Dispensa LCIS Lingua Inglese 2018 2019 PDF

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DISPENSA A.A. 2018 – 2019 Lingua Inglese (LM LCIS) Esercitazioni (James)

Office 136, staircase B, floor 4, via Cartoleria, 5 Tel: 051-2097241

email: [email protected]

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Contents

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The Esercitazioni Exam Exam facsimile, assessment, scoring, answer guidelines

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Text and Context (Cohesion)

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Analysing Written and Spoken Text Rhetoric (ethos, logos, pathos) Rhetorical Devices

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Political Speeches: Winning Elections Grammatical and lexical repetition

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Winning Elections: National Manifestos Forewords and Immigration policy

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War Speeches

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Civil Rights (the 1960s)

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Black Lives Matter

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News coverage: Immigration Close Reading: Word Choice

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Editorials: Immigration Close Reading: Identifying Point of View and Argument

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All the copyrighted materials included in this ‘dispensa’ belong to the respective owners and, following fair use guidelines, are hereby used for educational purposes only.

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THE ESERCITAZIONI EXAM: Facsimile The exam (oral) will last approximately 15 minutes. You will be asked to compare and contrast two texts (from the dispensa). You will be expected to speak for between two and three minutes. You will be able to refer to the texts, copies will be provided. You will be given two to three minutes in order for you to make notes. For example: Compare and contrast the rhetorical devices and messages contained in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Colonel Tim Collins’ Iraq War speech. You will then be expected to answer questions relating to the texts. For example: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is generally considered one of the greatest wartime speeches ever made. Can you explain its appeal? Or For a young soldier listening to Colonel Tim Collins’ Iraq War speech before going into battle, what would you say are its strengths and/or weaknesses?

THE ESERCITAZIONI EXAM: STUDENT ASSESSMENT Marks will be awarded for: 1 Task achievement This concerns the main issues to be discussed, as well as the ability to establish a clear focus on the question. 

Fully answers all aspects of the task in sufficient depth.



Answers the task in sufficient depth to cover the main points.



The main points are discussed, but there may be some unnecessary or irrelevant ideas.



Not all aspects of the task are covered or not in enough depth.

2 Structure and organization This relates to the overall structure of the presentation: introduction, body, and conclusion. 

There is a suitable introduction, body, and conclusion. The sequence of information in the body of the spoken text enhances understanding of the points being made. Information in the body sections follows a general to specific structure. Understanding of the text is enhanced by the use of sentence linking devices.



There is an introduction, body, and conclusion. The sequence of information in the body of the spoken text contributes to an understanding of the points being made, and generally follows a 3

general to specific structure. The use of sentence linking devices largely helps the listener to understand the text. 

There may not be a suitable introduction or conclusion. Attempts to sequence information is evident but insufficient. There is a general lack of structure and sentence linking devices are incorrectly or rarely used, making it difficult for the listener to follow the ideas or understand the text.



The text is unstructured, or structured in a way that prevents understanding. Very few sentence linking devices appear, and these are usually used incorrectly.

3 Language This relates to the use of functional language and accuracy in grammar. 

Mistakes are not significant. A wide range of functional language is used which is appropriate for the question. Vocabulary is appropriate throughout. Grammar is accurate.



Occasional mistakes occur, which do not prevent understanding. A good range of functional language is used which is appropriate for the question. Vocabulary is mostly appropriate throughout. Grammar is generally accurate.



Repeated mistakes occur which sometimes prevent understanding. Some functional language is used. Vocabulary is not always appropriate. Grammar inaccuracies prevent understanding in places.



There are a large number of very serious mistakes. Meaning is often unclear. There is only limited use of functional language. Vocabulary is inappropriate and grammar accuracy insufficient to aid understanding.

Scoring: 1 Task achievement (/30)

2 Structure and organization; Language (/30)

The above scores are then divided by two to give the student a provisional score out of 30. The student will then be asked one or two follow-up questions (see exam facsimile above) and the provisional score may be adjusted to determine the student’s final esercitazioni score.

