Students A-L
The course is made up of three modules, which analyze English language, culture and literature, respectively. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to take a critical outlook on different social and cultural topics, such as transnationalism, migration, identity, and integration. They should achieve a critical awareness of the wide-ranging thematic influence of migration and transnationality on literature, with a specific focus on the fiction of Joseph Conrad. The emphasis on migration, as developed through literary texts, will be instrumental to the connection of such theme to modern social and cultural issues. Finally, by promoting active participation to classes, the adopted teaching method envisages the improvement of language skills and the ability to engage in open discussion.
Students M-Z
Teaching objectives
The course is made up of two modules. While the first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language, the second module focuses on Afrofuturism, an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to take a critical outlook on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The emphasis on Afrofuturism, as developed through literary texts, will be instrumental to the connection of this phenomenon to modern social and cultural issues. By promoting active participation in classes, the adopted teaching method envisages the improvement of language skills and the ability to engage in open discussion.
The course is made up of three modules, which analyze English language, culture and literature, respectively. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to take a critical outlook on different social and cultural topics, such as transnationalism, migration, identity, and integration. They should achieve a critical awareness of the wide-ranging thematic influence of migration and transnationality on literature, with a specific focus on the fiction of Joseph Conrad. The emphasis on migration, as developed through literary texts, will be instrumental to the connection of such theme to modern social and cultural issues. Finally, by promoting active participation to classes, the adopted teaching method envisages the improvement of language skills and the ability to engage in open discussion.
Students M-Z
Teaching objectives
The course is made up of two modules. While the first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language, the second module focuses on Afrofuturism, an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to take a critical outlook on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The emphasis on Afrofuturism, as developed through literary texts, will be instrumental to the connection of this phenomenon to modern social and cultural issues. By promoting active participation in classes, the adopted teaching method envisages the improvement of language skills and the ability to engage in open discussion.
Curriculum
Canali
teacher profile teaching materials
Professor Tania Zulli
A.A. 2018/19
8 C.F.U.
Valid for all Undergraduate Courses
Classes start on 11th March 2019
3 modules-compulsory-8 CFU
Timetable:
To give the exam, students MUST enrol on the “Portale dello studente”.
When coming to register the mark, students will have to hand a certificate attesting that they have passed the test at CLA.
This syllabus is valid till February 2020.
Students are highly recommended to read the files PROGRAM and FAQ_COURSE_2018-19 before getting in touch with questions about the course.
Attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Non-attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
SYLLABUS 2018-2019
“JOSEPH CONRAD AND THE TRANSNATIONAL: MIGRATION, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE”
1° module: English Grammar: Learning the language
Classes will focus on the study of English grammar, vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2° module: Joseph Conrad
Conrad’s fiction will be analyzed in a transnational perspective, not only by focusing on his well-known biographical condition of émigre which certainly invites to an international approach, but mainly considering the many practices of cultural negotiation characterizing his narrative. In order to show this multiplicity of literary and linguistic effects, we will make a comparative analysis of Conrad’s prose and the works of other writers, both European and non-European. Conrad is a British writer whose Polish origins and solid European literary culture influenced and shaped both the content and the language of his works. Several idioms are present in his narrative: English as the official language of novel writing, French and Polish as the languages that influenced the structure and word choice of his fiction, the colonial languages introduced in his African and Malay novels. This linguistic variety conveys a multiplicity of cultural viewpoints that has been transposed in Conrad’s works accounting for his status of cosmopolitan writer.
3° module: “Amy Foster”
Differently from other works written by Conrad, which concentrate on the social, political and cultural implications of the ‘adventure of colonization’, Amy Foster concentrates on the ‘adventure of migration’, apparently less cruel, but equally tragic in its representation of mass movements, hostility and solitude. The topic is introduced under a double perspective, the plural vision of mass migration — the protagonist’s journey on trains and ships crowded with people is skillfully reported by Dr Kennedy as Yanko’s own story — and the individual view of the emigrant, the single man fighting to change his life.
Exclusion, adaptation, and the difficulty of communication will be analyzed in order to detect the many links of the story to today’s contemporary reality of migration.
Attending students:
Exemption Test
The Exemption Test for attending students takes place at the end of the course and is exclusively addressed to the students who have attended classes. It is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Oral Exam
Attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will be on the topics analysed during the course (both grammar and literature/culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Exemption tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Non attending students:
Written Exam
The Written Exam is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Questions will focus on the programme for non-attending students.
