English. Mostly in English, with some key concepts also in Italian.
Course Content - Last names M-Z
How to understand and analyze the great political speeches of contemporary society? This course will explore a range of composition writing and media communication tools that politicians and influential personalities use to devise worth remembering discourses. By studying the speech making of, listening and reading considerably, analyzing the selected political speeches, the student will handle the instruments to investigate any political discourse.
Benveniste, E. 1971 Problems in General Linguistics. Miami: University of Miami Press
(p. 223-230).
Ivie, R. 1980 "Images of Savagery in American Justifications for War", Communication
Monographs 47: 279-294.
Kövecses, Z. 2010 Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford: 3-11, 17-31,
369-375.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson 1980 Metaphors We Live By, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press: ix-x, 3-45, 102-167, 192-193.
Lakoff, G. 2008 The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its
Politics, New York, Penguin: Ch. 1, 4, 17.
Lakoff, G. 1995 "Metaphor, Morality, and Politics, Or, Why Conservatives Have Left
Liberals in the Dust" in Social Research 62 (2): 177-214.
Orwell, G. 1946. "Politics and the English Language" in Horizon 13 (Apr): 252-264.
Orwell, G. 1984 “Appendix: the Principles of Newspeak”, any paperback edition.
Schiappa, E. 1989 "The Rhetoric of Nukespeak" in Communication Monographs 56 (3): 253-272.
Van Dijk, T. 1995 "Discourse Semantics and Ideology", in Discourse & Society 6 (2): 243-289.
Van Dijk, T. 1997 "What is Political Discourse Analysis?" in Blommaert, Jan and Chris
Bulcaen (eds.) Political Linguistics, Amsterdam, Benjamins: 11-52.
FURTHER READINGS
Fairclough, N. L. 1995 Critical Discourse Analysis, The Critical Study of Language,
London, Longman.
Fairclough, N. L. 1989, Language and Power, London, Longman.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson, 1980, Metaphors We Live By, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press.
Lakoff, G. 2009, The Political Mind. London, Penguin.
Van Dijk, T. 1985, Handbook of Discourse Analysis, London, Academic Press.
Yunus, M. 1997, Banker to the Poor, New York, PublicAffairs.
R. AVAGLIANO, Speech Analysis, Padova, Amon edizioni 2014
Benveniste, E. 1971. Problems in General Linguistics. Miami: University of Miami Press (p. 223-230).
Ivie, R. 1980. “Images of Savagery in American Justifications for War”, Communication Monographs 47: 279-294.
Kövecses, Z. 2010. Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP (p. 3-11, 17-31, 369-375).
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (p. 3-13, 22, 46-51, 139-146, 156-160, 192-193).
Lakoff, G. 2008. The Political Mind: A Cognitive Scientist's Guide to Your Brain and Its Politics. New York: Penguin (chapter 1, 4, 17).
Lakoff, G. 1995. “Metaphor, Morality, and Politics, Or, Why Conservatives Have Left Liberals in the Dust”. Social Research 62 (2): 177-214.
Orwell, G. 1946. “Politics and the English Language”. Horizon 13 (Apr): 252-264.
Orwell, g. 1949. 1984. Any edition. (Appendix: the Principles of Newspeak).
Schiappa, E. 1989. “The Rhetoric of Nukespeak”. Communication Monographs 56 (3): 253-272.
Van Dijk, T. 1995. “Discourse Semantics and Ideology”, Discourse & Society 6 (2): 243-289.
Van Dijk, T. 1997. “What is Political Discourse Analysis?”. In Blommaert, Jan and Chris Bulcaen (eds.) Political Linguistics. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 11-52.
3- FURTHER READINGS (not compulsory):
Fairclough, N. L. 1995. Critical Discourse Analysis. The Critical Study of Language. London: Longman.
Fairclough, N. L. 1989. Language and Power. London: Longman.
Lakoff, G. and M. Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G. 2009. The Political Mind. London: Penguin.
Orwell, g. 1949. 1984. Any edition.
Van Dijk, T. 1985. Handbook of Discourse Analysis. London: Academic Press.
