29088 - Language and Translation - French Language (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students perfect their knowledge of written and oral French through translation exercises and literary dissertations, with particular reference to idiomatic expressions, proverbs, the argot, spelling reform and the general issue of francophony.

Course contents

The 30-hour course will be developed around two themes particularly relevant to the study of French culture

- the concept of linguistic imaginary, which will be studied from an individual point of view (through the instrument of linguistic autobiography) and a collective point of view, with particular attention to the theme of the representation of languages in the literary text. We will focus on some important moments in the history of the French language, on its diatopic dimension (Francophonie) and on the notion of linguistic variation. The reading of literary pages staging one or more variations, and the corresponding translation, will underline the cultural centrality of language in French and Francophone culture.

- notions of translation theory and practice. Starting from some shared readings, an attempt will be made to integrate the notion of linguistic imaginary within translation studies.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliografia critica di riferimento (che verrà integrata durante il corso).

Sulle variazioni linguistiche e sulla storia della lingua francese:

Françoise Gadet, La variation sociale en Français, Ophrys, 2007

Marina Yaguello, Le grand livre de la langue française,

Marie-Anne Paveau, Laurence Rosier, La langue française. Passions et polémiques, Paris, Vuibert, 2008.

Anne Marie Houdebine, L'imaginaire Linguistique, L'Harmattan, 200J.

Picoche, Ch. Marchello-Nizia, Histoire de la langue française, Paris, Nathan, dernière édition.

Michèle Perret, Introduction à l'histoire de la langue française, Paris, Colin, 2020.

A. Rey, F. Duval, G. Siouffi, Mille ans de langue française, histoire d'une passion, Paris, Perrin, 2007. (vol. 1 et 2)

sulla traduzione:

I. Oseki-Dépré, Théories et pratiques de la traduction littéraire, Paris, Colin, 1999.

J. Munday, Manuale di studi sulla traduzione, Bologna, BUP, 2012.

M. Guidère, Introduction à la traductologie, Paris, De Boeck, 2010

D. Risterucci-Roudnicky, Introduction à l'analyse des oeuvres traduites, Paris, Colin, 2008

A questi testi verranno aggiunte le slides delle lezioni messe on line a fine lezioni

Teaching methods

Attendance and participation are highly encouraged. Some initial lectures will be followed by class discussion. You are required to read the assigned readings in advance.

All students are required to enroll in the course on the e-learning page.

Assessment methods

Methods of testing course learning (30 points):

The examination is divided into two parts:

in the first part (15 points), the student will be able to:

- produce a "term paper" in French analysing a literary text (chosen together with the lecturer) in which a particular linguistic imagery is staged, and also reflecting on a possible (or already existing) translation. The paper must be handed in at least one week before the oral test;


- study the text: H. Walter, Le français dans tous les sens, Paris, Laffont, latest edition, and present it during the oral test;


the second part (15 points) consists of an oral interview in French on the paper itself or on Walter's text, and on the topics discussed in class.


The thesis and oral interview are intended to assess the critical and methodological skills acquired by the student, who must demonstrate that he/she is able to move within the programme by grasping the relationships between the themes addressed.


The student must also demonstrate mastery of expression in French, both in writing and orally.


In addition to the thesis (to be agreed with the lecturer), non-attending students must pass an oral examination on the text :


Marie-Anne Paveau, Laurence Rosier, La langue française. Passions et polémiques, Paris, Vuibert, 2008.


which will be assessed according to the criteria indicated above.

Teaching tools

The analysis tools presented range from discourse analysis to representation analysis. The approach used is interdisciplinary, in particular concepts developed by sociology and cultural anthropology will be analysed.

Office hours

See the website of Licia Reggiani