69649 - Linguistics for Interpreters

Learning outcomes

Students - know the main aspects (terminology, concepts and methods) of discourse analysis and speech - will be able to process and use additional metadiscoursive knowledge and skills at a higher level.

Course contents

The course, with a theoretical-practical orientation, aims to explore the features of speaking and to observe the impact that some discursive strategies have on the transmission of messages. Particular attention will be devoted to the typical structures of oral discourse (syntax, cohesive mechanisms, organization of information in the text), to mechanisms of modulation (role of prosody, illocutionary force modifiers), and to the inferential processes that enable the understanding of the implicit.

A solid theoretical linguistic preparation will serve as a basis for practical activities aimed at improving the expressive skills of oral production in Italian L1 and at enhancing cognitive and metalinguistic flexibility in the management of oral speech information flows, essential skills for future interpreters working in institutional contexts.

Through guided observation of some uses of contemporary Italian in public speeches, the course of linguistics for interpreters also aims to improve communication skills in Italian L1.

Readings/Bibliography

For a smooth progression of the topics, it is recommended to read the essays in the order they are listed in the bibliography.
The material (slides and others) used in class is an integral part of the curriculum and is available on the IOL-Insegnamenti OnLine platform.

Readings*

Bazzanella, C. (2011), Linguistica e pragmatica del linguaggio, Roma-Bari: Editori Laterza [cap. 1: Lingua, lingue e linguaggi, pp. 5-25]
Bazzanella, C. (1994), Le facce del parlare. Un approccio pragmatico all’italiano parlato, Firenze: La Nuova Italia [cap. 1-Parlare e Scrivere, pp. 7-34]
Garzone, G., Viezzi, M. (2001), Comunicazione specialistica e interpretazione di conferenza, Trieste, Edizioni Università di Trieste [solo par. 2.7, pp. 81-90 – Aspetti retorici e pragmatici; e par. 3.5, pp. 106-111, Modulazione e hedging nella prospettiva dell’interpretazione].
Prandi, M. (2004), “Riformulazione e condivisione”, RILA 1/04 [pp. 35-48].
Turrini, C. (2004), “Metafora e dintorni: l’interpretazione simultanea del linguaggio non letterale al Parlamento Europeo”, in Bersani Berselli, G., Mack, G., Zorzi, D., Linguistica e interpretazione, Bologna: CLUEB [pp. 125-143].
Voghera, M. (2017), Dal parlato alla grammatica. Costruzione e forma dei testi spontanei, Carocci editore [solo cap. 3, da pp. 61 a pp. 94].
Lala, L. (2014), “Le relazioni di (ri)elaborazione. La riformulazione”, in De Santis et al., Le relazioni logico-sintattiche. Teoria Sincronia Diacronia, Roma: Aracne [pp. 73-98].

*The bibliography may vary. The final version will be discussed with students at the beginning of the course.

Suggested integrative readings
For information purpose only, we suggest some integrative readings if you wish to deepen some of these topics.

Novelli, S. (2014), Si dice? Non si dice? Dipende. L’italiano giusto per ogni situazione, Ed. Laterza.
Orletti, F. (2014), La conversazione diseguale. Potere e interazione, Roma: Carocci Editore.
Manzotti, E. (1999), “Spiegazione, riformulazione, correzione, alternativa. Sulla semantica di alcuni tipi e segnali di parafrasi”, in Mortara Garavelli, B., Lumbelli, L., Parafrasi. Dalla ricerca linguistica alla ricerca psicolinguistica, Alessandria: Edizioni dell’Orso [pp. 169-206]
Lombardi Vallauri, E., Masia, V. (2016), “Specificità della lingua persuasiva”: l’implicito discutibile”, in Ruffino, G., Castiglione, M., La lingua variabile nei testi letterari, artistici e funzionali contemporanei, Firenze: Franco Cesati Editore (pp. 637-652).

Teaching methods

Face-to-face lectures, individual and group work.

The practical activities will mainly focus on reformulations, summaries, intralinguistic translations etc. of authentic, unplanned oral texts or oralised writings.

Students will be invited to carry out practical activities individually or in small groups and to share self- and hetero-evaluation initiatives.

Assessment methods

The oral exam consists in
(i) a discussion of the main concepts
(ii) a text analysis activity, followed by a synthesis and reformulation activity in Italian.

Description of the examination

(a) Practical activity on the text:
(i) Reading and analysis of a short text on your own (about 30 lines, in about ten minutes);
(ii) brief oral presentation of the content of the text;
(iii) analysis of one or more linguistic phenomena typical of the oral, lexical, syntactical, pragmatic;
(iv) carrying out a practical activity similar to those carried out in the classroom (reformulation, synthesis, simplification, etc.);
b) Theoretical questions: discussion of two or three theory issues related to the bibliography in the program and the material used in the classroom (slide).

Assignment of the score:
a) practical activity on the text: max.15 points out of 30
b) Theoretical questions: max. 15 points out of 30.

Evaluation criteria
-completeness and correctness of the theoretical content acquired;
-capability of critical argumentation;
-appropriateness and relevance of terminology;
-expository clarity;
-ability to understand the text, synthesis and reformulation.

The teaching of 'Linguistics for Interpreters' is part of the integrated course of Methods, Technologies and Linguistics for Interpretation. The grade awarded will be the average obtained in the two modules.

Teaching tools

Slide and further material.
In addition to traditional classroom teaching, we will use an instance on the IOL Platform to share slides and course materials and to initiate discussion and comparison activities via forum.

Office hours

See the website of Cristiana Cervini