CODE 65308 ACADEMIC YEAR 2025/2026 CREDITS 9 cfu anno 3 LINGUE E CULTURE MODERNE 8740 (L-11) - GENOVA 6 cfu anno 3 LINGUE E CULTURE MODERNE 8740 (L-11) - GENOVA 6 cfu anno LINGUE E CULTURE MODERNE 8740 (L-11) - GENOVA SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR L-LIN/21 LANGUAGE Italian TEACHING LOCATION GENOVA SEMESTER 2° Semester TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB OVERVIEW Teaching for 6 CFU: 36 hrs, first semester Teaching for 9 CFU: 54 hrs, second semester The first part of the teaching (36 hrs, 6 CFU) will be devoted to Polish cinema, and in particular to Krzysztof Kieślowski (1941-1996), Decalogue (1988-1989), an award-winning classic of Polish and European cinema. The ten short films (approximately one hour each) focus on the Ten Commandments and combine, in an often unexpected way, moral, psychological and social issues. They also provide a mine of information about life in Poland at the crest of the transition between authoritarianism and democracy, about the realities of life in the Polish People’s Republic and possible translation problems in other countries/cultures. SECOND PART (a further 18 hours, for a total of 54 h, 9 CFU) will consist of a general summary of the major literary currents and historical-political events, from Romanticism to the present day. AIMS AND CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOMES The teaching aims to bring the student closer to the specific cultural heritage of Poland, its history and literature. A literature whose value in modern times can also be witnessed by the Nobel prizes awarded to it: Sienkiewicz (1905, the first Nobel to a Slavic writer), Reymont (1924), Miłosz (1980), Szymborska (1996), Tokarczuk (2018), to which one can also, in part, add the Nobel awarded to the Yiddish writer I.B Singer in 1978.The aim of this teaching is to make the student approach to the very rich and articulated literary heritage of Poland, from the XVIIII century until nowadays At the end of the course, the student should be able to find an orientation in the geographical and cultural space of Poland and to individuate some of its more important peculiarities on a European contest It is therefore intended, by varying the programme from year to year, to offer students new ways of interpreting the thought structure of this great country, focusing on its literature but also considering its history, customs, sociology AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the course, students must be able to orient themselves and understand Polish literature of the twentieth century, in particular as regards the general themes of teaching. They will have to know at least in broad terms the complex geo-political history of Poland of the last century. They will also have acquired a first knowledge of translation techniques from Polish into Italian and will be able, through group work and on-line support, to carry out simple translations from literary texts. PREREQUISITES The accomplishment of at least one year of Polish Literature TEACHING METHODS Frontal lessons Viewing, explanation and commentary of proposed texts/films. At least once during the semester, students will be asked to prepare in small groups of two to three people a short commentary on one of the topics covered and to present it to the rest of the class. Before the final exam, students will prepare a written paper on a topic of their choice from those covered, rigorously applying the drafting rules provided SYLLABUS/CONTENT Teaching for 6 CFU: 36 hrs, first semester Teaching for 9 CFU: 54 hrs, second semester The first part of the teaching (36 hrs, 6 CFU) will be devoted to Polish cinema, and in particular to Krzysztof Kieślowski (1941-1996), Decalogue (1988-1989), an award-winning classic of Polish and European cinema. The ten short films (approximately one hour each) focus on the Ten Commandments and combine, in an often unexpected way, moral, psychological and social issues. They are not only reasons for constant reflection in the face of complex situations (‘how would I have behaved/behaved in his place?’) but also provide a mine of information about life in Poland at the crest of the transition between authoritarianism and democracy, about the realities of life in the Polish People’s Republic and possible translation problems in other countries/cultures. During the teaching the ten films will be viewed and discussed and their links with Polish literature and culture of the period and before will be examined. SECOND PART (a further 18 hours, for a total of 54 h, 9 CFU) will consist of a general summary of the major literary currents and historical-political events, from Romanticism to the present day. *** Students who have duly filed a certification of disability, DSA or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the contact person Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it) and the lecturer at the beginning of the course, in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools. RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography COMPULSORY READINGS MANUAL: History of Polish Literature edited by Luigi Marinelli, Einaudi 2004, from p. 324 to the end. Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘Decalogue’ Chapters from the book Of Elephants and Toothaches: Ethics, Politics, and Religion in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘Decalogue’ available free of charge at https://unopertutto.unige.net/ Watching, explaining and commenting on the films Further readings will be indicated at the beginning of the course Non-attending students will discuss with the teacher an additional program. Polish students and those who wish may read the literary texts in the original language. Before accessing the exam, at least a week in advance, all students, whether attending or not, will have to prepare a short paper (one or two pages), on one of the subjects of the course, following the instructions in the file Norme per tesi e tesine available on the Teacher Page TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD LAURA QUERCIOLI Ricevimento: The reception of Prof. Quercioli will take place at the request of students. LESSONS LESSONS START Lessons Start October 2025 Class schedule POLISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE III EXAMS EXAM DESCRIPTION The oral exam will allow to evaluate the student's ability to put in relation the various topics discussed during the course. During the exam, which includes open questions and feedbacks on the entire program covered, will be evaluated the quality of the presentation, the correct use of the vocabulary (in particular in relation to the literary movements and the currents of thought studied), the capacity of critical and temporal orientation. Attendance and active participation in the lessons and at the conferences, which are an integral part of the teaching, is also obviously evaluated. ASSESSMENT METHODS The student will demonstrate to have assimilated the program, to have acquired the basic knowledge provided during the teaching, to be able to elaborate a short speech both on the subject at will and on those required and to comment on the texts studied during the course semester, placing them in the Polish and European historical and cultural context. Attendance and active participation in the lessons will not only facilitate the exam path but will also be evaluated in the final score. The essay submitted before the exam will be discussed and evaluated FURTHER INFORMATION Polish students may read the bibliograhy in the original language Facilitations for Ukrainian students Students who have duly filed a certification of disability, DSA or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the contact person Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it) and the lecturer at the beginning of the course, in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.
