78667 - English for Specific Purposes 1 (LM)

Learning outcomes

The global aim of this course - which includes lectures and language classes - is to improve students’ communicative skills and provide them with a sophisticated knowledge of selected aspects of the English language and culture also in order to allow them to compete for jobs in the international sector. More particularly, lectures will enable students to think critically about specific varieties of English in connection with their context of production and of reception. This aim will be achieved by providing students with theoretical knowledge taken from linguistics and sociolinguistics, as well as through close readings of authentic texts. This course focuses on the language of tourism as a specific variety of English. Language classes aim at improving students’ linguistic competence; over the two-year period students’ knowledge of English should reach level C2 according to the European framework in all four abilities. These classes will work in connection with the lectures to improve students’ writing skills in particular.

Course contents

LEZIONI FRONTALI

This course explores the lexical, semantic pragmatic and discursive characteristics of the language of tourism, which here is seen as a multimodal language that uses both words and images. Firstly it considers the thorny issue of the language of tourism as specialized language. It is precisely this issue that will show the impossibility to see the language of tourism as a single entity. There is not one language of tourism but several of these whose characteristics are connected  and change according to their historical, political, social and economic context. From the grand tour described in travel and epistolary writings by famous writers, to the developments of mass tourism and commercial guide books and to the recent fragmentation of the tourist market and the development of alternative forms of tourism that has been possible by digital communication.

Part of this course focuses on texts that will be read closely in order to analyse the socio-linguistic strategies they employ. This analysis provides the starting point for some practical activities that include the writing of tourist texts in English and the translation of tourist texts from Italian into English.

Language Classes

Through the language classes, students will be able to put into practice analyses of discursive and communicative strategies/modalities in modern and contemporary discourse. They will be able to understand and produce various typologies of specific and specialist languages such as those of tourism, the media and institutions.

The classes aim, on the one hand, to consolidate and expand students' language skills, with particular emphasis placed on oral and writing skills. On the other, they aim to broaden critical reading skills of texts from the sectors.

The language classes will train students in argumentative and expository academic writing, involve class discussion on notions presented in written work. For exam preparation, emphasis will be placed on writing extended essays and academic essays in English.

 

Readings/Bibliography

This is not a complete bibliography and only contains main textbooks. Additional material in the form of articles and book chapters will be uploaded during the course in IOL and a hard copy will be left in reserve in the Departmental library

Graham M.S. Dann The Language of Tourism. A Sociolinguistic Perspective, (CAB International 2001); chapters 2, 3, 4 e 7 [main textbook]

Gunther Kress; Theo van Leeuwen Reading Images. The Grammar of Visual Design (Routledge 1996) [main textbook] 

Sabrina Francesconi Reading Tourism Texts. A Multimodal Analysis (Channel View Publications, 2014); chapter 1

 

These books are in the Departmental library.

 

LANGUAGE CLASSES

 

Material for the course will is uploaded in IOL as file pubblico

 

Teaching methods

Lectures, esercitationi, tutorials

Assessment methods

LECTURES The exam consists in one of the following:

OPTION 1. Dissertation + oral exam or dissertation and a twenty minute  presentation in class. The topic of the presentation/dissertation has to be agreed with the teacher

OPTION 2. A translation from IT into EN + Presentation and participation to at least one workshop during the Winter School “Translation as Metaphor" (9-11 December)

OPTION 3. project + an oral exam or participation to at least one workshop during the Winter School “Translation as Metaphor" (9-11 December). This consists of a short brochure in English (not longer than 3000 words). The content must be original that is to say it has to focus on a place or cultural event that has never been covered in English. Alternatively  students can write an original English translation of a brochure. The final evaluation will consider  students' ability to produce or translate a tourist text in a correct, fluent and idiomatic English.

OPTION 4. Project- LBC Bologna

 

More information on the essay.The essay is a 2500 word dissertation. Students should discuss the topic with the teacher before starting working on it. Generally this has to focus on a tourist phenomenon/text. The evalutation of the dissertation will take into consideration: grammar , syntax and lexis; students' ability to organize arguments and information in a clear way; use of specialized and academic language;  appropriate use of critical material covered in class. This dissertation can be the product of a collective work (3 students max), in this case the length must not exceed 5000 words. This dissertation should be sent in attachment to me on dates that will be notified on the almaesami page normally seven days before the oral examination or registration of the mark. The dissertation must be in doc or docx format.

More detailed information on each option is available on the PPT Presentation of the course in IOL

More information on the presentation. These can found in IOL along with a facsimile of presentation

 

 

LANGUAGE CLASSES (WRITTEN EXAM) Prof. James

For all students, those who attend and do not attend the language classes, the written exam will consist of a 500-word essay on a theme connected to topics dealt with during the course. The written exam lasts 90 minutes and is held once per exam session. Students have to pass the exam before being able to register their overall final mark on almaesami. The essay will be assessed at the C2 level of the Common European Framework from various aspects: appropriateness of argumentation relating to the topic; presentation (layout, spelling, punctuation); structure/organization (application of academic writing criteria, cohesion/coherence), and lexicogrammatical and discursive accuracy of the standard academic English required.

Teaching tools

Dynamic presentations in Prezi and Power Point Presentations will be used to show and explain in a clear and accessible way complex theories from linguistics and socio-linguistics that will be applied to the analysis of tourist discourse.

Office hours

See the website of Monica Turci