination as well. The oral exam will be held in Italian and in German (only the parts relating to materials written in German).
The final mark (written examination marks plus oral examination mark) will be communicated to the student right after the oral exam.
Please remember that the enrolment to the round is compulsory both for the written and for the oral examinations.
A negative assessment will be given if that the student is unable to attain the minimum requirements of the course. Sufficient evaluation (18-23/30) is determined by the demonstration by the student to have learned the basic and minimum contents of the course. The mean scores (24-27/30) are assigned to the student who produces evidence of a level more than sufficient (24-25/30) or good (26-27/30) evaluation indicators listed above. Higher scores (from 28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded based on the demonstration of a level as very good to excellent evaluation indicators listed above.
Further information about the exams will be provided at the beginning of the course and will be uploaded on the e-learning platform.
Other information
Students must attend the language assistant’s lessons as well during which they will train reading, listening, writing and speaking. Non-attending students are requested to contact the teachers in due advance by e-mail or at office hours for counselling.
The slides used to support the lessons will be uploaded to the Elly platform, to which the students can access through the online enrolment. The slides and the materials uploaded to the webpage of the course on the e-learning platform are, unless otherwise stated, an integral part of the didactic material indicated in the bibliography and must be studied as well.
Non-attending students are requested to contact the teachers in due advance by e-mail or at office hours for counselling. Attendance and active participation are highly recommended. In case it is not possible, non-attending students will study independently, using the materials and the recourses uploaded on the Elly platform too. The teacher is available for any questions which might arise via e-mail or via Microsoft Teams for counselling. Non-attending students are recommended to check the course webpage on Elly for materials and information regularly.
Non-attending students will take the final exams according to the same manners laid down for attending students.