Oral Exam
Non-attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will focus on the topics of the programme for non-attending students (both grammar and literature/culture).
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Written tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Programme
Language, Culture and Institutions of the English Speaking CountriesProfessor Tania Zulli
A.A. 2018/19
8 C.F.U.
Valid for all Undergraduate Courses
Classes start on 11th March 2019
3 modules-compulsory-8 CFU
Timetable:
To give the exam, students MUST enrol on the “Portale dello studente”.
When coming to register the mark, students will have to hand a certificate attesting that they have passed the test at CLA.
This syllabus is valid till February 2020.
Students are highly recommended to read the files PROGRAM and FAQ_COURSE_2018-19 before getting in touch with questions about the course.
Attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Non-attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
SYLLABUS 2018-2019
“JOSEPH CONRAD AND THE TRANSNATIONAL: MIGRATION, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE”
1° module: English Grammar: Learning the language
Classes will focus on the study of English grammar, vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2° module: Joseph Conrad
Conrad’s fiction will be analyzed in a transnational perspective, not only by focusing on his well-known biographical condition of émigre which certainly invites to an international approach, but mainly considering the many practices of cultural negotiation characterizing his narrative. In order to show this multiplicity of literary and linguistic effects, we will make a comparative analysis of Conrad’s prose and the works of other writers, both European and non-European. Conrad is a British writer whose Polish origins and solid European literary culture influenced and shaped both the content and the language of his works. Several idioms are present in his narrative: English as the official language of novel writing, French and Polish as the languages that influenced the structure and word choice of his fiction, the colonial languages introduced in his African and Malay novels. This linguistic variety conveys a multiplicity of cultural viewpoints that has been transposed in Conrad’s works accounting for his status of cosmopolitan writer.
3° module: “Amy Foster”
Differently from other works written by Conrad, which concentrate on the social, political and cultural implications of the ‘adventure of colonization’, Amy Foster concentrates on the ‘adventure of migration’, apparently less cruel, but equally tragic in its representation of mass movements, hostility and solitude. The topic is introduced under a double perspective, the plural vision of mass migration — the protagonist’s journey on trains and ships crowded with people is skillfully reported by Dr Kennedy as Yanko’s own story — and the individual view of the emigrant, the single man fighting to change his life.
Exclusion, adaptation, and the difficulty of communication will be analyzed in order to detect the many links of the story to today’s contemporary reality of migration.
Attending students:
Exemption Test
The Exemption Test for attending students takes place at the end of the course and is exclusively addressed to the students who have attended classes. It is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Oral Exam
Attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will be on the topics analysed during the course (both grammar and literature/culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Exemption tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Non attending students:
Written Exam
The Written Exam is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Questions will focus on the programme for non-attending students.
Oral Exam
Non-attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will focus on the topics of the programme for non-attending students (both grammar and literature/culture).
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Written tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Core Documentation
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Reference Bibliography
Further reading is not requiredType of delivery of the course
The teaching method involves lectures supported by textbooks and Powerpoint presentations relating to the topics being covered. The course is taught in English, but the general level of the class will be taken into consideration.Attendance
Attendance is not compulsoryType of evaluation
- The final exam is written and consista of a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions based on the syllabus. Those students who wish to improve the final grade of the Written Exam may take an Oral Exam, whose outcome may affect positively or negatively the grade of the Written Exam. teacher profile teaching materials
The first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language. The language skills acquired by the students will be assessed at the end of the course through the 'Prova di esonero'.
Second module: Afrofuturism: Literature, Music, Cinema
Afrofuturism is an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. At a first glance, Afrofuturism may sound like an oxymoron. “Afro” and “Futurism” are likely to be considered as terms in opposition, the former evoking images of primitivism and backwardness, the latter – ever since F. T. Marinetti’s definition in 1909 – celebrating instead speed and modernity. The creative contribution of Afrofuturist writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers and critics challenges the stereotypical historical view routinely applied to the Black Atlantic experience and proposes counter-histories that reconsider the role of black people in the western society in the past and imagine alternative roles in the future. The module focuses on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The reference material includes works of fiction, critical essays and audiovisual material.
- Adriano Elia, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, RomaTrE-Press, 2015.
Further reference material will be given during the course (see References below).
For students not attending classes:
- R. Ambrosini, A. Rutt, A. Elia, The UK: Learning the Language, Studying the Culture, Roma, Carocci, 2008 (2005).
