ENGLISH LANGUAGE

This course forms part of the common degree syllabus for all Letters, History and Philosophy degrees, and aims to provide students with the basic tools for linguistic analysis and cross-linguistic comparison. Specifically, the course prepares students for study and professional activities in an international context by developing reading, comprehension and translation skills, oral presentation and discussion regarding specialised texts, together with both academic and professional writing.

Knowledge and comprehension:
• knowledge and understanding of English terminology concerning one's own field of study, and understanding specialised texts in which it is used
• knowledge and understanding of phraseological and grammatical aspects of English for special purposes
• knowledge and understanding of characteristics of both academic and professional English
• knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of oral interaction in English

Application of knowledge and understanding:
• knowing how to analyse a specialised English-language text and to identify the intended readership, the context and the purpose of the text
• knowing how to analyse a specialised English-language text in terms of register, terminology and phraseology, and grammatical structures
• knowing how to translate brief, specialised English-language texts into Italian, taking into account differences in terminology, phraseology and grammar between Italian and English

Independence of judgement
• the ability to identify critical points while analysiing, translating and producing a text
• the ability to choose appropriate strategies for solving, independently, possible problems relating to text-production in English and translation into Italian

Communication skills
• the ability to present and discuss orally, in English, the contents of a specialised text
• the ability to recognise and produce a written academic text (chronological, descriptive)
• the ability to write texts which are useful for study and for working abroad (CV, formal letter, email, etc.)

Learning skills:
• knowing how to apply the acquired skills in order to understand and analyse specialised English-language texts within one's own study area or related fields
• knowing how to apply the acquired skills when communicating in English, in written and oral form, contents pertaining to one's own study area

Passing the B1 test is compulsory prior to sitting the English Language exam.
The test is managed by the University Language Centre (CLA). For further information concerning the organisation of the test contact the CLA (https://www.unive.it/pag/30211/ ).

It is not necessary to have passed the B1 test to attend courses.

The English Language course comprises both the lecture course and tutorial courses run by Foreign Language Assistants (CELs).

The lecture course
The lectures focus on the linguistic analysis of specialised English-language texts and their translation into Italian. Areas studied include formal register (lexis, syntax, morphology) and comparative grammar.
The course also looks at the English phonetic system, in preparation for the oral exam.

The tutorials
The 'Reading and Discussion' tutorials include the reading, oral presentation and discussion of academic texts relating to the arts. history and philosophy.

The 'Writing' tutorials focus on aspects of general grammar, punctuation and the production of academic texts (descriptive, chronological) or of texts which are useful for studying abroad (CV, formal letters, emails, etc.).

For the lectures:
R. Bonicelli: Reading for the Humanities
F. Gebhardt: HANDOUT English Pronunciation

For the ‘reading’ tutorials, students will choose one of the following books:
F. Gebhardt: English for the Arts (Cafoscarina)
G. Ludbrook: English for History & Philosophy (Cafoscarina)

For the ‘writing’ tutorials, students will choose one of the following handouts:
F. Gebhardt: HANDOUT Professional English
E. Glenton: HANDOUT Academic Writing Skills for the Humanities

All the handouts are available on my Moodle page or those of the CELs. They can also be found at the CLONY printer's shop.

The exam comprises three parts, which must be passed in the following order:

1) written exam on general grammar, punctuation and lexis with a guided writing exercise which entails the production of an academic text or a covering letter;

2) oral exam involving the comprehension and discussion in English of six chosen texts from one of the books used in the 'reading' tutorials;

3) oral exam involving the reading, analysis and translation of texts studied during the lecture course.

Students who attend the tutorials will have a reduced exam (end-of-course test for 'writing', in-class assessment for 'reading and discussion'.

The English Language course Surnames M-Z (Letters, History & Philosophy) is divided into three parts:

1) the lecture course, run by Prof. Rosanna Bonicelli in the 3rd period. Three lectures a week, for a total of 30 lecture hours;

2) 15 hours of one chosen 'reading and discussion' tutorial (dependant on places available): English for the Arts or English for History & Philosophy;

3) 15 hours of one chosen 'writing' tutorial (dependant on places available): Professional Writing or Academic Writing.

The 'Reading & Discussion' and the 'Writing' tutorials are offered in both the 3rd and 4th periods. Students can choose, dependant on the availability of places, to attend the tutorials in either period.

Attendance is strongly recommended.
Students who attend the tutorials will have a reduced examination programme, both written and oral.
Students who sit an English Language exam for anything other than 6 credits must contact me to agree an exam programme.

Students are advised to consult my personal page regularly.

written and oral