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.

The English Language course (Letters, History & Philosophy) is in 3 parts:

1) The lecture course, taught by Prof. Rosanna Bonicelli in the 3rd period, which comprises 3 weekly lessons, total 30 hours.

2) 15 hours of ‘reading and discussion’ tutorial courses: students may choose between English for the Arts and English for History & Philosophy (until full capacity is reached – numbers are limited).

3) 15 hours of ‘writing’ tutorial courses: students may choose between Professional Writing and Academic Writing (until full capacity is reached – numbers are limited).

The ‘reading’ and ‘writing’ tutorial courses are held both in the 3rd and the 4th periods. Students may choose (subject to the availability of places) to attend in either period).

- Knowledge and comprehension of English terminology, phraseological and grammatical aspects of oral and written English within specific academic and professional contexts related to humanities subjects

- The ability to understand and analyse specialized English-language texts in both phraseological and grammatical terms

- The ability to translate short specialized, and particularly academic, texts, from English to Italian
- Knowledge and comprehension of English terminology, phraseological and grammatical aspects of oral and written English within specific academic and professional contexts related to humanities subjects

- The ability to understand and analyse specialized English-language texts in both phraseological and grammatical terms

- The ability to translate short specialized, and particularly academic, texts, from English to 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.)

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 native-speaking Language Teaching 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: English 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'.

Tutorial course marks last for 18 months (however, we strongly recommend completing the exam within 12 months).

Seminary, interactive lessons for the tutorial courses, interactive and classroom teaching for the lecture course.

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