12471 - German Language and Linguistics

Course contents

This course deals with theoretical and practical issues concerning analysis, reception and production of German texts for special purposes (law, economy and technology). It shall focus on texts such as contributions and articles in books and reviews, laws and legal codes, parts of handbooks and on relevant Internet communication. Following topics shall be treated:

• Lexical aspects of language for special purposes (LSP) with the aid of corpora and terminology data bases;
• Classes and types of German and Italian texts in comparison;
• Typical forms of oral and multimedial LSP communication

Readings/Bibliography

Working texts

Written, oral and audiovisual documents will be provided or produced on the Moodle site.

Bibliography

For individual work and consultation:

• U. Engel, Deutsche Grammatik. Heidelberg, Julius Groos, 1988.
• H. Weinrich, Textgrammatik der deutschen Sprache. Mannheim - Leipzig - Wien - Zürich, Dudenverlag, 1993.
• G. Drosdowski et al., DUDEN. Stilwörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. Mannheim - Leipzig - Wien - Zürich, Dudenverlag, 1988.
• Eisenberg, Peter, Grundriß der deutschen Grammatik (2 Bde.). Bd. 2, Der Satz. Stuttgart-Weimar, Metzler, 1999.
• Schlobinsky, Peter (Hg.), Syntax des gesprochenen Deutsch. Opladen, Westdeutscher Verlag, 1997.
• Schwitalla, Johannes, Gesprochenes Deutsch: Eine Einführung. Berlin, Erich Schmidt Verlag, 20032
• Zifonun, Gisela, Ludeger Hoffmann und Bruno Strecker, Grammatik der deutschen Sprache. Schriften des Instituts für deutsche Sprache, 3 Bde., Berlin-New York, de Gruyter, 1997.
• Susanne Göpferich, Textproduktion im Zeitalter der Globalisierung. Tübingen, Stauffenburg 2002.
• C. Di Meola, La linguistica tedesca. Roma, Bulzoni, 2007.

Teaching methods

Different kinds of texts - written, oral and multimedia - are analyzed in the classroom with the help of specific descriptive and interpretive categories. Each text is screened to work out its relevance for interpreter's and translator's skills. Individual tasks are assigned each week. Tasks are then examined and corrected collectively.

This course will be supported by special language training sessions.

Assessment methods

Assessment will take place both in progress and at the end of the course.

Assessment in progress

• Written tasks shall be assigned at regular intervals with individual assessment.

Final assessment

At the end of the course a written and an oral examination will take place.

• The written examination consists of the analysis of a LSP text and specific questions. Time allowed: 2 hours.
• The oral examination focuses on
• comprehension, reproduction and summarizing of authentic oral documents;
• discussion of a number of previously recorded and assigned LSP documents in order to assess comprehension and explanations of critical passages.

Teaching tools

Video projector, notebook with Internet connection, special software tools for text analysis, terminology data bases, video streaming of TV broadcastings. Additional software and tools shall be indicated. This course shall be managed within the Moodle content management system of the Faculty. Students are expected to enrol.

Office hours

See the website of Marcello Soffritti