Spanish language

At the end of the course, with reference to the Dublin descriptors, students are expected to achieve the following outcomes:

Knowledge and Understanding: The course aims to provide solid and in-depth knowledge and skills in language, communication, and metalinguistics, progressing towards level C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Thematic, methodological, and procedural analysis seeks to deepen historical and linguistic knowledge of the Spanish language, in order to acquire the necessary critical skills for a pan-Hispanic view of the language. The course also aims to develop the skills necessary for analyzing contemporary Spanish texts, with particular attention to colloquial register.

Applied Knowledge and Understanding: Students will be able to analyze authentic texts from various periods presented as examples of the linguistic evolution of Spanish. Finally, they will learn to correctly recognize and describe (using specific metalinguistic terminology) phenomena of linguistic variation in literary and/or audiovisual texts.

Autonomy of Judgment: Students will critically engage with pragmalinguistic analysis methodology, learn the dynamics of oral argumentation, and become autonomous in recognizing linguistic structures, enabling them to apply this knowledge in real-world contexts (not just academic ones).

Communication Skills: The primary objective will be to effectively interpret the sociolinguistic and cultural codes of individuals involved in a communicative relationship. Students will be able to express themselves and interact effectively, using polished language and a structured, articulated, and appropriate form of communication.

Learning Ability: Students will develop a range of cognitive strategies useful for adopting an effective method of study and learning, as well as a high level of communicative competence applicable in professional and work-related contexts.

Lectures and interactive lessons, direct reading and analysis of texts, seminars, and language classes. The course will be conducted using both theoretical and practical approaches. Multimedia tools and interactive materials, such as audio and audiovisual resources, will be used. Active participation of students in Spanish will be required.

In the event that the teaching is delivered in a hybrid or remote mode, necessary adjustments may be introduced compared to what was stated earlier, with the aim of adhering to the planned program outlined in the syllabus.

Attendance is optional, but strongly recommended. Students are also required to attend language practice sessions.

The course offers a learning and acquisition path for the Spanish language within the context of advanced foreign language studies, particularly in the field of pragmalinguistics and the analysis of colloquial discourse. The language course will consist of a series of activities aimed at increasing knowledge and use of the language, as well as fostering linguistic and metalinguistic reflection: reading texts, composition, translation, comprehension activities, and lexical and grammatical analysis, with a focus on the history of the Spanish language and its linguistic varieties. There will be a special focus on Spanish pragmatics: after describing the theoretical concepts and the main theoretical schools, some of the most representative topics in the field will be analyzed, such as the study of linguistic politeness, orality, and inferential communication.

Advanced Module

Historiographic Metafiction and Memory in Los surcos del azar (2013) by Paco Roca.

Contemporary graphic novels have reached an expressive maturity that allows them to address complex themes related to historical memory and the reconstruction of the past through innovative narrative strategies. This monographic course aims to explore the ways in which the comics medium can become a vehicle for critical reflection on history and its narrative gaps. At the center of our analysis is Los surcos del azar (2013) by Paco Roca, a paradigmatic work that illustrates how the graphic novel can articulate a complex operation of historiographic metafiction. Roca constructs a polyphonic narrative that interweaves direct testimonies, archival documents, and imaginative reconstruction, giving voice to the forgotten protagonists of the Blue Division, the Spanish volunteers who fought on the Eastern Front during World War II. The Valencian author does not limit himself to a simple historical reconstruction but stages the very process of memory itself, its gaps, its betrayals, and its necessary inventions.

The course will examine how "la memoria perdida del sueño republicano" (the lost memory of the republican dream) manifests itself in the work through the representation of marginal historical subjects, exploring the tensions between official memory and submerged memory, between grand History and individual microhistories. Particular attention will be devoted to analyzing the visual-narrative strategies that Roca employs to make the invisible visible, to give graphic form to the silences of History. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines cultural studies, memory theory, and analysis of comics language, the course will offer critical tools to understand how the contemporary graphic novel is redefining the modes of representation and transmission of historical memory, establishing itself as a privileged medium for exploring the shadow zones of the past and for reactivating alternative historical discourses.

Lapesa, Rafael (1981). Historia de la lengua española. Madrid: Gredos (300 pagg., disponibile in Studium)

Moreno Fernández, Francisco (2010). Las variedades de la lengua española y su enseñanza. Madrid: Arco/Libros.(capp. 1, 2, 6; 90 pagg.)

Escandell, María Victoria (2014). Introducción a la pragmática. Barcelona: Ariel. (capp.da 1 a 8; 150 pagg.)

Reyes, Graciela (2009). El abecé de la pragmática. Madrid: ArcoLibros. (60 pagg.)

Cascón Martín Eugenio (1995). Español coloquial. Rasgos, formas y fraseología de la lengua diaria. Madrid: Edinumen (150 pagg.)

Los surcos del azar (2013), Paco Roca (300 pagg.)

Risorse elettroniche:

Diccionario de español coloquial: https://www.coloquial.es/

For the language-classes:

Ana Isabel Blanco Gadañón- María Pilar Valero Fernández, Español C2. Curso Superior.  SGEL (190 pagg.)

José Gutiérrez Velarde, Modismos y frases hechas del español de España con aplicaciones y ejemplos. 2017 (50 pagg.)

Note: During the exam, students must have all the required texts, novels and critical bibliography.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).