1. Textuality across linguistics and literature Course introduction

2. 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 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

3. Module A  The standards of textuality  Focus on written language  Module B  Narrative text types  Narrative analysis  Story telling

4. Exam  Module A  The final test consists of written open-ended questions, by means of which students will prove their knowledge of the module contents, as well as linguistic and discursive competence within the field of the humanities. Students attending the course can take this part of the exam during the course.  Students who do not attend the lessons will sit this part of the exam during official examination dates.  Modulo B  Oral presentation ( 5-7 minutes), with slideware support, on a topic related to the contents of the module, followed by a brief discussion. In the latter part, questions can be addressed on any content dealt with during the module.  Common to both modules  Students attending the course will lead a group seminar, involving the class in a discussion on a topic of their choice, on the basis of one of the analytic approaches presented in either module A or B.  Students who do not attend the lessons will replace the seminar with a written project, to be handed in two weeks before the oral, focussed on one of the perspectives presented during the course.

5. Timetables: Modules A and B  Mart. 12/14 T18;  Merc.13/15 T23A;  Ven 12/14 T3  Office hours: Tuesday 11-12, Friday 11-12 Lettorato dott.ssa A. McGowan  mart 16/18 P10;  giov 14/16 P10

6. Readings module A  de Beaugrande, R./ Dressler, W. 1981 [2002] Introduction to text linguistics. London and New York: Longman.  Dan McIntyre, Linguistics and literature: stylistics as a tool for the literary critic, SRC Working Papers.  Biber, D. 2011. Corpus linguistics and the study of literature. Back to the future? Scientific Study of Literature 1:1, 15-23.  Mahlberg, M. 2012. The Corpus Stylistic analysis of fiction – Or the fiction of corpus stylistics?. In Language and Computers, Corpus Linguistics and Variation in English: Theory and Description. Edited by Joybrato Mukherjee and Magnus Huber, pp. 77- 95(19). Rodopi.  Kane, T. S. 1994/1988. The New Oxford Guide to Writing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

7. Readings module B  Werlich, Egon 1983. A Text Grammar of English. Heidelberg: Quelle und Meyer  Norrick. N. 2001. Conversational narrative. Storytelling in everyday talk. Amsterdam: John Benjamins  Simpson, P. 2008. Stylistics. A resource book for students. London and New York: Routledge.  Toolan, M. 2006. Narrative: linguistic and structural theories. Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (secon edition), 459-473.

8. SEMINARS – 45 mins each (3 participants)  A seminar is basically an illustration and detailed discussion about a particular topic by a small group. Each group will lead a seminar and organise the class discussion. I will sit in the class, help and contribute and evaluate what you are doing.  Purpose  It is essential to remember that the aim is not competition, but increased understanding of the issue  HOW? finding ways of processing information and introducing it to others articulately and engagingly.  other students will be asked to raise questions in relation to your presentation. You will then either have to try and explain or defend it, or perhaps concede their point (the principal aim is for the class to understand your argument and the basis for it).

9. Analysis  use the readings to give you an idea of what and how to analyse  Prepare a handout with the text you want to analyse. For videos, transcribe the parts that illustrate a point you want to make about the talk  Possible objects of investigation: fiction, newspapers, organization documents, news talk, ordinary talk shows, celebrity talk, Big Brother talk, TV series, movies…

10. Before your seminar  before your seminar one member of the group should send me a file with all the transcripts/handouts which you would like participants to read before the seminar and to have during the seminar. During the seminar  take it in turns to introduce different aspects of the seminar (divide up the speaking time equally)  ask the participants questions.  make your points but try to get the participants to make them for you  use Powerpoint to illustrate your points

11.  Participation and attendance  I will be taking attendance and you should attend 75% minimum of all seminars  remember that I am marking the participation of every member of the class as well as the members of each seminar group so you should try to take an intelligent interest in what is being said.

12. Possible organization patterns:  concentrate on four recent episodes of one type of show/broadcast and explain its nature in detail  explain four different types of show/broadcast from the area  show how one particular show from the area has changed over time (diachronic study); analyse 4 different episodes from different times  show how current English, US, French and Italian shows from the area differ (an example of one show from each culture with the same basic format)

13. How to lead a seminar discussion  it is often helpful to frame one or two questions which have occurred to you in the course of your reading. This can provide the seminar with a starter for discussion.  Although seminar questions vary depending on the text/issue, there is a consistent set of characteristics that defines a strong question. All the questions that you ask during the seminar per se should be open-ended, thought-provoking, and clear.