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Exam guidelines: Presenting your ideas In the oral (esercitazioni) exam, you will be asked to compare and contrast two texts from the dispensa. When presenting your comment on the texts, follow these simple guidelines: Your comment should have a structure and have a/an   

Beginning Middle End

In other words, a/an   

Introduction Body (Aspect 1, Aspect 2, Aspect 3) Conclusion

This means that in the three parts you will 1) Tell your listeners what you are going to tell them. 2) Tell them. 3) Tell them what you have told them. For each aspect in the body, the information you provide should follow a general-specific pattern. The structure outlined above is similar to a five-paragraph essay. See over →

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Compare and Contrast Presentation Structure: Block Method / vertical In the Block Method, each section addresses ONE TEXT ONLY from the pair of texts analysed and includes the SHARED ASPECTS you have chosen to compare in both texts. However, you may wish to contrast two aspects, i.e. ‘aspect 3’ in both sections may include a feature unique or prevalent in one text. Introduction introduction of general topic specific topic areas to be covered in the presentation

  

Text 1 Aspect 1  Detail  Detail Aspect 2  Detail  Detail Aspect 3  Detail  Detail

Text 2 Aspect 1  Detail  Detail Aspect 2  Detail  Detail Aspect 3  Detail  Detail

Conclusion  

Summary of main points Evaluation

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Compare and Contrast Presentation Structure: Point-by-Point Method / Horizontal In the Point-by-Point Method, each section addresses ONE ASPECT ONLY of the two texts analysed, and in the same order Introduction   

introduction of general topic specific topic areas to be covered in the presentation

Text 1 Aspect 1  Detail  Detail Text 2 Aspect 1  Detail  Detail

Text 1 Aspect 2  Detail  Detail Text 2 Aspect 2  Detail  Detail

Text 1 Aspect 3  Detail  Detail Text 2 Aspect 3  Detail  Detail

Conclusion  

Summary of main points Evaluation 7

Text and Context Cohesion Cohesion gives a text its structure. The text below contains sentences in random order from three different sources. Exercise: 1 Separate the sentences (lexical cohesion) 2 Put them in the most appropriate order (grammatical cohesion) Plaintiff will be provided the opportunity to submit a completed forma pauperis application and a certified copy in support of his application. In recent years, the term ‘English as a lingua franca ’ (ELF) has emerged as a way of referring to communication in English between speakers with different first languages. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. However, the certificate portion of the request which must be completed by plaintiff’s institution of incarceration has not been filled out. Although this does not preclude the participation of English native speakers in ELF interaction, what is distinctive about ELF is that, in most cases, it is a ‘contact language’ between persons who share neither a common native tongue nor a common (national) culture, and for whom English is the chosen foreign language of communication’ (Firth 1996: 240). The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Also, plaintiff has not filed a certified copy of his prison trust account statement for the six-month period immediately preceding the filing of the complaint. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the People have remained faithful to the ideas of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. Since roughly only one out of every four users of English in the world is a native speaker of the language (Cryst al 2003), most ELF interactions take place among ‘non-native’ speakers of English. Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has filed a civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 together with a request for leave to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

How did you separate the sentences in 1? How did you determine their order in 2? What types of text are they?

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Lexical cohesion Words and phrases. Relationship between words (semantic fields or words referring to the same subject matter). Level of formality in vocabulary. 1 word repetition (function words, content words) 2 synonyms 3 superordinates and hyponyms 4 opposites and related words (antonyms, converses)

Grammatical cohesion The way that grammatical features weave together across sentences. 1 substitutes 2 ellipsis 3 reference words: exophoric, endophoric / anaphoric, cataphoric 4 connectives

In the song on the next page, analyze the lexical and grammatical cohesion. Who are the actors? What voices can you identify? Are there variations of formality within the text?

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RIOT VAN Up rolls a riot van And sparks excitement in the boys But the policemen look annoyed Perhaps these are ones they should avoid They got a chase last night from men with truncheons dressed in hats They didn’t do that much wrong, still ran away though for the laugh, just for the laugh “And please just stop talking ’Cos they won’t find us if you do Oh those silly boys in blue Well they won’t catch me and you” “Have you been drinking son, you don’t look old enough to me” “I’m sorry officer is there a certain age you’re supposed to be? ‘cos nobody told me” And up rolls the riot van And these lads just wind the coppers up They ask why they don’t catch proper crooks They get their address and their names took But they couldn’t care less Prone in the riot van And all the coppers kicked him in And there was no way he could win Just had to take it on the chin Arctic Monkeys (2005)

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Analyzing written and spoken text An understanding of rhetoric does not require a familiarity of the entire range of rhetorical devices devised by Greek and Roman rhetorical scholars, but a knowledge of some of the most fundamental terms provides an insight into some of the wide variety of things it is possible to do with words. It makes readers or listeners more sensitive to what writers or speakers are trying to achieve. This is important when analyzing a written or spoken text.

Rhetoric: the art of persuasion Aristotle: the rhetorician’s task is to ‘discover the best available means of persuasion’. To do so he/she must find what arguments can be found both for and against a proposition. This means selecting the best on his/her side, and which will hold most sway with the intended audience, and finding counter-arguments to those on the other. The macro’ questions of rhetoric. Aristotle identified three persuasive appeals: ethos, logos and pathos. These are, roughly speaking, character, logic/reason and emotion, respectively. To varying degrees, speeches play on one or more of these appeals, or frequently all three. However, boundaries between the appeals may be blurred or ambiguous.

