OVERVIEW

This course is set within the framework of linguistic pragmatics and aims to investigate the characteristics of spoken communication as a primary semiotic modality in human interaction. Starting from the description of the structure of interaction and conversation, understood as primary realizations of the social nature of language, the first part of the course will illustrate the textual, semantic, syntactic and pragmatic correlates of spoken language and the processes of cooperative co-construction of dialogic communication. The main corpora available for the study of spoken Italian and their specific characteristics will also be illustrated. The second part of the course will be dedicated to an in-depth study of a class of strategic elements for the management of online linguistic production, namely discourse markers, which will also be explored by the students through an individual research project.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to illustrate the semantic and pragmatic correlates of spoken communication, taking orality as the fundamental mode of different types of interaction. The course discusses the constitutive festures of spoken language and illustrates the tools for analysing linguistic data of spontaneously occurring speech, which students will learn to use through a small research project.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the student

• will know the formal and functional correlates of spoken language
• will know the structure of interaction and the main tenets of conversation analysis
• will be able to identify, classify and describe the discourse markers of contemporary Italian
• will know how to carry out linguistic research in discourse markers using some of the main corpora of spoken Italian

The course will also enable the student to develop some of the so-called 'soft skills' in the areas of project creation, public speaking and effective communication.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge of general linguistics.

TEACHING METHODS

This course consist in lectures, in which students will be invited to actively participate (for instance by analyzing data and texts). Each student will also choose a topic that will be the object of oral presentation and discussion.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The first part of the course will introduce the theoretical foundations for the study of spoken language and its formal and functional correlates, as well as some principles of conversation analysis. The second part is dedicated to an in-depth study of discourse markers, strategic elements in the organization and co-construction of online interaction, of which a definition on a functional basis and a classification will be provided. This part will be completed with an illustration of the main corpora available for the study of spoken Italian and for the analysis of discourse markers, and will be characterised by a seminar-type structure, which will also include the presentation of research works developed by the students.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Slides
• Voghera, Miriam. 2017. Dal parlato alla grammatica. Costruzione e forma dei testi spontanei. Roma, Carocci [Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and § 4.1]
• Sansò, Andrea. 2020. I segnali discorsivi. Roma: Carocci [Ch. 1]

Same materials for non-attending students. 

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CHIARA FEDRIANI (President)

FRANCESCA STRIK LIEVERS

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam, which includes:

1. Discussion of the topic that has been the object of the student’s independent investigation, illustrated through a presentation given in class. Students who did not attend classes should contact the lecturer well in advance of the date of the exam, to agree on the topic to be investigated.
2. Questions on the other topics that have been discussed in class or in the course’s readings.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam assesses the level of theoretical knowledge achieved by the student, and the ability to discuss in a critical way both the classes’ topics and the topic of the individual research.

The evaluation also takes into account the student’s communicative abilities, and in particular his or her expressive clarity and mastery of the specialised terminology.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.