The course includes a 30-hour theoretical module on Variational Linguistics of Spanish and 120 hours of language practice divided into three sections:
40 hours: Analysis and production of written media texts (journalistic genres, digital formats, essay writing)
40 hours: Analysis and production of oral media communication (radio genres, television genres, Web 2.0)
40 hours: Intersemiotic, interlinguistic, and intralinguistic mediation
By the end of the course, the student will have acquired advanced knowledge and skills in the field of variational linguistics of the Spanish language, also thanks to the practical learning of the language at a specialized level.
The course aims to provide a unified overview of linguistic variation in all its dimensions (diachronic, diatopic, diastratic, diaphasic).
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Identify phenomena of variation within the language;
Apply theoretical knowledge of language change to the interpretation of linguistic variation in Spanish;
Identify and explain the linguistic features of Peninsular Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and varieties spoken in other parts of the world, and relate them to the linguistic and extralinguistic factors underlying this diversity;
Describe the status of Spanish worldwide as a majority or minority language, as a first or second language, in coexistence with other languages, and assess the sociolinguistic consequences of migratory movements;
Demonstrate the relevance of social variables such as social class, profession, and level of education in the linguistic variation of Spanish;
Identify linguistic variation and distinguish between styles and registers;
Describe the multilingual and multicultural reality of Spain and Latin America, and distinguish between the various situations involving languages and cultures in contact;
Apply the acquired knowledge to the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language.
Use the language at a specialized level
C1 CEFR
Theoretical and practical lessons in Spanish.
Course content includes:
The varieties of Spanish: the concepts of language, dialect, sociolect, and idiolect;
Linguistic variation;
Peninsular Spanish;
Latin American Spanish;
Spanish around the world;
Varieties and variation applied to the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language.
Written media texts
Oral media communication
Intersemiotic, interlinguistic, and intralinguistic mediation
Moreno Fernández, Francisco (1998[2009]). Principios de sociolingüística y sociología del lenguaje. Barcelona: Ariel
Moreno Fernández, Francisco (2020). La lengua española en su geografía. Madrid: Arco Libros
Moreno Fernández, Francisco (2017). Las variedades de la lengua española y su enseñanza. Madrid: Arco Libros
Further bibliographical information will be provided during the course
Ricevimento: Office hours by appointment
Ricevimento: Office hours will be held on Teams, by appointment arranged via email. For further information, please consult the teacher's personal page on the Department website by clicking here.
LAURA SANFELICI (President)
SILVINA DELL'ISOLA
DILIA DI VINCENZO
Linguistic module: second semester
Practical modules: both semesters
Lessons start: 6 october 2025
Monday 15:00–17:00, Room F, Polo Didattico – Dilia Di Vincenzo
Monday 17:00–19:00, Room H, Polo didattico – Silvina Dell’Isola
Friday 15:00–17:00, Room D, Polo didattico – Dilia Di Vincenzo
The timetable for this course is available here: EasyAcademy
Theoretical Module:
For attending students (70% of lessons): Research conducted during the course will be evaluated. The final exam will consist of presenting a topic agreed upon with the instructor.
For non-attending students: One question on topics included in the bibliography.
Practical module:
Written and/or oral exams for the three modules.
The final grade will be expressed in thirtieths. Exams will be rated as very good or excellent if the student demonstrates, in addition to declarative knowledge and understanding of the key concepts of the course, the acquisition of the methodology necessary for the linguistic analysis of material. Exams will be rated as sufficient if the student demonstrates only the possession of declarative knowledge and understanding of the key concepts of the course.
Students who have regularly submitted certification of disability, DSA (Specific Learning Disabilities), or other special educational needs must contact both the coordinator, Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), and the instructor at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and exam methods that, while respecting the course objectives, take into account individual learning styles and provide appropriate compensatory tools.