14.  Open-ended  All seminar questions should be open-ended. Open-ended questions elicit numerous correct responses. To be correct, a response must be justified preferably based on the text. A correct response may also be substantiated based on other credible references.  Thought-provoking  Seminar questions are designed to elicit student thinking: to explain and manipulate complex systems. Thoughtful questions inspire participants’ thinking by challenging them to analyze, examine assumptions, evaluate, and synthesize.  Clear  As much as possible, seminar questions should be clear. Participants should immediately understand what is being asked. Often clarity comes with simplicity: usually the fewer words in a question the better.

15.  In addition to being open-ended, thought-provoking, and clear, Seminar questions are grouped into three types that together provide direction for the dialogue.  Opening questions  Core questions  Closing questions

16.  Opening Questions are designed to get participants to identify the main ideas and/or values in the text.  Example: What word or phrase in the text is most important? Why?  Core Questions are designed to have participants closely analyze the details of the text.  Example: Based on the text, what is meant by... ?  What is the relationship between _________ and _________ ?  What might we infer based on... ?  Closing Questions are designed so that participants personally evaluate the ideas and values.  Example: What does this text teach us about... ?

17. To sum up…  Is it open-ended? (How many correct responses can you imagine?)  Is it thought-provoking? (Does it require analysis, synthesis, evaluation?)  Is it clear? (Can someone else easily understand exactly what you’re asking?)  Is it an opening question? (Will it elicit participant identification of the main ideas from the text?)  Is it a core question? (Will it require close analysis of the text?)  Is it a closing question? (Will it encourage participants to synthesize and evaluate the real world applications?)

18. An example  Issue based seminar: What is narrative?  Narratives are a pervasive element of communication, and they are put to a number of different uses throughout literature, culture, art and everyday life. They can take many different forms: pictures, music, mime, gesture, dance, words.  Hence the scolarly concern for getting to a theory of narratives.  A prerequisite for any theory is delimiting the field, starting from defining the object of investigation.  How can we define ‘narrative’? Can you give me a provisional definition of it? OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

19.  How would you define the concept of “narrative”:  Several correct (provisional) answers:  Representations of events  Telling about events  Emphasis on change in time

20.  Core questions: they help to focus the attention on specific aspects of the issue  Are traditional definitions satisfactory? What definitions explain the concept better?  We will start from Rudrum’s survey of extant definitions, on his criticism of them, and then decide whether his proposal is convincing and exhaustive.

21. Defining narrative  "one will define narrative without difficulty as the representation of an event or sequence of events." (Genette 127)  "A narration is the symbolic presentation of a sequence of events" (Scholes 205)  "Narrative has been... defined as the representation of at least one event" (Prince, "Revisiting Narrativity" 43)

22.  "Narrative... may be defined as the representation of real or fictive events and situations in a time sequence." (Prince, Narratology 1)  "narrative is the representation of at least two real or fictive events in a time se (Prince, Narratology 4)  "Any representation of non-contradictory events such that at least one occurs at a time t and another at a time t following time t constitutes a narrative (however trivial)." (Prince, Narratology 145)  "What we get in a narrative text are not events as such, but signs, the representations of events." (Onega and Landa 5)

24.  Core question: can both sequence 1 (Calvin and Hobbs) and 2 (assembling instructions) be considered examples of narratives  If these definitions are satisfactory, we should be able to apply them just to 1 and not to 2  Test  Representation: applies to both  Sequence of events: applies to both  Structural interrelations among the various parts: applies to both

25.  Rudrum’s point: Text internal parameters are not enough. A satisfactory definition can be atteined only if we take into account the mediating function of awareness of the use which is currently made of representations of a sequence of events  CLOSING QUESTIONS  Is that convincing?  Does this amount to a definition of ‘narrative’?

26.  Conclusion: we still need to find a satisfactory definition of narrative which accommodates Rudrum’s observation on use