ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The course is one of the core foundation courses shared by the BA programmes in Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage and Economics and Management of Arts and Cultural Activities (EGArt) and aims to support students in developing specialised language skills relevant to the arts and cultural sectors.
More specifically, the course aims to prepare students for academic study and professional work in international contexts by developing skills in reading, understanding and translating specialised texts, presenting and discussing subject-specific content orally, and academic and professional writing.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the terminology, phraseological features and main grammatical structures of spoken and written English used in academic and professional contexts relating to the humanities, arts and cultural sectors;
- understand and analyse specialised texts in English, with particular attention to lexical, phraseological and grammatical features;
- translate short specialised and academic texts from English into Italian.

Students will also be able to:
- present and discuss the content of a specialised text orally in English;
- produce written academic texts in English;
- produce texts used in academic and professional contexts, such as CVs, formal letters, e-mails and cover letters.

For the academic year 2026/2027, no formal language requirement is established for students enrolling in the first year of a degree program taught in Italian. However, it is strongly recommended that students possess at least an intermediate level of language proficiency, which is essential for the successful completion of academic activities. For information and support, students may contact the University Language Centre (CLA): https://www.unive.it/pag/30211/ .

The English Language course comprises both the lecture course and tutorial courses run by native-speaking Language Teaching Assistants (CELs).

The course is divided into three parts:
1. Lecture course (30h), focusing on the linguistic analysis of specialised texts in English and their translation into Italian. The course will also introduce basic aspects of the English phonetic system in order to support students in preparing for the oral examination.
2. Reading tutorial course (15h), with a choice, subject to availability, between ‘English for Arts Management’ and ‘English for Cultural Heritage’
3. Writing tutorial course (15h), with a choice, subject to availability, between ‘Professional Writing’ and ‘Academic Writing’

The Reading and Writing classes are offered in both the first and second teaching periods. Subject to availability, students may choose whether to attend the classes in the first or second period.

For information about the content of the Reading and Writing classes and attendance arrangements, students should contact Nicholas Jones (nicholas.jones@unive.it), Ewan Glenton (ewan.glenton@unive.it) and Jo-Ann Titmarsh (joann@unive.it).

WRITTEN EXAM
Part I: Writing
Handouts (students can choose one of the following):
- Glenton, E., Academic Writing Skills for the Humanities.
- Gebhardt, F., Professional English.

ORAL EXAM
Part II: Reading
Handouts (students can choose one of the following):
- Gebhardt, F., English for Cultural Heritage.
- Glenton, E. & Jones, N., English for Arts Management.

PART III: Subject-specific course
- Grammar: Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use Upper-Intermediate (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Pronunciation: Gebhardt, F., English Pronunciation.
- Vocabulary, translation-focused handouts and other teaching materials: materials provided by the lecturer on Moodle.

The examination consists of three parts, which must be taken and passed in the following order:
1. Written test assessing general grammar, punctuation and vocabulary, including the guided production of either an academic text or a cover letter.
2. Reading oral examination assessing students’ comprehension of and ability to discuss in English six texts of their choice taken from the course pack prescribed for the Reading class selected.
3. Oral examination relating to the lecturer’s course, consisting of the reading, linguistic analysis and translation of texts covered in class.

Students who decide to attend the tutorials will be assessed during both the writing and oral courses.
Results obtained in these classes remain valid for 18 months. Students are nevertheless strongly advised to complete the examination within 12 months.

written and oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

The final grade takes into account the following components:
- text comprehension and translation: up to 10 points
- knowledge of specialised vocabulary: up to 5 points
- ability to analyse phraseological and grammatical features: up to 10 points
- pronunciation accuracy: up to 5 points

The same assessment criteria apply to both attending and non-attending students.

Grades will be awarded according to the following criteria:
- 18-22: sufficient knowledge and ability to apply understanding of the course content, limited ability to analyse and interpret information independently, and sufficient communication skills, particularly in the use of specialised language.
- 23-26: satisfactory knowledge and ability to apply understanding of the course content, satisfactory ability to analyse and interpret information independently, and appropriate communication skills, particularly in the use of specialised language.
- 27-30: good or excellent knowledge and ability to apply understanding of the course content, good or excellent ability to analyse and interpret information independently, and fully appropriate communication skills, particularly in the use of specialised language.
- 30 with honours: excellent knowledge and ability to apply understanding of the course content, combined with excellent analytical skills, independent judgement and communication skills.

The course combines lectures and interactive classes, guided discussions, and linguistic and textual analysis activities. The Reading and Writing classes are primarily practical and seminar-based.

The syllabus and assessment procedures are the same for attending and non-attending students. Given the practical nature of the course, however, regular attendance and active participation in classes and tutorials are strongly recommended.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development