67998 - Italian Language and Literature

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - knows the methodological foundations of the study applied to literature; - possess the use of the main technical tools (philological, linguistic, critical) useful for the evaluation of a literary text; - will know how to approach the literary document, understand its messages, relate them to the historical and linguistic context in which it was produced, in an interdisciplinary perspective; - will be able to propose a personal hypothesis on the teaching of literary material, to clearly communicate information and ideas to non-specialist interlocutors, such as the recipients of the teaching, pupils aged 3 to 10.

Course contents

The course is divided into a general and a thematic part. In the general one, the main authors of the Italian literary tradition will be addressed, highlighting the points of interest of the poetics of each author in relation to the essential texts of their production.

The thematic part this year will focus on the fantastic and adventurous code. Literature is a great repository of imaginations, and it is perhaps true that, reading as adults, we go in search of those palpitations that books gave us when we were children. The same readings of the Italian "canon", often faced only for study needs and therefore immediately removed, would become more familiar if we recognized their fantastic and / or adventurous component. Couldn't we compare the furious Orlando to a great fantasy novel? And don't the Promessi Sposi also present the compelling dynamics of the appendix novels? Not to mention the work that is the basis of our literature, namely Dante's Comedy: isn't it an imaginative dream that catapults the protagonist into the three realms of the afterlife? And doesn't the infernal song contain all the scary elements typical of horror? In short, if we got used to considering pleasure as an element of evaluation for each of our reading, we would be able to get close (or get closer) to texts that we have voluntarily removed from our horizon as readers. After all, there is no author who does not write to be read...

During the course we will therefore try to read the works of our tradition through the filter of the fantastic and the adventurous, at the same time offering some information on the main Italian authors who, in the twentieth century, ventured into a narrative of fantastic inspiration. Finally, we will try to reflect all together on the path taken to try to draw up a possible selection of fantastic readings suited to the abilities of girls and boys.

By highlighting the essential elements of the fantastic / adventurous code, we can perhaps find the child in us, and, by finding him, we can help children to become passionate about reading.

 

Readings/Bibliography

The aim of the course is to enable students to critically review school knowledge, reflecting on the concept of canon and on the relationship between language and literature (exploring the forms through the literary text recreates the meanings of human experience), and to form basic skills useful for analysing a literary text (recognizing its otherness and distance).

Attending program

Volumes scheduled for the general part:

G. M. Anselmi, L. Chines (ed.), Leggere i classici italiani. Un'antologia, Bologna, Pàtron, 2019 (only the chapters on Dante, Boccaccio, Ariosto, Tasso, Manzoni, Leopardi, Svevo, Pirandello)

The authors present in the anthology must be studied in depth through an Italian literature manual. We recommend:

N. Bonazzi, A. Campana, F. Giunta, N. Maldina, Itinerari nella letteratura italiana. Da Dante al web, Rome, Carocci, 2013 (and subsequent editions) Lecture notes made available with illustrative cards and power points on the virtual platform.unibo.it

On the linguistic registers and the differences between written and oral Italian:

E. Lombardi Vallauri, Parlare l'Italiano, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999 and subsequent editions (only the chapters Problemi di stile: pp. 93-113; Gradi di formalità. Sapersi cambiare d'abito: pp. 117-152; Problemi del mezzo scritto e parlato: pp. 191-229)

For the thematic part it will be necessary to prepare:

R. Ceserani, Il fantastico, Bologna, il Mulino (chapters II-V, from p. 49 to p. 146)

Finally, it will also be read in its entirety

G. Rodari, C'era due volte il barone Lamberto, Einaudi

and one of the following texts (with the relative introductory part. Where not present, the relative materials will be made available on the virtual platform.unibo.it)

D. Buzzati, I sette messaggeri, Mondadori,

G. Morselli, Dissipatio H. G., Adelphi

L. Capuana, Novelle dal mondo occulto (even just from p.161 to p. 288, that is from section Revenants to section Coincidenze included), Pendragon

L. Pirandello, Racconti fantastici (even just from p.135 to p. 244, that is from section Animali to section Congedi included)  Einaudi

A. Savinio, Tutta la vita, Adelphi

T. Landolfi, La pietra di luna, Adelphi

A.M. Ortese, L'Iguana, Adelphi

M. Bontempelli, Gente nel tempo, Utopia editore

Program for non-attending students

The program for non-attending students is the same.

In addition, the following volume will be to read:

D. Canfora, Invito alla letteratura, il Mulino

Program for 3 credits

For those who need to earn 3 credits as they come from other Faculties or Degree Programs where they have already taken the Italian Literature exam, the volume to be prepared is:

E. Lombardi Vallauri, Parlare l'italiano. Come usare meglio la nostra lingua, Il Mulino, 1999 (2017)

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons.

The lessons are not conceived as a mere explanation of the volumes in the program, nor as an exposition of teaching methodologies applied to literature, but as examples of reflection on the texts (based on the knowledge and examples of analysis outlined in the volumes in the program) and of co-construction of interpretative hypotheses based on the fine observation of the literary text.

The goal is not to train literary critics, but critical and aware readers, capable of stimulating, as future teachers, the pleasure of reading.

Assessment methods

The test is oral

Criteria used for the assignment of the vote

The marks, expressed out of thirty, will consider the clarity of the oral presentation as well as the quality of the study and the reasoning skills behind the arguments provided: alongside the evaluation of the quantity / quality of the information offered, the ability to explain will also be evaluated deepening, motivating, connecting knowledge spanning the different books.

Rejected: lack of answers, wrong or insufficient answers, overall superficiality

18-19: basic knowledge, sometimes a little confused

20-22: diffuse knowledge not in-depth

23-24: fair overall knowledge and / or discrepancy in the quality of the answers

25-26: good overall knowledge with some imperfections (lack of data, inaccuracies ...)

27-28: uniform panorama of well-assimilated knowledge

29-30: breadth and precision of the knowledge offered, ability to re-elaborate

30 cum laude: completeness, ability to re-elaborate, original observations.

It will be possible to take the exam only after the conclusion of the lessons to take the exam it is necessary to register through Almaesami, in compliance with the established deadlines. Anyone unable to do so due to technical problems is requested to report the problem immediately to the didactic secretariat. The teacher reserves the right (not) to admit non-listed students to the test.

Important notice for those who have obtained the OFA debt.

The OFA Italian support laboratory is integrated with the teaching of Italian literature and language. The examination of this discipline can be carried out only after successfully passing the OFA verification test, which certifies the achievement of specific skills in Italian. Those who decide to attend the workshops must:

- enrol in the workshop on Almaesami starting from December 2021;

- go to the first lesson by declaring to the teacher their intention to attend;

- guarantee a frequency of at least 70% of the laboratory hours.

Participation in the OFA support workshops is highly recommended to all those who have received one or two debts. The first useful appeals for passing the OFA will be held immediately after the end of the support laboratory.

 

Teaching tools

Bibliography materials and lessons acetate will be available on the platform Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it)

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Bonazzi

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Bonazzi