ANGLO-AMERICAN LANGUAGE 1

Module: Introduction to Anglo-American Language: Sentence Power and Language Thresholds

The course combines a module, taught by the Professor for a semester, and sessions of language practice, linked to the module and coordinated by the Professor, taught by Language Teaching Assistants (CEL). The format is aimed at enabling students to master a level of written and oral production equivalent to Level C1 of the CEFR. The language of instruction is English.

This semester the module is co-taught with Prof. Gregory Dowling, who will focus on “The English Verb System.” Prof. Dowling and I will alternate each teaching a cluster of 7 to 8 classes.

My part of the course has a double objective: a) introduce basic concepts in linguistics to promote the students’ awareness about their object of study and their self-fashioning as informed and independent language learners; b) encourage the production of a critical text. To this end, the module offers an in-depth knowledge of sentence variety in English with the aim of developing in particular listening, reading and interpretive skills. We will concentrate on the concept of “linguistic subjectivity,” and this core notion in linguistics and language theory will be inflected in terms of gender, with readings by major writers and thinkers of the Anglo-American tradition such as Emily Dickinson, Gloria Anzaldúa, Joan Didion, Susan Sontag. Together, these influential writers raise the question of belonging: “Who belongs to language?” Their vulnerability before language, therefore, will serve as a felicitous metaphor for the condition of the language learner/user who, somehow, finds himself/herself always before a threshold to cross (hence the module's subtitle). The readings will provide intellectual stimulation and a concrete opportunity for activities focused on the capacity to identify, appreciate, and imitate a variety of sentences. Students will be given mastery tests on:
sentence fragments
Run-ons
Misplaced words
Prounoun reference, agreement and point of view
Pronoun types
Parallelism


Students will be encouraged to keep a journal to monitor their progress as independent learners. They are also encouraged to create a portfolio which must include the study questions assigned at the end of each class but may also incluse a selection of the student's best work in the class. There will be a portfolio review at the end of the course.

There will be a written exam.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Know how to build sentences of varying complexity; read and understand complex academic texts, detect the tone and mood of different texts;
2. Know how to apply theoretical knowledge and comprehension skills; understand complex academic texts, talks and conference presentations on topics linked to the student curriculum. Exposure to metalinguistic knowledge in the course is meant to promote language acquisition for academic aims.
3. Know how interpret and summarize the argument of complex texts in English from an individual and thoughtful point of view.
4. Acquire communicative competences equivalent to Level B2+ of the Common European Framework (CEFR), including reception, written production, speaking, and spoken interaction. Students should be able to express themselves clearly, coherently, and as correctly as possible.
5. Know how to read, understand and paraphrase academic texts; take notes during a talk or oral delivery and be able to summarize the contents of the talk.

Level B2 of the CEFR and an interest for the subject are required.

Course schedule:

Week 1 Introductory class
The intercultural landscape of neighboring languages and the construction of the language learner/user in the Common European Framework of Reference
(2001)

Week 2 Saussure and the acoustic tapestry
Ferdinand de Saussure, from Ch. VII, “Phonology,” Course in General Linguistics (pp. 32-33); from Ch. III, “The Object of Linguistics,” Course in General
Linguistics (pp. 7-15)

Week 3 Linguistic subjectivity
É. Benveniste, “Subjectivity in Language”
Emily Dickinson, “My Soul Selects her Own Society"

Week 4 Sentence skills: the four traditional sentence patterns in English

Week 5 Sentences as Speech Acts
da J. L. Austin, “Performatives and Constatives”

Week 6 Entering language, entering the world
Gloria Anzaldúa, “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to the Thirld World Women Writers”

Week 7 Joan Didion, “Georgia O’Keeffe”

Week 8 Susan Sontag, “Certain Mapplethorpes”



Lettorato:

- developing comprehension skills for oral and written texts
- learning to synthesize and paraphrase academic texts
- consolidation of overall level of B2 on CEFR

Required Texts:

J. L. Austin, “Lecture I (Performatives and Constatives).” From How to Do Things with Words.The William James Lectures delivered at Harvard. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1962. pp. 1-12
Émile Benveniste, “The nature of pronouns.” From Problems in General Linguistics. Trans. Mary Elizabeth Meek. Miami: University of Miami Press, 1971. pp. 217-222
——. “Subjectivity in Language.” From Problems in General Linguistics. Trans. Mary Elizabeth Meek. Miami: University of Miami Press, 1971. pp. 223-230.
Ferdinand de Saussure, “Phonology.” From Course in General Linguistics. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, translated by Wade Baskin. NewYork, Toronto, London: McGraw-Hill
Book Company, 1966. pp. 32-33.
——. “The Object of Linguistics.” From Course in General Linguistics. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, translated by Wade Baskin. NewYork Toronto London: McGraw-Hill Book
Company, 1966. pp. 7-15.
Mena Mitrano, “The Speaking Subject.” From Language and Public Culture (Roma: Edizioni Q, 2009) pp. 79-91.
——. “Joan Didion’s Portrait of Georgia O’Keeffe.” From Language and Public Culture.Roma: Edizioni Q, 2009. pp. 193-195.
——. “Susan Sontag’s Self-Portrait.” From Language and Public Culture . Roma: Edizioni Q,
2009. pp. 196-199.
and
Gloria Anzaldúa, “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to the Thirld World Women Writers.” In The Gloria Anzaldúa Reader. Edited by AnaLouise Keating. Durham: Duke University Press, 2009. pp. 26-
35.
Emily Dickinson, “The Soul Selects her Own Society.” Poem #303. In The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Edited by Thomas H. Johnson. Boston, New York, Toronto, London: Little Brown
and Company, 1998. p. 143.
Joan Didion, “Georgia O’Keeffe.” In Journalistas: 100 Years of the Best Writing and Reporting by Women Journalists, ed. Eleanor Mills and Kira Cochrane. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers,
2005. pp. 328-331.
Susan Sontag, “Certain Mapplethorpes.” In Where the Stress Falls. New York: Vintage, 2003. pp. 233-237


All the above texts will be made available by the instructor in a course packed on moodle.


Language practice:
Oxenden, Clive; Latham-Koening, Cristina. ENGLISH FILE DIGITAL C1. Advanced Student’s book and workbook, third edition. OUP

Hewings, Martin; Thaine, Craig. ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS. Reading, Writing and Study Skills. Level 3. Student’s book , OUP, 2012

Suggested dictionaries:
F. Picchi, GRANDE DIZIONARIO INGLESE-ITALIANO E ITALIANO-INGLESE. Milano: Hoepli.

MACMILLAN ENGLISH DICTIONARY FOR ADVANCED LEARNERS 2ND EDITION WITH CD-ROM: ISBN: 978 1405 025 263 - Macmillan Education.

Requirements:

The final written exam will comprise the following:

1. Grammar
2. Reading comprehension
3. Written production of a critical text

The materials for this scourse are made available by the instructor on moodle.unive.it

Teaching format and tools:

Lecture
Interactive sessions
Study questions (to be collected in a portfolio)

Some of the course materials contribute to gender awareness and help students promote gender equality.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development