Lingue e Culture Straniere per l'Era Digitale L-11

Synchronous Lessons Weekly Schedule (DI) – a.y. 2026-2027 (first semester)

During the first semester, the course’s synchronous lessons will take place as follows:

• Thursdays | 12:00–13:00 
• Saturdays | 9:00–11:00 

Linguistics (DI, interactive teaching) - Sessions dedicated to the theoretical and methodological content of English language and linguistics, in continuity with the course video lectures (DE): 15 September - 3 November 2026. These sections can make students eligible of the attendance-based bonus.

Laboratory (DI, interactive teaching): Practice and consolidation sessions, including practical activities (individual and/or group-based) aimed at developing writing and speaking skills, primarily within the field of English for Tourism, with particular attention to professional and digital communication: 7 November - 12 December 2026.

Schedule publication and updates: The detailed schedule of synchronous lessons will be published monthly on the platform in the “Calendar” and “Announcements” sections. Any changes to dates and/or times will be communicated in the same sections.

The course is organised into three thematic sections* that explore the variation of contemporary English and its uses in professional and digital contexts. Attention is devoted to the linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic, and multimodal dimensions that shape communication across different domains. The lessons combine the analysis of authentic texts, applied activities, and moments of critical reflection, with the aim of fostering metalinguistic awareness and advanced communicative competences.

Section 1 – English(es) in the World: Varieties, Registers and Sociolinguistic Contexts*

This first section introduces the complexity of contemporary English as a pluricentric and globally used language, providing students with the sociolinguistic and pragmatic tools necessary to interpret its variability. Through examples of language contact, classification models, and a critical perspective on colonial legacies, the section examines how historical, social, and cultural factors have shaped the development of English varieties around the world. At the same time, it introduces the role of appropriate language use across communicative contexts, while also addressing fundamental pragmatic mechanisms and their intercultural dimension. The overall aim is to develop an awareness of how contemporary Englishes are the product of the complex and continually evolving interplay between language, culture, power, and identity.

Section 2 – The Sound of English Around the World: Accent Variation and Prosodic Identity

The second section explores the phonetic, phonological, and prosodic dimensions of variation, guiding students in the analysis of the segmental and suprasegmental features that characterise several national varieties of contemporary English. Building from a review of articulatory phonetics and the structure of the English vowel and consonant systems, the section introduces the role of stress, rhythm, intonation, and connected speech in shaping prosodic identity. After examining the history and distinctive features of RP and its ideological weight in language teaching, the lessons analyse three national varieties in detail: Indian English, Australian English, and Nigerian English. Through authentic examples, targeted listening activities, and reflections on intercultural pragmatics, students learn to recognise salient phonetic and prosodic traits in each variety and to connect them to the sociolinguistic contexts and cultural values that influence them. The section thus consolidates advanced analytical competence regarding pronunciation, the sound identity of languages, and the social role of accent.

Section 3 – English for Specific Purposes: Register, Genre, and Tourism Discourse

The third section applies the knowledge developed in the previous ones to the study of English in professional and digital contexts. It introduces the concepts of register as situational variation and genre as a recognisable and structured form of communicative action, providing the theoretical foundation for the study of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSPs). The section explores communicative needs, discourse communities, and textual conventions across major professional domains, with a specific focus on English for Tourism as a specialised variety of language use. Students analyse authentic materials drawn from tourist guidebooks, official destination websites, promotional texts, digital platforms, and online reviews. Through this work, they develop competences in multimodal reading, destination evaluation, and the analysis of tourism discourse. The section also includes guided activities in text analysis and limited text production, designed to simulate real professional communication tasks in the tourism sector.

*Note

In this syllabus, the term section refers exclusively to an internal thematic subdivision of the course. These sections do not correspond to autonomous modules and must be completed as integral components of a single course, to be taken in its entirety.

The course carries 9 CFU (ECTS credits) and consists of a theoretical component and a laboratory component. The teaching workload is organised as follows:

1. Theoretical component, divided into an asynchronous component consisting of 25 recorded video lessons (DE) and a synchronous component of 18 hours (DI). Attendance at these 18 hours makes students eligible for the attendance-based bonus provided for under the University Teaching Regulations, as applied to other L-11 courses assessed on a 30-point scale.

2. Laboratory component, consisting of 20 hours of synchronous teaching and 28 hours of asynchronous work using a software for which certification is mandatory (Sillabi).

Attendance at all synchronous teaching activities is optional. However, Integrative Teaching (Didattica Integrativa), both for the theoretical and the laboratory components, is strongly recommended, both to support the development of general L2 proficiency and, more specifically, to provide better preparation for the project and for the final interview required for access to the final degree assessment.

Mandatory attendance applies to 100% of the recorded video lessons (DE) and to the 28 hours of Sillabi activities, for a total of 53 compulsory hours out of 91 hours of teaching provided, corresponding to 58.2% mandatory attendance.

Students are required to complete a project, which must be uploaded to the “Elaborato” section together with the Sillabi B2-level certificate. Both are mandatory requirements for registration for the intermediate test. Registration for the examination is enabled once the lecturer has verified that both the Sillabi certification and the project are satisfactory.

