29886 - Geography of Languages (2nd cycle)

Course contents

The course aims at examining the relationship between space/place and language from different perspectives. At the beginning of the course, the students will familiarize with the field of cultural geography and its main themes, concepts, keywords. We will then look at the interconnections between culture, cultural geography and language geography; language as cultural phenomenon; toponyms and culture; and semiotics of space. These broad themes are analysed by grounding them in empirical case studies. Moreover, we observe how the relationship between geography and language expresses itself in different configurations of bodies and spaces: digital and media spaces, literary spaces, migratory fluxes, performance, cultural and intercultural spaces.

The course has two different programmes: a 45 hours one, worth 9 CFU, and a 30 hours one, worth 6 CFU.

Readings/Bibliography

IN THE PAGE OF THE COURSE ON https://virtuale.unibo.it YOU CAN FIND A FOLDER WITH THE ARTICLES.

 

6CFU and 9CFU STUDENTS ATTENDING CLASSES:

MATERIAL TO PREPARE for 6CFU (in addition to lecture notes):

Auer, P., & Schmidt, J. E. (Eds.). (2010). Language and space: An international handbook of linguistic variation. Walter de Gruyter. Read chapters: 1,2,3,4.

Howitt, R. (1993). Marginalisation in Theory and Practice. in Theory and Practice. Read pages 1-59.

MATERIAL TO PREPARE for 9CFU(in addition to lecture notes):

Auer, P., & Schmidt, J. E. (Eds.). (2010). Language and space: An international handbook of linguistic variation. Walter de Gruyter. Read chapters: 1,2,3,4.

Brasher, J. P., Alderman, D. H., & Inwood, J. F. (2017). Applying critical race and memory studies to university place naming controversies: Toward a responsible landscape policy. Papers in Applied Geography, 3(3-4), 292-307.

Howitt, R. (1993). Marginalisation in Theory and Practice. in Theory and Practice. Read pages 1-59.

Rose-Redwood, R., Alderman, D., & Azaryahu, M. (2010). Geographies of toponymic inscription: new directions in critical place-name studies. Progress in Human Geography, 34(4), 453-470.

Tamisari, F., & Bradley, J. J. (2003). To have and to give the law: Animal names, place and event.

 

9CFU STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING CLASSES:

Auer, P., & Schmidt, J. E. (Eds.). (2010). Language and space: An international handbook of linguistic variation. Walter de Gruyter. Prepare chapters: 1,2,3,4,10,21.

Articles:

1. Auer, P. (2013). The geography of language: Steps toward a new approach. FRAGL: Freiburger Arbeitspapiere zur Germanistischen Linguistik, 16, 1-39.

2. Jagessar, P. (2020). Geography and linguistics: Histories, entanglements and departures. Geography Compass.

3. Desforges, L., & Jones, R. (2001). Geographies of languages/Languages of geography. Social & Cultural Geography.

Choose two among:

4. Iannàccaro, G., & Dell'Aquila, V. (2001). Mapping languages from inside: notes on perceptual dialectology. Social & Cultural Geography

5. Segrott, J. (2001). Language, geography and identity: The case of the Welsh in London. Social & Cultural Geography, 2(3), 281-296.

6. Desforges, L., & Jones, R. (2001). Bilingualism and geographical knowledge: a case study of students at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Social & Cultural Geography, 2(3), 333-346.

7. Brasher, J. P., Alderman, D. H., & Inwood, J. F. (2017). Applying critical race and memory studies to university place naming controversies: Toward a responsible landscape policy. Papers in Applied Geography, 3(3-4), 292-307.

8. Rose-Redwood, R., Alderman, D., & Azaryahu, M. (2010). Geographies of toponymic inscription: new directions in critical place-name studies. Progress in Human Geography, 34(4), 453-470.

Choose one book among:

O'Reilly, C. (Ed.). (2001). Language, Ethnicity and the State, Volume 1: Minority Languages in the European Union. Springer.

