69275 - English Language and Culture I (First Language) (CL3)

Academic Year 2020/2021

  • Docente: Delia Carmela Chiaro
  • Credits: 5
  • Language: English
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Intercultural and Linguistic Mediation (cod. 8059)

Learning outcomes

Students will be au fait with the fundementals of English language and culture -- they will be able to produce written texts and oral discourse with relative ease and spontaneity

Course contents

Each student will attend 2 lectures a week with me and 1 laboratory lesson each week a collaboratore linguistico.

One lesson will consist of an introduction to English Language and linguistics which will explore English use, grammar and style and varieties of English in the world and across a range of written and audiovisual texts. In particular, we will explore the concept of English and "post-multilingualism" i.e. the shift that is currently taking place in which English is changing from being a static "lingua franca" but more of a flexible phenomenon especially on-line in social media. We will also examine the concept of “translanguaging”. Furthermore, up-to-date newspaper cartoons, internet memes and jokes will be used to illustrate a wide range of linguistic concepts.

A second lesson each week will explore cultural dimensions in the UK with particular emphasis on the concept of "The English" and "Englishness". What are the values of the "English"? Why do they behave as they do?

Students will also attend a weekly laboratory class "lettorato" (this is mandatory) taught by Jennifer Monroe in which, among other things, they will learn how to write formal emails correctly in English.

 

Semester 2
An introduction to Dialogue Interpreting Interpreting (see Federica Ceccoli's web page).

Readings/Bibliography

A reading list will be provided at the start of the course.

Teaching methods

Apart from traditional lectures and seminars, students will be required to partcipate actively in class discussions and debates as well as prepare 3 presentations (in groups).

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed by a written exam plus an oral exam that in January 2021. These two exams will constitute 50% of the final mark. At the end of the second semester, after having followed the second course module, in summer 2021, students will be examined on their skills in Liaison Interpreting. The mark obtained from this second exam will count for the remaining 50% of the final mark.

Teaching tools

Reading materials, video-clips, podcasts, electronic tools.

Office hours

See the website of Delia Carmela Chiaro