- N. McNaughton, Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010 (2003).
- A. Hunt, B. Wheeler, “Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”, BBC News, 5 September 2017
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/11/Brexit.pdf).
- English Grammar 2019-20
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/09/English-Grammar-2019_20.pdf).
Programme
First module: English grammar: Learning the LanguageThe first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language. The language skills acquired by the students will be assessed at the end of the course through the 'Prova di esonero'.
Second module: Afrofuturism: Literature, Music, Cinema
Afrofuturism is an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. At a first glance, Afrofuturism may sound like an oxymoron. “Afro” and “Futurism” are likely to be considered as terms in opposition, the former evoking images of primitivism and backwardness, the latter – ever since F. T. Marinetti’s definition in 1909 – celebrating instead speed and modernity. The creative contribution of Afrofuturist writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers and critics challenges the stereotypical historical view routinely applied to the Black Atlantic experience and proposes counter-histories that reconsider the role of black people in the western society in the past and imagine alternative roles in the future. The module focuses on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The reference material includes works of fiction, critical essays and audiovisual material.
Core Documentation
For students attending classes:- Adriano Elia, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, RomaTrE-Press, 2015.
Further reference material will be given during the course (see References below).
For students not attending classes:
- R. Ambrosini, A. Rutt, A. Elia, The UK: Learning the Language, Studying the Culture, Roma, Carocci, 2008 (2005).
- N. McNaughton, Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010 (2003).
- A. Hunt, B. Wheeler, “Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”, BBC News, 5 September 2017
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/11/Brexit.pdf).
- English Grammar 2019-20
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/09/English-Grammar-2019_20.pdf).
Reference Bibliography
- DEFINITION OF AFROFUTURISM 1. Dery M. 1993, Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose, in Dery M. (ed.), Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture, in “The South Atlantic Quarterly”, 92 [4], pp. 735-778. 2. Elia A. 2014, The Languages of Afrofuturism, in “Lingue e Linguaggi”, Vol. 12, pp. 83-96. 3. Eshun K. 1998, More Brilliant than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction, London, Quartet Books, pp. -017 - -001. 4. Eshun K. 2003, Further Considerations on Afrofuturism, in “CR: The New Centennial Review”, 3 [2], pp. 287-302. 5. Lavender III I. 2011, Critical Race Theory, in Bould M., Butler A.M., Roberts A., Vint S. (eds), The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, London/New York, Routledge, pp. 185-193. 6. Lewis G. 2008, Foreword: After Afrofuturism, in Journal of the Society for American Music, 2 (02), pp. 139-153. 7. Nelson A. 2002, Introduction: Future Texts, in “Social Text”, 71, 20 [2], pp. 1-15. 8. Sinker M. 1992, Loving the Alien, in “The Wire”, 96, pp. 30-33. 9. Womack Y. L., 2013, Afrofuturism. The World of Black Sci-fi and Fantasy Culture, Chicago, Lawrence Hill Books, pp. 1-24. - CRITICISM 1. Ashcroft B., Griffiths G., Tiffin H. (eds) 2013 [2000], Postcolonial Studies – The Key Concepts, London/New York, Routledge (excerpts). 2. Césaire A. 1995 [1956], Notebook of a Return to My Native Land, translated by M. Rosello with A. Pritchard, Introduction by M. Rosello (pp. 9-68), Tarset, Northumberland, Bloodaxe Books. Excerpts: Rosello M., "Introduction", pp. 46-49; Césaire, "Notebook", pp. 107-117. 3. Du Bois W. E. B. 1994 [1903], The Souls of Black Folks, New York, Dover Publications, pp. v-vii; 1-24. 4. Fanon F. 2008 [1952], Black Skin, White Mask, London, Pluto Press. Excerpts: "Introduction" (pp. 1-7); Chapter 5, "The Fact of Blackness" (pp. 82-108); "By Way of Conclusion" (pp. 174-181). 5. Fanon F. 2001 [1961], The Wretched of the Earth, London, Pluto Press, pp. 251-255. 6. Gilroy P. 1993, The Black Atlantic: Modernity And Double Consciousness, London/New York, Verso, pp. i-xiii; 1-19; 225-228. 7. Mikula M. 2008, Key Concepts in Cultural Studies, Houndmills, Basingstoke/New York, Palgrave Macmillan (excerpts). 