Ateneo - UPO

Spain and its languages: introduction to Spanish dialectology

Francisco Moreno-Fernández, La lengua española en su geografía, Arco Libros-La Muralla (up to page 221).
Materials (texts) uploaded on Dir during the course

The objective of the course is to provide the student with a good level of knowledge of the linguistic varieties of the Spanish world (also through contrastive analysis with respect to the standard language), reinforcing grammatical notions and linguistic skills acquired during the three-year course; analysing and understanding dialectal texts of various geographical origins, expressing themselves with appropriate language and vocabulary.
The expected linguistic competence is intermediate-advanced (level C1.1) of the CEFR.

Pass at 2nd year level (Esercitazioni di Lingua Spagnola II + Linguistica Spagnola A)

Lectures, exercises with case discussions.
Students will be called upon to apply the theoretical knowledge gained during the 2nd and 3rd year. Students will be constantly invited to work on linguistic variety (with respect to the roof language standard), also as a source of enrichment in learning and linguistic self-awareness. There will be activities with discussion of errors, presentation of case examples.

Written examination (2½ hours).
It consists of:
1) two open questions on topics of Spanish dialectology, to be answered concisely but with linguistic precision, setting out the salient problems; 2) Linguistic commentary on a short dialect text, to be framed in the area to which it belongs, highlighting the main phenomena.
Theoretical awareness of the linguistic fact (norm, variety and exception) and its formulation; conscious analysis of the dialect text will be assessed. The final grade will result from the average of the two parts. In order to pass the examination, the student must obtain at least 18/30 in both parts - if this is not the case, he/she will have to re-sit the entire paper in a subsequent appeal.
An exam will be evaluated as excellent if it demonstrates: an organic and in-depth vision of the themes dealt with in the course; developed capacity for analysis and synthesis; excellent mastery of specific vocabulary and linguistic concepts; capacity for theoretical elaboration through the rich use of relevant examples. A paper will be assessed as fair if it demonstrates: an only sometimes mechanical knowledge of the subject; appropriate and correct language; the ability to analyse and summarise; good use of exemplification in relation to theoretical exposition. A test will be assessed as sufficient if it demonstrates: basic knowledge of the programme (notions and method), sometimes in mnemonic form, but with an awareness of the methodology used; basic and correct use of linguistic terminology; presentation of appropriate examples in the treatment. A paper will be graded as insufficient if it demonstrates at least one of these traits: major training gaps; erroneous learning of notions/concepts or methodology; inappropriate language; the pure reproduction/listing of notions or definitions, lacking the required conceptual links; lack of orientation within the subject examined and the method used; scarcity, absence or incorrect use of examples.

Spanish dialectology, also in contrast to the standard language: phonology, morphosyntax and lexicon of the main varieties within the Spanish world. In particular: 1. origin and aspects of linguistic variation in the Hispanic world; 2. Spanish in its history and geography; 3. geo-linguistic diversity and its perception; 4. the varieties of Spanish and their dynamism; 5. Castilian Spanish; 6. Andalusian Spanish; 7. Canarian Spanish; 8. the Spanish of America (general view). Analysis of different textual expressions representative of the various areas.

Knowledge
- To perfect knowledge of the Spanish language and its varieties also in a contrastive perspective;
Skills
- To be able to grasp the standard and variety of the Spanish language, at the different levels of the idiom (phonological etc.), also from a sociolinguistic perspective;
- being able to use this knowledge also in function of a good use of the standard variety;
- to be able to reflect autonomously on the characteristics and peculiarities of the various idioms, with reference to acquired basic and advanced linguistic knowledge;
Transversal skills
- ability to correctly analyse texts of various dialect origins, recognising the structures of each level (from the simplest to the most complex)
- autonomous ability to process linguistic data by deduction and/or inference, analogy/anomaly etc.
- ability to use the manual and teaching materials offered on Dir and examined in the classroom
- ability to deal consciously and with a versatile approach with new textbooks that are also not used in traditional university teaching