OVERVIEW

This year the course will have a laboratory-based experimental character to directly encounter the different properties and natures of texts in the field of reading and writing. We will experiment with the languages ​​of narration, art, puzzles, deciphering, creative writing, guided by that malleable and moldable set of levels called interpretation. asking ourselves: in how many ways does a language move?

In the Institutional part of the course the notions of "meaning", "interpretation" in writing and reading will be examined. The question "what is a language?" will become "in how many ways does a language transform?". The Monographic section of the course is dedicated to linguistic and verbal play, that set of metamorphic processes and activities that transform language by experimenting with it. and we will also observe the processes of deciphering, translation, dramatic representation, the playful use of words, word game.,

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Analysis and understanding of the notion of "language" through the interrogative exploration of the nature, identity, functioning processes, and capacity for adaptation and transformation of language, or of its nature as a human cognitive tool in the face of reality within which man moves, wanders, acts and defends himself, but also plays, challenges the sense, hides and discovers meanings

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

a. The first aim of the course is to provide experiences and keys to historical and theoretical reading of the main concepts developed by the different schools of semiotics and philosophy of language on the function of language in the formation and organization of human knowledge through the understanding of the concepts of "meaning", "translation", "interpretation", "deciphering", "play with language", "narration", "poetry", "recitation", "reading", "playful text".

b. The second aim of the course is to develop autonomy of judgment, independence of thought and personal critical vision in the adoption of theoretical principles, operational tools and criteria for the interpretation of significant phenomena (facts, objects, processes) of contemporary reality (such as the uses of language, intercultural translation, the approach to unknown languages ​​and scripts, the notion of deciphering) and of a hermeneutic nature (such as the distinction between the process of interpretation and the process of meaning, and the question on the nature of "writing"), also knowing how to adopt an adequate historical-cultural perspective that culturally contextualizes the phenomena examined and the tools themselves used by the analyst, avoiding commonplaces widespread in current mass culture and learning to organize a clear, coherent and structured discourse free from jargon.

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

- know and explain the concepts developed in different semiotic theories and schools on the function of language and the organization of human knowledge

- analyze and distinguish the nuclei fundamental themes of linguistic, textual, didactic and playful phenomena tested and examined in the course

- analyze and distinguish the technical and operational procedures of the processes of "interpretation", "signification", "deciphering"

- distinguish the different paradigms and operational models of communication and semiosis that have followed one another over time

- evaluate the different theories on writing and compare their adherence to different forms of writing

- trace the issues and specific cases examined back to general and broader themes

- develop conceptual connections between specific cases and general themes

- thematically connect different texts

- critically identify current commonplaces and possibly detach oneself from them

- create and formulate original theses starting from the cases, themes, problems examined

- summarize and expose, with a clear, organized and jargon-free discourse, the evolutionary stages of the history of semiotics and the basic principles of semiotics

- critically compare different assumptions, theses and theories in the texts in the program on the notions of "meaning", "translation", "interpretation", "decipherment", "enigma", "language game", "ludic language".

- describe what the operating procedures of the ludic language manipulators consist of

- explain your choice of text in the groups of texts of your choice

- describe and discuss the contents of the texts brought to the exam, in particular the compulsory ones not of your choice

PREREQUISITES

The course prerequisite is that the student possesses the normal basic knowledge of the history of European culture (History, Literature, Philosophy, Art, Economics, two foreign languages, etc.) acquired during secondary school studies.

TEACHING METHODS

Classroom lesson, with compulsory attendance, which will be implemented through participation in different types of language games, tests and individual and collective experiments in groups

For non-attending students, a text will be added, preferably to be chosen from the list of optional texts provided, and in any case in a reception interview to guide the choice of texts in relation to specific interests

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Title:

How many ways does a language move?

Course program.

The course provides an approach to the notion of "language" and "text" through the interrogative and experimental exploration of the nature, identity, functioning processes, and capacity for adaptation and transformation of language, moving through the languages ​​of narration, art, puzzles, deciphering, decryption, creative writing, ludolinguistics, a malleable and moldable set of levels called interpretation.

In the Institutional part of the course, the notions of "meaning", "translation", "interpretation" in the writing and reading of texts will be examined. The question "what is a language?" will become "how many ways does a language transform?". The Monographic section of the course is dedicated to linguistic and verbal play, that set of metamorphic processes and activities that transform language by using it for experimental purposes, and for this purpose we will also observe the processes of deciphering, translation, dramatic representation, and the playful use of words, but we will also examine, through experiments and word games, the different possible typologies of texts, which will guide us in observation and experimentation.