8. Sardar Z. 2008, Foreword to the 2008 Edition, in Fanon F. 2008 [1952], pp. vi-xx. 9. Sartre J. P., Preface, in Fanon F. 2001 [1961], pp. 7-26. AFROFUTURISM AND LITERATURE 1. Afrofuturism: Timeline of the Alterverse. Webb F. 2014, Reframing Afrofuturism, a Historical, Spiritual and Conceptual History, www.tikitoki. com/timeline/entry/309200/Afrofuturism#vars!date=1829-08-13_11:34:51 2. Baraka A. 1996, Rhythm Travel, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 113-115. 3. Bould M., Butler A. M., Roberts A., Vint S. 2011, Introduction, in The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, London/New York, Routledge, pp. xix-xxii. 4. Butler O. E. 1988 [1979], Kindred, London, The Women’s Press Limited, pp. 9-51. 5. Butler O. E. 1995, The Monophobic Response, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 415-416. 6. Callahan J. 2001, Introduction, in Ellison R. 2001 [1952], pp. ix-xxiv. 7. Davis L., "31 Essential Science Fiction Terms and Where They Came From", 23 June 2014, http://io9.com/31-essential-science-fiction-terms-and-where-they-came- 1594794250 8. Delany S. R. 1999, Racism and Science Fiction, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 383-397. 9. Du Bois W.E.B. 1920, The Comet, in Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil, New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, in Thomas (ed.) 2000, pp. 5-18. 10. Elia A. 2015, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, Roma TrE-Press. 11. Ellison R. 1981, Author’s Introduction, in Ellison R. 2001 [1952], pp. xxv-xli. 12. Ellison R. 2001 [1952], Invisible Man, London, Penguin, pp. 1-37; 94-95; 216-217; 231-250; 572-581. 13. Gates H.L. Jr, McKay N.Y. 2003 (eds), The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, New York, Norton (excerpts) Jarrett G.A. 2014 (ed.), The Wiley Blackwell Anthology of African American Literature, Oxford, Wiley Blackwell (excerpts). 15. Kenan R. 1991, An Interview with Octavia E. Butler, in “Callaloo”, 14.2, pp. 495-504. 16. Nevins J., Martinez M., "Before Science Fiction: Romances of Science and Scientific Romances", 23 December 2011, http://io9.com/5870883/science-fictionbefore- science-fiction-romances-of-science-and-scientific-romances 17. Rabaka R. 2006, W.E.B. Dubois’s “The Comet” and Contributions to Critical Race Theory: An Essay on Black Radical Politics and Anti-Racist Social Ethics, in “Ethnic Studies Review”, http://www.thefreelibrary.com/W.E.B.+DuBois%27s+%22The+Comet%22+and+contributions+to+critical+race...-a0168089669. 18. Schuyler G. S. 2011 [1931], Black No More, New York, Dover Publications. Excerpt in Thomas S.R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 35-50. 19. Thomas S. R. 2000, Introduction: Looking for the Invisible, in Thomas S.R. (ed.) 2000, pp. ix-xiv. 20. Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, New York, Warner Books. 21. Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2004, Dark Matter: Reading the Bones, New York, Warner Books. 22. Yaszek L. 2005, An Afrofuturist Reading of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, in “Rethinking History: The Journal of Theory and Practice”, 9 [2-3], pp. 297-313. 23. Yaszek L. 2006, Afrofuturism, Science Fiction, and the History of the Future, in “Socialism and Democracy”, 42, 20 [3], pp. 41-60. http://sdonline.org/42/afrofuturism-science-fiction-and-the-history-of-the-future/. AFROFUTURISM AND MUSIC 1. Baraka, A. 1996 [1993], "Sun Ra", in Eulogies, New York, Marsilio Publishers, pp. 171-174. 2. Corbett J. 1994, Brothers from Another Planet: The Space Madness of Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sun Ra, and George Clinton, in Extended Play – Sounding Off from John Cage to Dr. Funkenstein, Durham/London, Duke University Press, pp. 7-24. 3. Williams B. 2001, Black Secret Technology: Detroit Techno and the Information Age, in Nelson A., Tu Thuy Lihn N. with Headlam Hines A. (eds), Technicolor: Race, Technology, and Everyday Life, New York/London, New York University Press, pp. 154-176. AFROFUTURISM AND CINEMA 1. Akomfrah J., The Last Angel of History (1995) – film 2. Coney J., Space is the Place (1974) – film 3. Demme J., Beloved (1998) – film 4. Gerima H., Sankofa (1993) – film 5. Fawaz R. 2012, Space, that Bottomless Pit. Planetary Exile and Metaphors of Belonging in American Afrofuturist Cinema, in “Callaloo”, 35 [4], pp. 1103- 1122. 6. George Clinton - Parliament Funkadelic, The Mothership Connection (1985) – film 7. Higbee E., Bhala Lough A., The Life & Music of Lee Scratch Perry The Upsetter (2011) – film 8. Nama A. 2008, Black Space – Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film, Austin, TX, University of Texas Press. Excerpts: "Introduction" (pp. 1-9); Chapter 6, "Subverting the Genre: The Mothership Connection" (pp. 148-172). 9. Sayles J., The Brother from Another Planet (1984) – film 10. Tarantino Q., Django Unchained (2012) – film WEBSITES - http://afrofuturism.net/filmvideography-2/ - http://www.gotmesh.org/category/dos-and-donts/ - www.sparknotes.com/lit/invisibleman - www.sparknotes.com/lit/kindred - Nelson A. 2010, Interview with Alondra Nelson, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFhEjaal5js - Snider J. C. 2004, Interview: Octavia E. Butler, “SciFiDimensions”, http://www.scifidimensions.com/Jun04/octaviaebutler.htmType of delivery of the course
