Partendo da una definizione preliminare del concetto di Standard English, il corso intende illustrare le principali dimensioni della variazione nell’uso della lingua inglese contemporanea - variazione sociale, variazione situazionale, variazione geografica -, facendo particolare riferimento alle nozioni di registro, dialetto, idioletto e slang, prese in esame da un punto di vista lessicale e grammaticale.

Particolare attenzione sarà dedicata alle varietà del British English e dell’American English, che verranno analizzate contrastivamente al fine di evidenziarne analogie e divergenze a livello di spelling, lessico, sintassi, grammatica, processi di formazione di parole, idioms, aree semantiche e modi d’uso.

La descrizione dei diversi fenomeni sarà accompagnata da analisi e traduzioni di testi, quali guide turistiche, saggi di costume, resoconti di viaggio, dialoghi di film, articoli di giornale, la cui appartenenza a vari generi testuali mirerà ad identificare le principali funzioni del linguaggio ad essi correlate.

Nelle esercitazioni gli studenti approfondiranno la conoscenza pratica degli aspetti fonologici, grammaticali e lessicali della lingua inglese, sviluppando le quattro abilità con speciale attenzione agli aspetti della comunicazione orale. Le esercitazioni hanno durata annuale e sono tenute da Collaboratori ed Esperti Linguistici (CEL) di madre lingua. Ulteriori informazioni riguardanti i libri di testo e gli orari delle esercitazioni sono disponibili presso il Centro Linguistico (Uffici).

Il livello di competenza linguistica atteso alla fine del corso è il livello B2 del Quadro comune di riferimento per le lingue - Consiglio d'Europa.

Bibliografia del corso docente

Studenti frequentanti

S. Gramley - K. Pätzold, 2004. A Survey of Modern English, London-New York:Routledge

cap. 1 "The English language: standards and variation" (pp. 1-19)

cap. 2 "Vocabulary" (pp. 23-47)

cap. 3 "Words in combination" (pp. 48-65)

cap. 12 "Standard British and American English in comparison" (pp. 272-295)

P. Stockwell, 2002. Sociolinguistics, London-New York:Routledge

"Introduction: key concepts in sociolinguistics" (pp. 1-25)

"The changing prestige of RP"; "The reality of genderlects" (pp. 38-43)

G. Tottie, 2002. An Introduction to American English, London:Blackwell

cap. 7 "The grammar of American English" (pp. 146-177, solo studenti prima lingua)

Studenti non frequentanti

S. Gramley - K. Pätzold, 2004. A Survey of Modern English, London-New York:Routledge

cap. 1 "The English language: standards and variation" (pp. 1-19)

cap. 2 "Vocabulary" (pp. 23-47)

cap. 3 "Words in combination" (pp. 48-65)

cap. 10 "English in the British Isles" (pp. 227-249)

cap. 12 "Standard British and American English in comparison" (pp. 272-295)

P. Stockwell, 2002. Sociolinguistics, London-New York:Routledge

"Introduction: key concepts in sociolinguistics" (pp. 1-25)

"The changing prestige of RP"; "The reality of genderlects" (pp. 38-43)

G. Tottie, 2002. An Introduction to American English, London:Blackwell

cap. 1 "Writing it and saying it" (pp. 8-24)

cap. 4 "Life and language in the United States" (pp. 69-92)

cap. 5 "American English vocabulary: a systematic view" (pp. 93-129)

cap. 7 "The grammar of American English" (pp. 146-177, solo studenti prima lingua)

Per la grammatica di riferimento e i dizionari bilingue e monolingue, si veda il programma del 1° anno.

Sono previste attività di tutorato a supporto dei contenuti presentati nel modulo docente e nelle esercitazioni e finalizzate in particolare allo svolgimento delle prove in itinere e della prova propedeutica di Lingua II.

Modalità d'esame

Nell'esame finale lo studente sarà valutato sulla conoscenza dei contenuti del modulo docente e sulla competenza linguistica, tenendo conto dei risultati delle prove in itinere o della prova propedeutica di Lingua II. Gli studenti dovranno aver superato tali prove prima di presentarsi all'esame finale. Gli studenti frequentanti potranno sostenere la parte relativa al corso della docente come esame scritto alla fine del primo semestre.

Per le esercitazioni, gli studenti che frequentano con regolarità verranno valutati progressivamente durante l'anno accademico; gli studenti non frequentanti, invece, verranno valutati con una prova complessiva, propedeutica. La valutazione degli assessment e della prova propedeutica sarà espressa in centesimi.

Esercitazioni

The course covers selected grammar, language functions and lexis from Innovations Upper-Intermediate (Thomson - Heile), supplemented by relevant sections of the Advanced Learner's Grammar (Longman). The following grammar topics will be covered and practised: subordination, passives, causative verbs, modal verbs, phrasal and prepositional verbs, and prepositions. The four skills will be developed through a range of activities and materials as outlined below.

The overall aim of the second year Skills for English course is to provide ample practice in all four skills at B2 level, as well as to develop appropriate language-oriented skills in the areas of phonetics and vocabulary. More specifically, the objectives of esercitazioni are:

- to develop listening skills; some of the lessons will be taught in a multimedia classroom, in conjunction with a programme of guided self-study activities

- to develop written skills, with a special emphasis on writing narratives, essays and summaries

- to develop speaking skills; this will involve frequent classroom activities, such as pair work, class discussions, and recounting narratives

- to expand students' vocabulary and apply notions pertaining to the lexicon

- to present and practise the International Phonetic Alphabet, so that by the end of the course students will be able to transcribe familiar and unfamiliar words with reasonable accuracy.

Furthermore, students will be asked:

- to read at least two books chosen from a reading list of contemporary titles, which includes works of both fiction and non-fiction. These books will form one of the topics of conversation in the oral test; in addition, students will be invited to provide a lexical analysis of a selected passage from the student's reading as part of the final English Language exam. The list of books will be available on the website of the Centro Linguistico by the end of September.

- to watch a series of eight films during the year. These films will also form one of the topics of conversation in the oral test, where students will be expected to discuss plot, characters and related social issues.

Assessments and the unified preliminary language test

The second year English preliminary exam consists of three papers:

Paper 1: Reading Comprehension and Grammar (Assessment 1)

Paper 2: Listening, Phonetics and Writing (Assessment 2)

Students will be asked to complete the following exercises in the language laboratory:
§ Listen to texts on audio cassette and complete corresponding B2-level multiple choice exercises.

§ Complete a short phonetic dictation

Paper 3: Oral Test (Assessment 3)

Students will be asked to:

§ discuss the set films and books

§ students who have been unable to prepare the set books and films will be asked questions about current affairs.

Students who attend a minimum of 70% of the lessons will have the option of taking the three parts of the exam in the form of three assessments (as described above), the first to be held in the spring, the other two to be held in May. Students who fail the grammar part of the first assessment will be permitted to resit the corresponding part of the global test in June. However, students who have taken and failed the assessments must wait until the following September to resit the unified test.
Students not attending a minimum of 70% of the lessons may take the unified test in June, September or January.

Students' attainment on the course will be assessed with a grade for each assessment or exam paper.
Students following the course will be awarded an additional fourth grade to reflect their on-going performance in class, including participation, oral contributions and homework.

Any further information about this part of the course will be given at the beginning of the academic year during classes.