2016/2017

2017/2018

DM270

DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES

MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Linguistico-filologico-letterario

2°

1st semester (25/09/2017 - 10/01/2018)

12

Italian

The course presupposes the knowledge of notions and categories of general linguistics.

The first part of the course aims at giving the essential concepts and methodological instruments for analysing the social variation of a language, in order to promote the awareness of the social and communicative dimension of the language as well as to ground a scientific approach to it. The second part of the course aims at framing second language acquisition in its external social factors and at discussing its main internal principles and factors in order to help students understand the phenomenon of second language acquisition.

The first part of the course course consists of four thematic areas:
1. Definition and research area of sociolinguistic, its relationship with other related disciplines; its main research branches
2. Basic notions in sociolinguistics
3. Variation in language: its dimensions and the methods for analysing linguistic variation
4. Typology of linguistic repertoires (with examples from Italian and European contexts).
The second part of the course will deal with the following topics:
1. Introduction to the study of second language acquisition
2. The concept of interlanguage and the main theoretical approaches to second language acquisition (SLA)
3. Linguistic and non linguistic factors of SLA and of its variability
4. Strategies and stages of language acquisition
5. Main features of SLA in the classroom
6. Some aspects of Italian as a second language.

Classroom-taught lectures with group discussions about authentic linguistic data.
Analysis of L2 data in different European languages.

First part of the course:
Berruto G. Fondamenti di sociolinguistica. Bari, Laterza, 1995, nuova ed. 2003 (e altre successive).
Berruto G./M. Cerruti, Manuale di sociolinguistica. Torino, UTET, 2015 (Primi 5 capitoli)
Cardona G. R. Introduzione alla sociolinguistica. Torino, Loescher, 1987 (nuova ed. a cura di G. Sanga, UTET, 2009).
Giannini S., S. Scaglione (a cura di). Introduzione alla sociolinguistica. Roma, Carocci, 2003.
Giglioli, P.P./G. Fele (a cura di). Linguaggio e contesto sociale. Bologna,Il Mulino, 2000.
Hudson R. A., Sociolinguistica. Bologna, Il Mulino, 1980, nuova ed. 1998.
Milroy L./ M. Gordon. Sociolinguistics: Method and Interpretation. Oxford, Blackwell, 2003.
Romaine R. Language in Society. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Second Ed. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000.

Other selected references:
G. Berruto, Sociolinguistica dell’italiano contemporaneo, Roma, La Nuova Italia Scientifica, 1987, 2012.
G. Berruto, Prima lezione di sociolinguistica, Bari, Laterza, 2004.
J.K. Chambers, Sociolinguistic theory, Oxford UK, Blackwell, 1995.
M. D’Agostino, Sociolinguistica dell’Italia contemporanea, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007, 2011.
W. Downes, Language and society, London, Fontana, 1984.
R. Fasold, The sociolinguistics of society, Oxford, Blackwell, 1984.
R. Fasold, The sociolinguistics of language, Oxford, Blackwell, 1990.
M.A.K. Halliday, Il linguaggio come semiotica sociale. Un’interpretazione sociale del linguaggio e del significato, Bologna, Zanichelli, 1983.
Llamas C., Mullany L., Stockwell P.,The Routledge Companion to Sociolinguistics, Abingdon, Routledge, 2007.

II part of the course:
Banfi E. (a cura di) L’altra Europa linguistica. Varietà di apprendimento e interlingue nell'Europa contemporanea. Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1993.
Bettoni C. Imparare un’altra lingua. Bari, Laterza, 2001.
Chini M. Che cos’è la linguistica acquisizionale. Roma, Carocci, 2005.
Consani C. et al. (a c. di) Alloglossie e comunità alloglotte nell’Italia contemporanea. Roma, Bulzoni, 2009.
Giacalone Ramat A. (a c. di) L’apprendimento spontaneo di una seconda lingua. Bologna, Il Mulino, 1986.
Dulay H./Burt M./Krashen S. La seconda lingua. Bologna, Il Mulino, 1985 [ed. orig. 1982].
Klein W. Second language acquisition. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986.
Valentini A. Lingue e interlingue dell'immigrazione in Italia, Linguistica e Filologia 21, 2005, 195-208.

The oral exam will verify the student’s knowledge of the course content and his/her ability to spot and analyse the sociolinguistic and communicative dimensions of language uses and to identify the principles and factors of L2 acquisition.
The exam will be prepared, as for the first part of the course, on the course notes and on Berruto’s manual (1995/2003) (or on Berruto/Cerruti 2015, chap. 1-5 or an equivalent manual) as well as on three papers chosen from a given list of pertinent papers (see box).
As for the second part it will be prepared on the Introduction of Giacalone Ramat (1986), on Chini (2005), on the chap. of Banfi (1993) concerning the language studied (Italian, German, French or English as L2), on Valentini (2005) and on a paper freely chosen either from the third part of Consani et al. (2009) or from Giacalone Ramat (1986) or a chap. of Bettoni (2001).
A student who cannot attend the course will have to prepare the exam, as far as the first part of the course is concerned, on Berruto (1995) or on Berruto/Cerruti (2015, chap. 1-5) or on Hudson (1980/1998) and on a further volume chosen from the given list (see below) or agreed upon with the professor.
The exam of the second part of the course will be prepared on the Introduction of Giacalone Ramat (1986), on Chini (2005), on the chap. of Banfi (1993) concerning the language studied (Italian, German, French or English as L2), on Valentini (2005) and on two papers freely chosen from Giacalone Ramat (1986), Bettoni (2001) or from the third part of Consani et al. (2009).
The program of the exam for foreign students can be adapted on demand. In addition readings in English can at least partially substitute readings in Italian.
The exam will be oral.

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