Ethos This is how speakers/writers position themselves with their audience, how they establish their authority. In other words, persuasion through character. This is the foundation on which the text is built. It establishes a connection with between speaker and audience. An argument prospers if it is founded on common assumptions of the audience, and meeting their expectations. Alternatively, in special cases, it will prosper if the audience is minded to defer to the speaker’s authority. For example: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears,” (Antony’s funeral oration in Julius Caesar) “Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans. I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all.” (Nelson Mandela’s first speech on his release from prison in 1990) Both speakers appeal to their audience on a human level and establish a common bond as well as widening their appeal to the nation inclusive of all citizens. ‘Lend’ and ‘greet’ are verbs whose rhetorical effect is both intimate and humble. Both speakers position themselves as one of the people and not above them: they establish who they are. In sum, ethos is the ground on which an argument stands. Logos This is what drives an argument forward. Its development should see one point leading to the next to come to a natural conclusion, i.e. the conclusion is the right one and, apparently, so reasonable it could be the only one. Reason is done through induction, probabilities rather than certainties, through analogy and generalization. Aristotle saw rhetoric as the province of enthymemes, these being units of thought articulating the 11

relationships between ideas. Enthymemes are general propositions used for maximum effect, soundbites, to coin the modern term. Logos is therefore persuasion through reasoning, and reasoning starts from a set of premises. These have to appeal to the common sense and are generally deep-rooted commonplaces and so deep-rooted as to be seen as universal truths. Logos is persuasion, not absolute proof. Proof does not necessarily mean ‘certainty’ but demonstrating a set of propositions ‘beyond all reasonable doubt’. Here is an example taken from John F. Kennedys Inaugural Address in which he claims, and reasons why, peace must be the ultimate goal. “Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.” Pathos This is the appeal to emotion, or rather persuasion through the arousal of emotion. To be effective it has to be a shared emotion. In his “Yes We Can” speech, Obama appealed to feelings of unity and patriotism when posing particular problems facing America as “a challenge that should unite America.” Similar appeals were made by Martin Luther King in his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. One example is his appeal to his followers’ sense of dignity: “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” Sources: Beard, A, (2000) The Language of Politics, Abingdon: Routledge. Leith, S. (2011) You Talkin’ to Me? Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama, London: Profile Books Toye, R. (2013) Rhetoric. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Rhetorical devices The previous section looked at three ‘macro’ questions of ethos, logos, and pathos. The general question of whether speeches play on character, reason, or character. Micro techniques – rhetorical devices – concern the wording of argument, the shaping of the text: word by word, clause by clause, sentence by sentence. There is a vast range of such techniques, some of the most important are:         

Alliteration Anaphora Antithesis/Contrastive pairs Epiphora Metaphor – ‘giving the thing a name that belongs to something else’ (Aristotle) Pronoun choice Rhetorical questions Rule of Three (tricolon) Simile – saying something is ‘like’ something else

Exercise: look at the extracts below and underline the rhetorical devices employed from the list above.

1) Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you --ask what you can do for your country.

(John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961)

2) There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that Communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that Communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

(John F Kennedy. "Ich bin ein Berliner". West Berlin, 26 June 1963.)

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Political speeches: winning elections Grammatical and lexical repetition Outcome: exploring differences in linguistic choices made by speakers Below are two extracts from speeches by Tony Blair, then leader of the Labour party and John Major, then leader of the Conservative party, at their respective party conferences. Political speeches are regarded as coming under ‘the speaking of what has been written to be spoken’. The extracts represent the closing few minutes of each speech where their climatic and persuasive purposes are most evident. The Blair extract is 487 words long and lasts just over four minutes, but it is punctuated by applause. The applause is noted in the transcript for its important contribution to the overall effect of the speech, and indicates how it was received in the conference. The Major speech is 471 words and just over three minutes long, with no intervening applause. Each leader’s speech might have been the last opportunity for a conference speech before the following election, though in the event the election was not called until May 1997 – almost at the end of the Conservative government’s full five-year term.

___________________________________________________ Tony Blair, Labour party conference, Brighton, 3 October, 1995 This was Blair’s second speech to the party conference as leader and thus an opportunity to affirm himself after a year of trying to ‘rebrand’ the party. Blair’s mission in this first year of leader had been to convince the party of need to reform, to attend less to some of the traditional tokens of a socialist party. But, less obviously, his mission had been to establish an image of himself, and to convince not only as a party leader but as a Prime Minister in waiting. (applause)… The coming election is not...