The teaching method involves lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations and audio-visual material relating to the topics being covered. The course is taught in English but the general level of the class will be taken into consideration.Attendance
Lecture attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
The final exam is written and consists of a series (90) of multiple choice and open-ended questions based on the syllabus. Those students who wish to improve the final grade of the Written Exam may take an Oral Exam, whose outcome may affect positively or negatively the grade of the Written Exam.Canali
teacher profile teaching materials
Professor Tania Zulli
A.A. 2018/19
8 C.F.U.
Valid for all Undergraduate Courses
Classes start on 11th March 2019
3 modules-compulsory-8 CFU
Timetable:
To give the exam, students MUST enrol on the “Portale dello studente”.
When coming to register the mark, students will have to hand a certificate attesting that they have passed the test at CLA.
This syllabus is valid till February 2020.
Students are highly recommended to read the files PROGRAM and FAQ_COURSE_2018-19 before getting in touch with questions about the course.
Attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Non-attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
SYLLABUS 2018-2019
“JOSEPH CONRAD AND THE TRANSNATIONAL: MIGRATION, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE”
1° module: English Grammar: Learning the language
Classes will focus on the study of English grammar, vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2° module: Joseph Conrad
Conrad’s fiction will be analyzed in a transnational perspective, not only by focusing on his well-known biographical condition of émigre which certainly invites to an international approach, but mainly considering the many practices of cultural negotiation characterizing his narrative. In order to show this multiplicity of literary and linguistic effects, we will make a comparative analysis of Conrad’s prose and the works of other writers, both European and non-European. Conrad is a British writer whose Polish origins and solid European literary culture influenced and shaped both the content and the language of his works. Several idioms are present in his narrative: English as the official language of novel writing, French and Polish as the languages that influenced the structure and word choice of his fiction, the colonial languages introduced in his African and Malay novels. This linguistic variety conveys a multiplicity of cultural viewpoints that has been transposed in Conrad’s works accounting for his status of cosmopolitan writer.
3° module: “Amy Foster”
Differently from other works written by Conrad, which concentrate on the social, political and cultural implications of the ‘adventure of colonization’, Amy Foster concentrates on the ‘adventure of migration’, apparently less cruel, but equally tragic in its representation of mass movements, hostility and solitude. The topic is introduced under a double perspective, the plural vision of mass migration — the protagonist’s journey on trains and ships crowded with people is skillfully reported by Dr Kennedy as Yanko’s own story — and the individual view of the emigrant, the single man fighting to change his life.
Exclusion, adaptation, and the difficulty of communication will be analyzed in order to detect the many links of the story to today’s contemporary reality of migration.
Attending students:
Exemption Test
The Exemption Test for attending students takes place at the end of the course and is exclusively addressed to the students who have attended classes. It is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Oral Exam
Attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will be on the topics analysed during the course (both grammar and literature/culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Exemption tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Non attending students:
Written Exam
The Written Exam is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Questions will focus on the programme for non-attending students.
Oral Exam
Non-attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will focus on the topics of the programme for non-attending students (both grammar and literature/culture).
