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2011/12 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ITAL3033 The Making of the Italian Language: From Dante to the Present

20 creditsClass Size: 20

Module manager: Brian Richardson
Email: b.f.richardson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2011/12

Pre-requisite qualifications

Level 2 Italian or equivalent

Module replaces

ITAL3031 and ITAL3032

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

Italy finally achieved political unity in 1870; but how had Italians living in separate and often warring states managed to achieve any degree of linguistic unity by that time? At what point did Italians decide on a standard language for communicating with other Italians, what was this standard based on, and on which grounds did they make their choice?Since unification, Italian has been transformed from a language used mainly in writing by a small minority to one spoken by over 90 per cent of Italians; yet its rapid expansion has raised further problems of uniformity and identity, partly because many people still use a local form of language as their mother tongue, and partly because of differences of ideology. These issues are crucial to an understanding of Italian culture, past and present.This module begins by tracing the story of the emergence of a peninsula-wide Italian language from the medieval period through the Renaissance to the 1870s, considering the main contributions to the series of heated debates on language issues known as the questione della lingua. The module then considers discussions concerning questions of self-sufficiency, tolerance of variation and appropriate usage in modern Italy.

Objectives

The module examines the development of the Italian language, from the Middle Ages to modern Italy, by studying key discussions on the form that a common Italian language should take, first in the context of literary usage, then more broadly in the context of the written and spoken usages of a unified nation.

The module will consider the alternative types of Italian that were and are available and why at certain points one option was preferred to another.

Learning outcomes
On completion of the module, students will be expected to have a knowledge and understanding of the major debates on the nature of the Italian language from Dante to the present, and of the alternative forms of language that have been discussed. Students should be able to discuss these topics critically in writing and orally.

Syllabus

- Dantes views on language in the Convivio and the De vulgari eloquentia
- Sixteenth-century discussions: Tuscan versus the courtly language
- Nineteenth-century discussions: spoken Tuscan versus literary Tuscan
- The debate on Purism during and after Fascism
- The modern standard: questions of pronunciation and lexis.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	5	2.00	10.00
Seminar	5	2.00	10.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

- Reading of texts, preparation for general class discussion: 130 hours
- Preparation and writing of two assessed essays: 45 hours
- Preparation for class presentation: 5 hours.

If the module is taught in Semester 1, there will be a Reading Week between classes 6 and 7. If the module is taught in Semester 2, there will be a Reading Week before class 1.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Progress will be monitored through participation in class discussion, the seminar presentation and the first essay.
- Feedback will be provided on the presentation and both essays.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 2,500 words	45.00
Essay	1 x 2,500 words	45.00
Presentation	1 x seminar presentation	5.00
Tutorial Performance	.	5.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 20/02/2012

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