The project is assessed as either Pass or Fail ("Sufficiente / insufficiente") and must be submitted before the intermediate tests are taken.

The examination procedure comprises four elements:

(1) Sillabi certificate: Students are required to obtain the Sillabi B2-level certificate. This is a mandatory requirement for access to the intermediate written test.

(2) Multimodal Project: Students must produce and submit a multimodal project consisting of:

• a written multimodal tourism itinerary
• a video presentation of the itinerary.

Detailed instructions, assessment criteria and examples will be provided during the Language Lab lessons and are also available in the “Documents” section of the course platform.

The project is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

Both the Sillabi B2 certificate and a Pass in the Multimodal Project are required in order to access the intermediate written test.

The written itinerary and video must be uploaded to the student’s institutional UTSR or personal Google Drive folder. Students must then upload a single PDF file to the “Elaborato” section of the UTSR platform containing: the Sillabi B2 certificate; a link to the Google Drive folder containing the written itinerary and video. Submission must be completed no later than sixteen days before the start of the exam session in which the student intends to take the intermediate written test. 

(3) Intermediate Online Written Test – “Prova intermedia online”: The intermediate written test consists of 24 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) covering Lessons 1–15.

Lessons to study for the PROVA INTERMEDIA ONLINE: Lessons 1–15

(4) Final In-Person Examination – “Prova di profitto finale in presenza”: The final in-person examination consists of 7 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) covering the last 10 video lessons of the course, Lessons 16–25.

Lessons to study for the PROVA DI PROFITTO FINALE IN PRESENZA: Lessons 16–25

Both the intermediate and final written tests consist of multiple-choice questions. Each question has four answer options, only one of which is correct. Incorrect answers and unanswered questions do not incur any penalty.

The course aims to develop advanced competences in English language and linguistics through the analysis of contemporary English variation and its uses in professional and digital contexts.

Metalinguistic awareness is strengthened through the study of:

• sociolinguistic, pragmatic, and phonological variation in global varieties of English (World Englishes);
• register and genre as tools for understanding how context and communicative purpose shape linguistic choices;
• English as Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and tourism communication, with an introduction to the general principles of LSPs designed to support the analysis of English for Tourism and its digital and multimodal realisations (e.g. tourist guidebooks, official destination websites, ads, social media campaigns and user generated content, such as reviews).

The course combines theoretical insight and practical application in order to enhance precision, adaptability, effectiveness, and intercultural awareness in English communication.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Describe the main types of variation in English (diatopic, diastratic, diaphasic, diamesic);
• Explain key theoretical models of World Englishes and the related historical and colonial dynamics;
• Recognise phonetic, phonological, and prosodic features of the main varieties examined in the course (RP, Indian English, Australian English, Nigerian English);
• Define and distinguish register, genre, style, and Language for for Specific Purposes (LSP);
• Identify linguistic and multimodal features typical of tourism communication.

 Applying Knowledge and Understanding

• Analyse authentic texts using linguistic tools (phonetic, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and textual);
• Recognise and describe prosodic variation in real audio samples;
• Apply the concepts of register and genre to the analysis of professional and digital texts;
• Analyse tourism and promotional materials by identifying communicative strategies and multimodal resources;
• Produce short, effective tourism-oriented texts appropriate in register, communicative purpose, and audience design.

 Autonomy of Judgement and Communication Skills

• Reflect critically on the relationship between language, identity, media, and ideology.
• Communicate complex content in English with pragmatic accuracy, textual effectiveness, and intercultural awareness.

The bibliographic references and recommended readings for each lesson are provided in the corresponding lesson handouts.

The following is a concise selection of key texts that offer a solid theoretical framework for further exploration of the topics covered in the course.

• Crystal, David. English as a Global Language. 2nd ed., Cambridge UP, 2003. (A clear and accessible introduction to the global spread of English, with attention to the historical, demographic, and cultural dimensions of its international role)
• Eggins, Suzanne. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics. Continuum, 2004 (especially chapters 1–4; useful for understanding the theory underpinning field–tenor–mode and the notions of register and genre within the functional linguistic framework)
• Fuller, Janet M., and Ronald Wardhaugh. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 7th ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2015. (A key reference for the fundamentals of sociolinguistics, useful for understanding linguistic variation, identity, and the relationship between language and society)
• Jenkins, Jennifer, and Sonia Morán Panero. Global Englishes: A Resource Book for Students, 4th ed., Routledge, 2025. (An introductory and modular text on global varieties of English, offering activities and materials that can help you reflect on theoretical foundations and apply them to real-world examples)
• Kecskés, István. Intercultural Pragmatics. Oxford UP, 2014. (A key reference for the pragmatic and intercultural dimensions addressed in the first section of the course)
• Maci, Stefania M. English Tourism Discourse: Insights into the Professional, Promotional and Digital Language of Tourism. Hoepli, 2020. (A specialised reference for the section on English for Tourism and for the analysis of professional, promotional, and multimodal communication in the tourism sector)
• Schneider, Edgar W. English Around the World. An Introduction. Cambridge UP, 2011. (A foundational text for understanding World Englishes and the historical and sociolinguistic dynamics that have shaped global English varieties)