Nettle, D., & Romaine, S. (2000). Vanishing voices: The extinction of the world's languages. Oxford University Press on Demand.

Madan, A. S. (2017). Lines of Geography in Latin American Narrative: National Territory, National Literature. Springer.

Beavers, H. (2018). Geography and the political imaginary in the novels of Toni Morrison. Springer.

 

6CFU STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING CLASSES:

Auer, P., & Schmidt, J. E. (Eds.). (2010). Language and space: An international handbook of linguistic variation. Walter de Gruyter. Prepare chapters: 1,2,3,4,10.

Articles:

1. Jagessar, P. (2020). Geography and linguistics: Histories, entanglements and departures. Geography Compass.

2. Desforges, L., & Jones, R. (2001). Geographies of languages/Languages of geography. Social & Cultural Geography.

Choose one book among:

O'Reilly, C. (Ed.). (2001). Language, Ethnicity and the State, Volume 1: Minority Languages in the European Union. Springer.

Nettle, D., & Romaine, S. (2000). Vanishing voices: The extinction of the world's languages. Oxford University Press on Demand.

Madan, A. S. (2017). Lines of Geography in Latin American Narrative: National Territory, National Literature. Springer.

Beavers, H. (2018). Geography and the political imaginary in the novels of Toni Morrison. Springer.

Teaching methods

The first half of the course will be online. During this first part of the course, students will be ask to complete (in class or in their own time) some short assignments, which will be sent to the lecturer by email. The second part of the course will be in class, using Powerpoint presentations. All didactic material will be available in the course page.

Lectures, especially in the second part of the course, will involve students more actively, using dialogue and seminar-style lectures, practical assignments, and other teaching methods inspired by cooperative learning and project-based learning. For 9 CFU students who will attend classes, part of the final grade comes from a longer assignment that will be developed in small groups, partly in class (for more information, see the section: ‘Assessment methods’).

Assessment methods

For 9 CFU attending students, the final grade is determined by a written exam (70% of the final grade), and an assignment on a topic related to space and language (30% of the final grade). The assignment can be partly done during the last 15 hours of the course individually or in small groups (up to 5 people), according to each student’s preference. The assignment can be a written essay (details will be given during the first lecture), or an in-class presentation to do in the last part of the course.

For 6 CFU attending students, the final grade is determined by a written exam (80% of the final grade), and an at-home assignment on a topic related to space and language (20% of the final grade). The assignment can be done individually or in small groups (up to 5 people), according to each student’s preference. The assignment will be a written essay (details will be given during the first lecture).

For 6 CFU and 9 CFU non-attending students, the final grade is determined by a written exam.

The written exam will be held in the Geography building. Exam registration has to be done using AlmaEsami.

The programme of the course establishes a distinction between attending and non-attending students.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Attending students will be graded on the specific programme introduced in the powerpoint of the course’s first lecture, and available in the course page.

Rationale of attending students’ assessment methods:

For students attending the classes the exam will aim at testing their comprehension of the geographical, social, linguistic and cultural phenomena described during the lessons both by the lecturer and the other students' presentations and discussed together. Participation to the discussion is a key element to evaluate the students, and with it personal reflection on the issues studied. Moreover, students will be evaluated on their communication skills and on the use of a correct terminology.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

Non-attending students will find a list of the materials to prepare for the written exam under the ‘Readings/Bibliography’ section, and in the course page.

Rationale of non- attending students’ assessment methods:

For students not attending the classes, the exam will aim at testing their comprehension of the geographical, social, linguistic and cultural phenomena studied, and during the exam they will be invited to propose a personal reflection on the issues studied. Moreover, they will be evaluated on their communication skills and on the use of correct terminology.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations and other course material used by the lecturer will be published on the website iol.unibo.it. This includes some of the articles mentioned in the Readings/Bibliography for non-attending students.

Office hours

See the website of Annaclaudia Martini