English II A (LS) (2009/2010)

Learning outcomes

Text Analysis and Text Types

The course examines the pragmatic perspective to the study of English. Starting from the notions of inference, conversational implicature and speech act, it will present an in-depth introduction to text analysis, based on the model introduced by De Beaugrande and Dressler (1981) devoting special attention to the characteristics of the different text types.

The main topics covered will be:
- Conversational Implicature
- Speech Act Theory
- Text, co-text and context; text vs.non-text
- De Beaugrande and Dressler’s (1980) model of textual analysis;
- Standards of Textuality;
- The notions of text type and genre;
- Lexical, Linguistic and Textual Features of the Different Text Types

Reading List (All the texts are available at the Replay Copy Shop, Via San Francesco 18):

Texts for the Written Part of the Exam

Biber Douglas (1989) “A Typology of English Texts” Linguistics 27: 3-43 De
Beaugrande Robert and Wolfgang U. Dressler (1980) Introduction to Text Linguistics, London, Longman (Basic Notions)
Huang, Yan (2006) Pragmatics, Oxford, Oxford University Press (Ch. 1; Ch.2: 23-35; 54-63; Ch.4 : 93-131)
Lakoff, Robin Tolmach (2009) “Conversational Logic” in J. Verschueren and J.Ola Ostman (eds.) Key Notions for Pragmatics, Amsterdam, John Benjamins: 102-113.
Merlini Barbaresi Lavinia (2003) “Towards a Theory of Text Complexity” in L. Merlini Barbaresi (ed.) Complexity in Language and Text, Pisa, Edizioni Plus
Merlini Barbaresi Lavinia (2004) “ A Model for Defining Complexity in Descriptive Text Type”, Folia Linguistica XXXVIII/3-4: 355-381.
Trosborg, Anna (1997) “Text Typology: Register, Genre and Text Type”, in A. Trosborg (ed.) Text Typology and Translation, Trosborg, Anna (ed.), Amsterdam, John Benjamnins: 4-23.



Texts for the Oral Part of the Exam

Lorenzetti, Maria Ivana (2008) “The Complexity of Political Discourse”, In M. Bertuccelli Papi, A. Bertacca and S. Bruti (eds.) Threads in the Complex Fabric of Language and Text. Linguistic and Literary Essays in Honour of Lavinia Merlini Barbaresi, Pisa, Felici Editore:
Lorenzetti, Maria Ivana (2008) “The Null Instantiation of Objects as a Polysemy-Trigger. A Study of the English verb See” Lexis - E-Journal in English Lexicology , vol. 1 , 1: 59-83.
Merlini Barbaresi Lavinia (2003) “Towards a Theory of Text Complexity” in L. Merlini Barbaresi (ed.) Complexity in Language and Text, Pisa, Edizioni Plus
Gotti, Maurizio (2006) “The Language of Tourism as Specialized Discourse’, in O. Palusci and S. Francesconi (eds) Translating Tourism: Linguistic / Cultural Representations. Università di Trento: Dipartimento di Studi Letterari, Linguistici e Filologici:15-34.
Leech Geoffrey and Jenny Thomas (1990) “Language, Meaning and Context:Pragmatics” in N. Collinge (ed.) An Encyclopaedia of Language, London, Routledge: 173-206.
Van Dijk T. (2008) “Discourse and Manipulation”, in Discourse and Power, London, Palgrave: 211-236


Non-attending students

In addition to the texts in the reading lists, non-attending students and those without a background in semantics are required to read the following texts as well:

Saeed John (2003) Semantics, London, Blackwell (Ch.1-2-3-5-6-7)


Advanced and optional:

Biber, Douglas, Susan Conrad and Geoffrey Leech (2002) Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English, London, Longman

Additional references will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

The exam consists in
a) a written test on textual analysis.
b) an oral exam, for which students can sit after having passed the written exam. The oral exam will focus on a series of articles, which will be made available at the beginning of the course.

Students who attended at least 80% of the course may opt for a test during the month of May. No oral exam will be required in that case.

The date will be announced during the course. Alternatively, the first test will be in the Summer session (June-July).

The final mark is comprehensive of the CLA C2 Certificate and will be registered after completing the various parts in the exam.
As from A.A. 2006/2007, students who wish to sit for the Lingua Inglese 3exam, must have obtained the CLA- C2 certificate before the exam.

Prerequisites: Lingua Inglese 1 LS (English Language 1 LS): C2 level in English (Exam with 6 CFU)