ENGLISH LANGUAGE

English Language is an advanced C1+/C2 English Language Course. The learning outcomes for the course are:
- To develop and consolidate knowledge and skills in English at the C1+/C2 level in the four language modalities (written and spoken language comprehension, written and spoken language production, including spoken and written interaction) with a focus on the use of English in international Academic Contexts (English for Academic Purposes, EAP, as well as English for Specific Purposes, ESP).
- To develop knowledge and understanding of topics related to the use of language in real use, using corpus linguistics and discourse analysis methods of analysis so as to permit fruitful classroom discussions; to develop original and in-depth analyses of original texts in English with a multi-method approach using the analytical and empirical methods of corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, and sociolinguistics.
- To consolidate and develop students’ abilities to conduct in depth and original linguistic analyses of English, considering variation in English texts according to the diamesic and diaphasic dimensions of socio-linguistic variation.
- To consolidate and develop students’ comprehension and understanding of written, as well as spoken, authentic texts of a high degree of complexity and idiomaticity.

This is a year-long course with the module held by the Course Professor (second semester) and associated language practice labs (esercitazioni linguistiche, first AND second semester) facilitated by the “Collaboratori Esperti Linguistici” (CEL). The language practice labs focus on developing students’ spoken and written language skills, including spoken presentation and interaction skills.

The Professor’s module in the second semester has a dual purpose: to develop students’ linguistic and metalinguistic competencies in the analysis of the English language in real contexts of use; to strengthen and consolidate students’ use of English as an international academic language (EAP), and as a specialised language (ESP), fostering their sense of belonging to an international academic community.

The Course’s Learning Outcomes include:

- Development and consolidation of knowledge and use of English at the C1+/C2 level in the four modalities – (written and spoken language comprehension, written and spoken language production, including spoken and written interaction).
- Development of understanding and comprehension skills applied to the critical analyses of written and oral academic texts in English.
- Development of independent research skills.
- Development of comprehension and interaction skills to allow active participation in international academic environments.
- Development of presentation skills to present one’s individual research, being able to adapt the presentation to the background and needs of a diverse audience (e.g., experts, general public, audiences with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds).

With reference to the Dublin Descriptors, students’ expected learning outcomes are:

1. Knowledge and Understanding of:
1a. the common functions of written academic discourse; knowledge and understanding of the structure, organization and content of an academic text types (articles, abstracts, proceedings, book chapters, textbooks, popular books) (EAP, ESP)
1b. the functions and differences between different types of academic communication including cultural and linguistic aspects involved in participating in academic seminars, possible guest lectures.
1c. describing charts and graphs in plain in English
1d. the main qualitative and quantitative methods to study English and its spoken and written variation with particular attention to the notion of genre and using the methods of analysis typical of (critical and positive) discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and sociolinguistics.
1e. patterns in academic language use: written and spoken language production and comprehension of the different levels of the language, namely: morphology, syntax and vocabulary, as well as the level of discourse.
1f. recent debates on the presence of the author in an academic text (stance) and on the strategies of audience design and audience engagement.
1g. the role of language in the construction of social and cultural identity (sociolinguistics).


2. Applied knowledge and understanding: students will be able to:

2a. production of original and in-depth analyses of linguistic texts and data in English through quantitative and qualitative approaches with methods of analysis based on genre analysis, (critical and positive) discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, sociolinguistics.
2b. comprehension and production of written and spoken texts of a complex and specialized nature.
2c. research of bibliography in English, autonomously, both on digital and traditional sources.
2d. expression of complex and original thoughts using the most appropriate register.
2e. summary of existing studies using appropriate referencing conventions (literature review).
2f. analysis, presentation, and discussion of existing data (data commentary).

English Language at the C1 level of the CEFR.

Course title: “EAP in Research and Writing”
1. Introduction to the theoretical-methodological approaches used in the course (and to be selected by the students for their final paper): corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis, multimodal analysis.
2. Analysis of the structure and writing conventions of research papers in the disciplines considered in point 1 with particular attention on
- peer-to-peer academic communication and interaction: common functions of written academic discourse; knowledge and understanding of the structure, organization and content of an academic text types; functions and differences between different types of academic communication including cultural and linguistic aspects involved in academia,
- analysis of written communication in the academia: identification of shared and common written practices; comprehension and identification of the organizational/structural features of academic discourse.

Study material will be uploaded by the Course Professor in the Moodle space of the course. The password to the Moodle space will be provided by the Professor during the first lesson of the module’s course; non-attendees can request the password via email to Prof Cesiri.

Main text recommended for language skills (language practice classes with CEL):
Stephen Bailey (2021). Academic Writing for University Students. London & New York: Routledge.

The final exam assesses students’ achievement of the course’s learning outcomes. This will happen through the submission of a written assignment and an oral discussion with the Professor. Students access the oral discussion only if they pass the written assignment.
The written assignment is a paper that simulates a research paper within the domain of corpus linguistics and/or discourse analysis and/or multimodal analysis. The paper has to be structured as follows:
1. Introduction, and State of the Art: Introduction to the work (theoretical-methodological background, aim and purpose of the analysis) and presentation of the state of the art (literature available on the specific topic). This part also includes an analysis and brief critical summary of the secondary sources, which will include citations and bibliography;
2. Data and Methodology. Detailed description of the case study (primary sources) and of the theoretical-methodological background employed in the paper.
3. Quantitative Analysis. Presentation of the quantitative data gathered from the case study, using corpus linguistics methods of analysis, with a commentary on data presented through a graph or a table.
4. Qualitative Analysis. Critical, qualitative discussion, using discourse analysis tools, of the data from the case study with examples from the data and references from the literature to complete the discussion and to support’s students claims.
5. General Remarks and Conclusions. General observations on the analysis and conclusions to the work/paper.

The topic of the paper (case study, theoretical-methodological framework, etc.) must be agreed with the Professor by deadlines that the Professor herself will communicate in due time. The Professor will also guide and supervise students in the writing process of the several components of the paper (points 1 to 4 above). Attendees will be supervised during classes, while non-attendees must contact Prof Cesiri via email and/or during office hours.

The paper will be written in English, using the stylesheet provided by Prof Cesiri in due time. The paper will be at least 4,000 word long. Students will submit the paper in .pdf format, following the deadlines and the instructions that Prof Cesiri will communicate in due time through the course’s Moodle space and the Professor’s online board on the University’s website.

The oral component of the exam will be a discussion with the Professor – in English – on the submitted paper, with questions on the theoretical and analytical aspects of the paper. Students access the oral part of the exam once they pass the written component (submitted paper).

The course with the Professor is held with the blended modality (50% online lessons, 50% classroom lessons). Frontal lessons and seminars, possible guest lectures; language practice labs with the CEL to support students in the consolidation of the language skills necessary to successfully approach the Professor’s module.

English

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion: Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments.

Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with
mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

oral

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