66692 - Specific Languages 2 - English (LM)

Learning outcomes

Course contents

Language and power

The course is aimed at raising awareness about the relation between language and institutions, analysing the language of institutional and media discourses and how language creates media styles and genres, including political discourse.

More specifically, focus is placed on the topic of Language / Power, and the ways that language intersects and connects with the social and political  reflections of power. We address the ways that powerful groups influence how language is used and how such groups manage to control access to language. An important theme is how various linguistic strategies are used to resist the pressure of discursive power and challenge it.

At the same time, all course activities take place in English and are thus intended to improve students' proficiency in the language itself, in the same way as the language practice classes associated with the lectures.

Course content

The module aims to consolidate and enhance students' language skills, particularly as regards speaking, as well as encouraging a critical reading of specific texts.

The module will provide an introduction to the relationship between language and institutions, with an analysis of the language of institutional and media discourse and examining its contribution to the creation of media styles and genres, including political discourse. Focus will be both on written and spoken language.

More specifically, the first module will deal with topics such as racist discourses, social actor analysis, political discourse, and the discourses of the new capitalism. The module will also address Social Skills Training, particularly as regards negotiating, assertiveness and persuasion.

Authentic texts will be used as examples.

The overall aim of the module is to develop students' ability to recognise the ways in which power is disseminated in institutional, media or political discourse.

Module 2

The 2nd module starts from a brief recap of the concept of ‘persuasion' in communication (everyday vs. strategic) to introduce political discourse in a genre perspective. As a primary tool of analysis, the notion of conceptual metaphor will be presented, in such as related to persuasion (everyday and strategic communication). Particular attention will be paid to how crucial conceptual metaphor is for conveying emotion, as well as for constructing narratives in long-term discoursal strategies.

After this theoretical introduction, the course will offer an overview of relevant genres of political rhetoric and concentrate on the critical analysis of a chosen set of texts.  This may also allow the students to think on their own positioning as political readers/listeners/actors within a given context. Particular attention will be paid to the language of leaders (i.e. contemporary American vs. British presidential speeches), focusing on genre features, rhetorical style, argumentative structure, evaluation, conceptual frames and dominant metaphors.

Language classes

Through the language classes, students will be able to put into practice analyses of discursive and communicative strategies/modalities in modern and contemporary discourse. They will be able to understand and produce various typologies of specific and specialist languages such as those of tourism, the media and institutions.

The classes aim to consolidate and expand students' language skills, with particular emphasis placed on oral and writing skills. They also aim to broaden critical reading skills of texts from the sectors.

The language classes will train students in argumentative and expository academic writing, involve class discussion on notions presented in written work. For exam preparation, emphasis will be placed on writing extended essays and 500-word academic essays in English.

Study material will be available online and at the copy shops Master Copy and Ecrire in via Cartoleria.

Readings/Bibliography

Module 1

Attending students will be told about material at the beginning of the course.

For non-attenders:

Simpson P. & Mayr A. (2010) Language and Power. A Resource book for students,  London: Routledge.   (reserved as a textbook in the Department library, via Cartoleria 5)

Module 2

Attending students will be told about material at the beginning of the course.

For non-attenders:

A selection of the following, also available at the copyshop (copisteria Broccaindosso):

 

• Lakoff, R. T. 1990. “Projecting an Image: Ronald Reagan and George Bush”. In Talking Power. The politics of Language. Harper Collins Publishers. Pp. 257-283
• Johnson, M. and Lakoff, G. 1980. Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapters 1-7 (pages 1-34)
• Lakoff, G. 1992. “The contemporary theory of metaphor” in Ortony, A. (ed). Metaphor and Thought (2nd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 202-233
• Lakoff, G. 2001. “Metaphors of Terror”, in Lakoff (2005). Don't think of an elephant! : know your values and frame the debate : the essential guide for progressives . Pp. 52-68.

Additional reading (optional)

 

Federica Ferrari (2013). Non solo metafore. (De)costruzione della strategia persuasiva di G. W. Bush Jr. Padova: Libreriauniversitaria.it Edizioni.

Language classes

Material is available online and at the copyshops Master Copy and Ecrire in via Cartoleria.

Teaching methods

Lectures will alternate with activities involving reading, listening and watching materials in English, combined with guided analysis and discussion of the texts as well  as individual and group presentations. Active participation from the students in the discussions and the other activities is an essential part of the learning process and exam preparation.

Assessment methods

Module 1:

Attenders:

Written exam concerning course contents and oral presentation of a relevant academic article.

Non-attenders:

Written and oral exam based on the textbook Simpson P. & Mayr A. (2010) Language and Power. A Resource book for students,  London: Routledge.   

Module 2

For attenders, the material will be introduced by the lecturer at the start of the course.

For non-attenders:

A selection  of the following texts, also available at the Broccaindosso copy shop:

 

• Lakoff, R. T. 1990. “Projecting an Image: Ronald Reagan and George Bush”. In Talking Power. The politics of Language. Harper Collins Publishers. Pp. 257-283
• Johnson, M. and Lakoff, G. 1980. Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapters 1-7 (pages 1-34)
• Lakoff, G. 1992. “The contemporary theory of metaphor” in Ortony, A. (ed). Metaphor and Thought (2nd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 202-233
• Lakoff, G. 2001. “Metaphors of Terror”, in Lakoff (2005). Don't think of an elephant! : know your values and frame the debate : the essential guide for progressives . Pp. 52-68.

 

Further reading (optional)

 

Federica Ferrari (2013). Non solo metafore. (De)costruzione della strategia persuasiva di G. W. Bush Jr. Padova: Libreriauniversitaria.it Edizioni.

English for specific purposes 2– language class: 25% of the overall course mark

All students taking this course (attenders and non attenders) will have a written language exam. This involves writing  an essay of about 500 words on a topic connected with the course contents. Students will have 1.5 hours to write the essay. The exam takes place once per session and must be passed before the final mark can be registered online.

The essay will be corrected according to the standards required for  level C2 of the Common European Framework and will apply graded marking schemes concerning: the appropriacy of arguments used; presentation (layout as well as spelling and punctuation); structure /organization (application  of academic conventions, also with regard to cohesion/coherence), and lexico-grammatical and discursive accuracy with respect to standard academic English. 

Nb : the final mark for Linguaggi Specifici 2 - Lingua Inglese requires passing Module 1, Module 2 and the language practice exam. 

The mark for Module 1 and Module 2 makes up 75% of the overall course mark.

Teaching tools

Authentic texts in English, Internet, Powerpoint

Office hours

See the website of Jane Helen Johnson

See the website of Federica Ferrari