B2453 - LINGUA E CULTURA DEI PAESI DI LINGUA INGLESE (PRIMA LINGUA) I (CL2)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students will have a comprehension of the fundamental elements of English language and culture and will be able to understand and produce written and oral texts of average complexity, expressing themselves relatively fluently and spontaneously. At the end of the first year, the students will be at around the B2+/C1 level of the CEFR.

Course contents

The module will focus on the social, cultural and political aspects of multiethnic society in Great Britain. Students will be guided in the development and knowledge of contemporary English language and culture through an intensive and extensive reading programme on the subject, as well as through similar activities involving aural texts (videos, radio broadcasts etc.).

In particular, the students will examine the following topics:

• the history and socio-culturalbackground of multiethnic Britain;
• racism and the discrimination of diversity;
• policies which promote a tolerant and diverse society;
• post-colonialism and heritage;
• the Black Lives Matter movement.

The module will include specific language practice (lettorato) attendance of which is compulsory.

Readings/Bibliography

Required reading

1. Class reader.Work in class will centre on a number of brief texts regarding aspects of multiethnic society in Great Britain from the 1960s until the present.
2. Further reading for discussion in the exam.

The reading material will be made available to students at the start of the course.

Teaching methods

Lectures, group and pair work, autonomous learning procedures, individual research and presentations to the class.

Assessment methods

The ability of the student to understand and produce oral texts in English will be assessed by means of an oral exam consisting of (a) power-point presentation of an individual piece of research carried out on a topic to be agreed upon; (b) a discussion of the texts discussed in class; (c) a discussion of the secondary readings.

Students who demonstrate an excellent comprehension of the written and oral texts proposed, an excellent capacity to present the topics discussed and in class and an excellent ability to carry out autonomous research in the area will obtain a mark of 28-30.

Students who demonstrate a good comprehension of the written and oral texts proposed, a good capacity to present the topics discussed and in class and a good ability to carry out autonomous research in the area will obtain a mark of 23-27.

Students who demonstrate an adequate comprehension of the written and oral texts proposed, an adequate capacity to present the topics discussed and in class and an adequate ability to carry out autonomous research in the area will obtain a mark of 18-22.

Students who are unable to demonstrate an adequate understanding of the written and oral texts proposed and whose capacity to present the topics discussed and in class and carry out autonomous research written and oral production is inadequate or with major grammatical, lexical or phonological errors will get a ‘fail’ mark.

Teaching tools

PC, e-learning (using VIRTUALE).

Office hours

See the website of John Patrick Leech