Yunus, M. 1997. Banker to the Poor. New York: PublicAffairs.
Learning Objectives - Last names A-L
Political speech analysis, study of narrative strategies along with ideology and conceptual metaphors as well as rhetorical and lingustic figures.
Learning Objectives - Last names M-Z
The level of English that students achieve at the end of the course is B2 (as defined by CEFR)
Prerequisites - Last names A-L
B2 certificate before to sit the exam.
Prerequisites - Last names M-Z
The language level of English required at the beginning of the course is B2 (CEFR).
Teaching Methods - Last names A-L
Lectures, classroom exercises and assignments, mid-term exam, group/individual presentations (optional).
Teaching Methods - Last names M-Z
The lessons are based on the lecture notes and students are encouraged to interact with the professor and with each other to carry out the exercises. Students will be provided with many activities and examples, video clips and recordings, in order to practice and become familiar with the newly taught concepts.
Further information - Last names A-L
Office hours (during class time)
Monday 1-2 p.m.
D1/001
See the notice board on the web for updated office hours.
You may also email to: andrea.tarantola@unifi.it
Further information - Last names M-Z
No
Type of Assessment - Last names A-L
Written exam
Type of Assessment - Last names M-Z
Final written exam on the course contents. The test will consist in multiple-choice questions, T/F and short answers focused on the material uploaded on the Moodle. The students will be asked to complete the test on the exam day and will be allowed 90 minutes. No dictionaries allowed during the test. There will be no distinctions between those who attended the course and those who did not. Students who attended will have the chance of taking a mock exam, which will be checked and commented in class.
Course program - Last names A-L
Module I – telling narratives
(1) J.K. Rowling’s The fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination, Harvard Commencement Speech, June 5, 2008, Harvard, Cambridge, Boston MA;
(2) Steve Jobs’ Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish Commencement Address, June 12, 2005, Stanford University Stanford, Stanford CA;
(3) Muhammad Yunus’ Poverty is a threat to Peace, Nobel Lecture, December 10, 2006, Oslo, Norway;
Module II – we are at war
(1) Richard Nixon, Vietnamization, November 3, 1969
(2) Winston Churchill, Be ye men of valour, May 19, 1940,
(3) George VI, King's speech, September 3, 1939
(4) George W. Bush, Address to the nation, September 11, 2001
Module III – roads to the future
(1) Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Speech as State President, May 10, 1994, Pretoria.
(2) Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream”, August 28, 1963, Washington DC.
(3) John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Ich bin ein Berliner, 1963, West Berlin, West Germany
Course program - Last names M-Z
I MODULO: TELLING NARRATIVES.
The first module is aimed at analysing the use of language in certain speeches by influential people in the international panorama as to highlight the underlying ideologies that determine the lexical choice, rhetorical figures, grammar structures, pronouns distribution, discourse architecture and so on. Lakoff's account will be followed in order to identify the "narratives" linked to the ideological square of discourse
Speeches:
Muhammad Yunus (2006): “Nobel Peace Prize” Acceptance Speech (Oslo)
Steve Jobs (2005): Commencement Address (Stanford University)
II MODULO: WE ARE AT WAR
War rhetoric at the start of the war:
King George VI (September 3, 1939): “Address to the Nation”
Franklin D. Roosevelt (December 12, 1941): 19th fireside chat
George W. Bush (September 11, 2001): “Evening Speech”
Maintaining consent:
Winston Churchill (May 19, 1940): “Be Ye men of valour”
Richard Nixon (November 3, 1969): Speech on “Vietnamization”
George W. Bush (January 10, 2007): “The New Strategy in Iraq: Primetime Address to the Nation”
III MODULO: ROADS TO THE FUTURE.
Martin Luther King (1963): “I have a dream”
Malcolm X (1963): "The Black Revolution"
Barak Obama (2009): First Inaugural Presidential Address
Nelson Mandela (1994): Inauguration as State President
The 14th Dalai Lama (1989): “Nobel Peace Prize” Acceptance Speech (Oslo)
John F. Kennedy (1963): “Ich bin ein Berliner” Speech (West Berlin)