Unit ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Course
- International relations
- Study-unit Code
- GP000932
- Curriculum
- Cooperazione internazionale e state building
- Teacher
- Diana Bianchi
- Teachers
-
- Diana Bianchi
- Hours
- 63 ore - Diana Bianchi
- CFU
- 9
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2024
- Offered
- 2025/26
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Linguistico
- Academic discipline
- L-LIN/12
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- English
- Contents
- The course consists of two modules. The first module will focus on the spread of English around the world and the economic, cultural and political implications of the status of English as a global language. The second module will focus on the use of English in texts of various kinds dealing with the topic of immigration. Students will have the opportunity to develop and refine their language skills through written and oral comprehension and production activities related to the two proposed thematic areas.
- Reference texts
- ATTENDING STUDENTS-Texts and materials to be used during the lessons will be made available on the Unistudium platform of the university. Suggestion for further reading will be provided during the course. NON ATTENDING STUDENTS - Jennifer Jenkins (2025) Global Englishes. A Resource Book for Students, 4rd Edition, New York & London: Routledge Students are also required to read material about the topic of migration which will be made available on the Unistudium platform of the university.
- Educational objectives
- A first aim of the course is to provide an introduction to the debate on the role of English at a global level and its relationship with other languages and cultures. A second objective is to help students with a higher intermediate language competence develop reading, writing and translation skills. The main acquired knowledge will be: Knowledge of sociolinguistic, historical and political elements relating to the spread of English at a global level; Knowledge of the main varieties of contemporary English; Knowledge regarding textual analysis. The main acquired skills will be: Ability to understand a variety of documents (written and oral) in different global contexts; oral presentation skills in English; autonomous learning and self-study skills
- Prerequisites
- In order to attend the course students are required to have at least a B2 level of proficiency before attending the course. The level of proficiency can be certified by the Language Center of the University of Perugia (CLA) or by an international certificate validated by the CLA. The CLA certificate expires after 24 months, international certificates expire after 36 months.Students who have an international certificate must upload it onto the CLA website and show it to the teacher at the beginning of the course.
- Teaching methods
- The course will consist of a series of lectures and practical activities carried out by the students individually, in pairs and in groups. Students’ oral presentations will also be included with the aim of improving the students’ oral skills.
- Other information
- Attendance is not mandatory. However, in order to attend the course students are required to have a valid B2 certificate (or higher) before the beginning of the course. Attendance status will be conferred only to students with a valid B2 certificate who attend 75% of the course and will take the written test. All other students will take the exam as non-attending students. To register for the exam, go to https://unipg.esse3.cineca.it/Home.do
- Learning verification modality
- Exam program and assessment criteria differ for attending and non attending students. ATTENDING STUDENTS: Attending students take a written test midway through the course and an oral test at the end of the course. The written test, of about 90 minutes, covers the content of the first module and consists of a few questions on the topics discussed in class and a linguistic commentary on a given text. A second test will consist of an oral presentation in the classroom, during which the students will have to discuss the contents of an essay or 'personal narrative'. This will relate to the content of the second module and will have been previously agreed upon with the lecturer. The presentation will last approximately twenty minutes and the assessment will be based on a series of linguistic parameters related to appropriateness, fluency and accuracy. The final assessment will be based on the evaluation obtained in the written test and the evaluation obtained in the oral test. The assessment obtained in the CLA test/international certification will also be taken into account. NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: Non-attending students will be assessed through an oral interview which will last about 20-25 minutes, on the content of the course book listed for non-attending students and on the texts about immigration (essays and personal narratives) made available on the Unistudium platform. The students will have to show they have read and fully understood the material covered in the course book by discussing in English the various topics (for instance, the uses and function of varieties of English in the world). Students will also have to show that they can summarise, critically analsyse and translate the material about migration. The overall evaluation will be determined by the interview and by the score obtained in the B2 test at the CLA For information on support for students with disabilities see: http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa
- Extended program
- The course consists of two modules. The first module will focus on the spread of English around the world and the economic, cultural and political implications of the status of English as a global language. Issues such as the relationship between standard language and non standard variants, the concept of linguistic imperialism and the relationship between language, culture and identity will be examined. The second module will focus on the use of English in texts of various kinds dealing with the topic of immigration, in particular the representation of migrants in the media and migrants' personal narratives will be examined. Students will have the opportunity to develop and refine their language skills through written and oral comprehension and production activities related to the two proposed thematic areas.