Textuality across linguistics and literature Course introduction

Aims of the course The course focuses on textuality, with special regard for narrative text types, both in literary and non-literary genres. It aims to provide students with advanced instruments of analysis selected from influential contemporary approaches to the study of language and discourse in both oral and written forms text linguistics, text grammar corpus linguistics narrative analysis Fostering writing and speaking competence at macro and micro level

Module A The standards of textuality Text types Focus on written language

Module B Narrative text types Narrative analysis Story telling Focus on speaking

exam The final exam includes a written analysis and the oral presentation of a project work by means of which students will demonstrate to master both the contents of the course and the linguistic and discursive skills proper of academic English in the field of the humanities. “frequentanti”: End Module 1: written, open ended questions on module content, closed ended questions for specific language check Module 2: ‘ongoing’ assessment (scheduled presentations) Furthermore students will have to sit a Use of English 1 test (C1 Level), for the preparation of which a B2-C1 course will be offered.  

Timetables: Modules a and b Monday 12/14 room P22; Tuesday 12/14 P2; Thursday 12/14 T27 Office hours: Tuesday 10-12 Lettorato dott.ssa A. McGowan Tuesday 14/16 room T28; Thursday 16/18 T18 (from18/02 to15/05)

emergence in the 1960s of English Language as a university subject in its own right, the relationship between the study of literature and the study of language has often been one of bitter rivalry. ‘cold’, ‘scientific’ approach (linguists) vs too vague and subjective analyses (literates) Bateson vs Fowler (“would you allow your sister to marry a linguist?”

Points of contact Stylistic: how linguistic form relates to literary effect. Translation studies Corpora (corpus stylistics) …

63 (E. E. Cummings, 73 Poems)

Lexical features form foregrounding in the final stanza of ‘(listen)’. This is what Leech (1969) describes as ‘congruence’ of foregrounding, which is where we get lots of different types of foregrounding occurring at once Informativity: the less expected, the more informative

Language focus /stɜːr/ /stɝː/ (-rr-) C2 [T] If something stirs you, it makes you feel a strong emotion: I was deeply stirred by her performance.[+ obj + to infinitive ] The speech stirred the crowd to take action.› [I] literary If an emotion stirs within you, you begin to feel it: Hope stirred within her heart.Starting again› [I] UK informal disapproving to cause trouble intentionally between other people, especially by telling false or secret information: There's a lot of gossip about me going around. Have you been stirring? Language focus Rivalry /ˈraɪ.vəl.ri/ Stir /stɜːr/ [T] If something stirs you, it makes you feel a strong emotion: I was deeply stirred by her performance. [+ obj + to infinitive ] The speech stirred the crowd to take action [I] literary If an emotion stirs within you, you begin to feel it: Hope stirred within her heart [I] UK informal disapproving to cause trouble intentionally between other people, especially by telling false or secret information: There's a lot of gossip about me going around. Have you been stirring? Writh /raɪð/ to make large twisting movements with the body: informal to experience a very difficult or unpleasant situation or emotion, such as extreme embarrassment: He and four other senators were writhing in the glare of unfavorable publicity.

References Dan McIntyre, Linguistics and literature: stylistics as a tool for the literary critic, SRC Working Papers