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IT203-History of the Italian Language

Module Provider: Italian
Number of credits: 20 [10ECTS credits]
Level: 5
Terms in which taught: Autumn and Spring
Module Convenor: F Faloppa
Pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2009/0

Email: f.faloppa@reading.ac.uk

Aims:
This module aims to provide students with an awareness of the origin and development of the Italian language from the 10th to the 20th century.

Assessable learning outcomes:
By the end of this module students will have acquired:

  • a general knowledge of the history of the Italian language up to the 20th century,
  • knowledge about the methodological issues relating to the description of contemporary Italian,
  • a detailed knowledge of a selection of texts which are of crucial importance in relation to the history of the Italian language,
  • the ability to carry out a linguistic analysis of a text.

    Additional outcomes:
    Students will be able to provide rigorous definitions of linguistic phenomena and to argue them orally and in writing. Students may also develop their IT skills by conducting Web searches for materials relevant to the module and by submitting word processed essays.

    Outline content:
    The course will go through the main events and phenomena that contributed to the making of the Italian language and will follow the issues debated in the so called “Questione della lingua”, from Dante’s De vulgari Eloquentia to Pasolini’s and Calvino’s discussion on the “new Italian”

    Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
    The module will be taught through a combination of formal lectures and one-hour long seminars for which students will carry out preparatory reading. Seminars will be delivered in a structured group discussion.

    Contact hours:

      Autumn  Spring Summer
    Lectures 12 12  
    Tutorials/seminars 3 3  
    Practicals      
    Other contact (eg study visits)      
           
    Total hours 15 15  
           
    Number of essays or assignments 1 1  
    Other (eg major seminar paper)      

    Assessment:
    Coursework:
    Students will write two essays of 2,000-3000 words. The average of the
    two essays will form the student's assessment mark. This mark will be
    subject to scrutiny by a second internal examiner and by the external
    examiner where relevant.
    Relative percentage of coursework : 50%

    Examinations:
    One two hour paper which will count for 50% of the assessment of the module.
    Requirements for a pass
    A mark of 40% overall
    Reassessment arrangements
    Students who fail the whole module will be re-examined in September.

    Last updated: 7 December 2009

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