90108 - Writing and Argumentation Laboratory (1) (A-E)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the workshop is to strengthen the writing skills of students, working on the logical construction of arguments and reasoning, on the consolidation of syntactic and semantic skills, and on the simplification and effectiveness of written Italian. At the end of the course students will be able to shape clear and well-argued written texts, and to make stylistic choices appropriate to the communicative situation.

Course contents

The course is exclusively addressed to students belonging to the given group and it will focus on the following topics:

• The text and the different textual types
  
• Preliminary aspects: identifying the goal, the target and the context
  
• The notion of adequacy
  
• The writing process: planning, composition, review
  Techniques for the writing process optimization: set lists, mind maps, stream of writing, checklists
  
• The relevance of the review phase and the different review levels
  
• Linguistic correctness: lexical, syntactic and textual aspects
  
• Communicative effectiveness: lexical, syntactic and textual choices
  
• The standard use of punctuation
  
• Paragraphing and the different types of paragraphs
  
• Argumentative texts: formal and structural features
  
• The argumentative process and its varieties
  
• The argumentative text: from comprehension strategies to production
  
• The argumentative methods and the logical construction
  
• Items for the academic writing: quotes and bibliography
  

People with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities are invited to get in touch with the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD and me, to identify together the most effective strategies in taking classes and/or preparing for the exam.

Readings/Bibliography

• Dario Corno, Scrivere e comunicare. La scrittura in lingua italiana in teoria e in pratica, Milano, Pearson Education, 2019 (Unità 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25).
  
• Paola Italia, Scrivere all’università. Manuale pratico con esercizi e antologia di testi, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2014 (Capitoli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
  
• Edoardo A. D'Elia, Parlare. Strumenti e tecniche del discorso, Milano, Hoepli, 2020 (Prima parte, Principi e tecniche, tutta; seconda parte, Applicazioni, solo "Parlare all'università").

For non-attending students, the study of the following additional text is recommended:

• Luisa Carrada, Lavoro dunque scrivo. Creare testi che funzionano per carta e web, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2012.

Teaching methods

Given the theoretic and practical nature of the course, attendance is highly recommended. During the laboratory, in fact, frontal lessons – still characterized by a strong interactive component – will alternate to writing, rewriting activities, analysis and collective discussion of texts.

Assessment methods

The exam will consist of a written test of two hours and it will include four open questions based on the key topics of the course, whose assessment will be based on the correctness, relevance and exhaustiveness of the answer, and of the production of a short argumentative essay, which will be assessed on the basis of linguistic correctness, argumentative strength and communicative efficacy.

During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: November, January, March, May, July amd September. Each exam will be open to all students.

People with disabilities or specific learning disorders are entitled to special adaptations in relation to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. To request them, it is therefore necessary to get in touch with the Service and make an appointment. It will then be the responsibility of the Service itself to propose the appropriate adaptations, which will in any case be submitted, 15 days in advance, for my approval, so that I can assess their appropriateness also in relation to the educational objectives of the teaching.

Teaching tools

Text editors (Word) and presentation software (PowerPoint).

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Laurino