Texts for the exam: see subsequent sections

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Exam texts

The exam program includes three points:

1. Reference text:

R.Pellerey, Comunicazione. Storia, usi, interpretazioni, Roma, Carocci, 2011.

2. A text of your choice between:

P.Albani, B.Buonarroti, Aga Magéra Difùra. Dizionario delle lingue immaginarie, Bologna, Zanichelli, 1994.

R.Aragona (a cura di), Oplepiana. Dizionario di letteratura potenziale, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2002.

S.Bartezzaghi, Incontri con la Sfinge. Nuove lezioni di enigmistica, Torino, Einaudi, 2004

F.Bruni et alii, Manuale di scrittura e comunicazione, Bologna, Zanichelli, 1997.

R.Campagnoli (a cura di), Oulipiana, Napoli, Guida, 1995.

U.Eco, Dire quasi la stessa cosa, Milano, Bompiani, 2003.

U.Eco, La ricerca della lingua perfetta, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1993.

G.Genette, Figure II, Torino, Einaudi, 1972.

R.Pellerey, Le lingue perfette nel secolo dell'utopia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1992.

R.Pellerey - A.Nocerino, Laboratori di scrittura. Istruzioni per una ginnastica alfabetica infinita , Roma, Graphofeel Edizioni., 2011

A.Perissinotto (a cura di), Il gioco: segni e strategie, Torino, Paravia, 1997.

P.Violi, Significato ed esperienza, Milano, Bompiani, 1997.

E.Zamponi, I draghi locopei, Torino, Einaudi, 1986.

3. Two texts to choose from the following:

A.Allais, Un dramma davvero parigino e altri racconti, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1999.

J.L.Borges, Altre inquisizioni, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2000

J.L. Borges, Finzioni, Milano, Adelphi, 2015.

A.Jarry, Gesta e opinioni del dottor Faustroll patafisico, Milano, Adelphi, 1992.

A.Jarry, Ubu: Ubu re, Ubu cornuto, Ubu incatenato, Ubu sulla collina, a cura di Alfredo Giuliani, Milano, Adelphi, 1977

G. Perec, La vita istruzioni per l'uso, Milano, Rizzoli, 1984.

R.Queneau, Esercizi di stile, Torino, Einaudi, 1983.

J.Roubaud, Il rapimento di Ortensia, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1988.

J.Swift, I viaggi di Gulliver, in edizione Milano, Feltrinelli, 1997.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

According to the Disfor teaching calendar: week of 09.14.2025

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Presentation and discussion of an individual or group paper

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will consist of an exposition and discussion on the paper presented, with particular attention to the relationship of the paper with the linguistic experiments conducted in the classroom or during the laboratory lessons.

- The "understanding of the problems" will be verified through the following parameters:

- ability to abstract to general and broader themes starting from questions and case studies arising from the submitted work

- ability to conceptually connect particular cases and general themes

- ability to connect different texts

- ability to explain the textual characteristics experimented in the work and which aspects of language are experimented or examined

- ability to critically identify current clichés

- ability to criticize and possibly detach theoretically from current clichés

- ability to form original theses starting from the cases, themes, problems examined

- ability to synthesize and expose one's work

- ability to describe and examine the concepts developed in different theories and schools on the function of language

- ability to describe and examine the concepts developed in different semiotic theories and schools on the notion of "meaning", "translation", "interpretation", "deciphering", "ludolinguistics", "language games", "puzzles".

- ability to analyze and distinguish the fundamental thematic nuclei of the cultural and cognitive challenge phenomena exposed in the thesis

- ability to evaluate the different theories on language, translation, interpretation, ludolinguistics, fantastic narration

- ability to critically compare different theses and ideologies on the concept of "translation"

- ability to reason independently

- ability to identify the thematic nuclei of a text

- ability to compare different theses and theories on the same basic questions in different texts

- ability to explain one's choice of text in the groups of texts chosen

- ability to understand and explain the choice for the course of the texts present in the program

- ability to orient oneself critically among the theoretical assumptions of the texts in the program

- ability to identify a relationship between the chosen texts and one's personal interests or vocations

FURTHER INFORMATION

a) Subsequent reprints and reissues of all the texts in the program are equally usable.

b) Non-attending students will bring an additional text to the exam, to be agreed with the teacher.

c) It will be possible to propose programs or individual texts adhering to the student's specific interests