The course aims to provide students with the conceptual tools characterizing the study of language in a cognitive perspective. In particular, the course aims at providing knowledge about the processes underlying a specific aspect of language: the ability to tell stories.
teacher profile teaching materials
The course includes experimental activities aimed at supporting the theoretical model proposed.
- Scott-Phillips (2017) Dì quello che hai in mente. Le origini della comunicazione umana, Carocci, Roma
- Caruana F., Borghi A. (2016) Il cervello in azione, Il Mulino, Bologna
Programme
The course focuses on the relationship between language and narrative from a cognitive and evolutionary point of view. In contrast to the theories considering the sentence as the essence of language, the course suggests an interpretative hypothesis based on the priority of discourse over sentence; specifically, it is suggested that the ability to tell stories is the distinctive trait both of language and human nature.The course includes experimental activities aimed at supporting the theoretical model proposed.
Core Documentation
- Corballis M. (2020), La verità sul linguaggio, Carocci, Roma.- Scott-Phillips (2017) Dì quello che hai in mente. Le origini della comunicazione umana, Carocci, Roma
- Caruana F., Borghi A. (2016) Il cervello in azione, Il Mulino, Bologna
Type of evaluation
Individual written paper to be agreed with the teacher. The list of possible topics is available on the Moodle page of the course (2020-2021).