Ateneo - UPO

Introduction to scientific writing (written records and procedures, case notes, etc.), text types, and disciplinary discourse in the perspective of historical sociolinguistics and historical socio-prgmatics. Origin and development of ESP; cultural relationships, context and linguistic choices; community of practice; style, context, register/s; discourse patterns, culture, and language issues; social roles and functions of scientific communication and popularizing texts.

COMPULSORY HANDBOOKS (all the students): - BIBER, D. and S. CONRAD. 2019 (2nd ed.). Register, Genre, and Style. Cambridge University Press. - BRINTON, Laurel (ed.), 2017, English Historical Linguistics. Approaches and Perspectives. Cambridge University Press. Chapters: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. - Language, text, and discourse analysis of primary sources (scientific text types, popularizing texts, newspapers, letters, etc.) in historical and diachronic perspective. Male and female writers and their social roles. The analysis will be carried out on qualitative and quantitative principles (corpus-based). Primary sources will be selected and made available during the course. READING LIST (compulsory), choose one out of three: - McColl Millar, Robert, 2012, English Historical Sociolinguistics, Edinburgh University Press. - Wright, Laura, 2023, The Social Life of Words. A Historical Approach. Wiley Blackwell FURTHER READING (optional, self study) - BANKS, D. 2008. The Development of Scientific Writing. Linguistic Features and Historical Context. Equinox. - GROSS, A., Joseph E. HARMON and Michael S. REIDY. 2002. Communicating Science. The Scientific Article from the 17th Century to the Present. Parlor Press. - RAVEN, James. 2014. Publishing Business in Eighteenth-Century England. The Boydell Press.

English Linguistics Specialistica B, which considers both the aims and needs of LM37+LM49, can be considered as the second level and continuation of the more specific English Linguistics Specialistica A (there are two specific editions of this first level, one for LM 37, the other for LM 49).

This second level aims at a wider perspective in English Linguistics, and at an in-depth discussion of the main linguistic phenomena in society.
The main interest and the methodological perspective are those of sociolinguistics and socio-pragmatics, and related phenomena. Sociolinguistics is a field of study that includes any communicative activity, at different levels, in different linguistic and cultural contexts, and considering different participants/interlocutors.
English Linguistics Specialistica B will focus on the main aspects of English historical sociolinguistics, investigating the expanding scientific writing and popularizing texts over time.

The course general contents and specific topics, language skills and activities, the end-of-course examination, as well as the assessment criteria applied, refer to B2+ level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).

Language skills at an advanced level: min. B2, but B2+ is preferred (CEFR).

Please check the prerequisites for admission to the MA Lingue, Culture, Turismo:
https://www.disum.uniupo.it/tutto-studenti/offerta-formativa/lauree-magistrali/lingue-culture-turismo/lingue-culture-turismo-0

Lectures

The course will be held in the first semester, between October 2025 and January 2026. The use of handbooks for the theoretical approach will be supported by authentic materials for the analysis of the sociolinguistic features and the communicative strategies under scrutiny. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

ASSIGNMENT: In-depth study of one of the books from the Testi di Riferimento, Reading List section (see above). Students will highlight the main contents, concepts and methodological approaches of the selected reading (book). Concepts and notions treated in the book will be the starting point for further in-depth discussion and detailed exemplification at the oral exam: these concepts/notions have to be related to the course contents/topics (handbook resources, academic articles, slides). The discussion of the Reading list book contents, concepts, and methodological approaches is worth 30% of the assessment process, course contents are worth 70%. Students will pass their exam if they get 18/30 in both their book review and the oral discussion of course contents. The final grade is calculated on a weighted assessment basis. With reference to the 'Intended learning objectives' (see below), the following grades correspond to different skills: 18-22/30-sufficient, 23-25/30-satisfying, 26-28/30 good, 29-30 lode-very good. ORAL EXAM: oral interaction and discussion on the course contents, concepts, notions, texts, starting from the book of your choice from the Reading List above. ORAL EXAM ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: 1. appropriate presentation and discussion of topics, notions, and concepts; 2. discourse organisation; 3. lexical richness and accuracy; 4. lexical propriety; 5. lexical variety; 6. detailed text analysis (especially related to text and discourse construction in synchronic/diachronic sociolinguistic perspective); 7. discourse skills.

See 'Contenuti'/'Contents' and ‘Obiettivi formativi’/ ‘Aims of the course’.

“Gender balance”
The course includes, as one of its objectives, the linguistic, textual and discursive investigation of scientific communication as it emerges from Late Modern English reference works written by male and female writers.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
English Linguistics Specialistica B will provide students with the main methodological perspectives, and the main objectives of contemporary sociolinguistic studies, and fields of research/application.
Students will be fully aware of the metalinguistic (theoretical) and linguistic (practical) components in the complex process of interaction between different speech communities, different social groups, different contexts, and different registers.

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
They will be able to select the most appropriate forms and functions, and culture-bound elements to achieve the specific communicative goals in interaction, in a cross-cultural perspective as well. They will be provided with a sociolinguistic competence.

Linguistic knowledge and language understanding will be used at a practical level, and applied to the many disciplinary research and professional contexts.