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Written tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Programme
Language, Culture and Institutions of the English Speaking CountriesProfessor Tania Zulli
A.A. 2018/19
8 C.F.U.
Valid for all Undergraduate Courses
Classes start on 11th March 2019
3 modules-compulsory-8 CFU
Timetable:
To give the exam, students MUST enrol on the “Portale dello studente”.
When coming to register the mark, students will have to hand a certificate attesting that they have passed the test at CLA.
This syllabus is valid till February 2020.
Students are highly recommended to read the files PROGRAM and FAQ_COURSE_2018-19 before getting in touch with questions about the course.
Attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Non-attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
SYLLABUS 2018-2019
“JOSEPH CONRAD AND THE TRANSNATIONAL: MIGRATION, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE”
1° module: English Grammar: Learning the language
Classes will focus on the study of English grammar, vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2° module: Joseph Conrad
Conrad’s fiction will be analyzed in a transnational perspective, not only by focusing on his well-known biographical condition of émigre which certainly invites to an international approach, but mainly considering the many practices of cultural negotiation characterizing his narrative. In order to show this multiplicity of literary and linguistic effects, we will make a comparative analysis of Conrad’s prose and the works of other writers, both European and non-European. Conrad is a British writer whose Polish origins and solid European literary culture influenced and shaped both the content and the language of his works. Several idioms are present in his narrative: English as the official language of novel writing, French and Polish as the languages that influenced the structure and word choice of his fiction, the colonial languages introduced in his African and Malay novels. This linguistic variety conveys a multiplicity of cultural viewpoints that has been transposed in Conrad’s works accounting for his status of cosmopolitan writer.
3° module: “Amy Foster”
Differently from other works written by Conrad, which concentrate on the social, political and cultural implications of the ‘adventure of colonization’, Amy Foster concentrates on the ‘adventure of migration’, apparently less cruel, but equally tragic in its representation of mass movements, hostility and solitude. The topic is introduced under a double perspective, the plural vision of mass migration — the protagonist’s journey on trains and ships crowded with people is skillfully reported by Dr Kennedy as Yanko’s own story — and the individual view of the emigrant, the single man fighting to change his life.
Exclusion, adaptation, and the difficulty of communication will be analyzed in order to detect the many links of the story to today’s contemporary reality of migration.
Attending students:
Exemption Test
The Exemption Test for attending students takes place at the end of the course and is exclusively addressed to the students who have attended classes. It is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Oral Exam
Attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will be on the topics analysed during the course (both grammar and literature/culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Exemption tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Non attending students:
Written Exam
The Written Exam is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Questions will focus on the programme for non-attending students.
Oral Exam
Non-attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will focus on the topics of the programme for non-attending students (both grammar and literature/culture).
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Written tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Core Documentation
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Reference Bibliography
Further reading is not requiredType of delivery of the course
The teaching method involves lectures supported by textbooks and Powerpoint presentations relating to the topics being covered. The course is taught in English, but the general level of the class will be taken into consideration.Attendance
Attendance is not compulsoryType of evaluation
- The final exam is written and consista of a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions based on the syllabus. Those students who wish to improve the final grade of the Written Exam may take an Oral Exam, whose outcome may affect positively or negatively the grade of the Written Exam. teacher profile teaching materials
The first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language. The language skills acquired by the students will be assessed at the end of the course through the 'Prova di esonero'.
Second module: Afrofuturism: Literature, Music, Cinema
Afrofuturism is an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. At a first glance, Afrofuturism may sound like an oxymoron. “Afro” and “Futurism” are likely to be considered as terms in opposition, the former evoking images of primitivism and backwardness, the latter – ever since F. T. Marinetti’s definition in 1909 – celebrating instead speed and modernity. The creative contribution of Afrofuturist writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers and critics challenges the stereotypical historical view routinely applied to the Black Atlantic experience and proposes counter-histories that reconsider the role of black people in the western society in the past and imagine alternative roles in the future. The module focuses on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The reference material includes works of fiction, critical essays and audiovisual material.
- Adriano Elia, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, RomaTrE-Press, 2015.
Further reference material will be given during the course (see References below).
For students not attending classes:
- R. Ambrosini, A. Rutt, A. Elia, The UK: Learning the Language, Studying the Culture, Roma, Carocci, 2008 (2005).
- N. McNaughton, Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010 (2003).
- A. Hunt, B. Wheeler, “Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”, BBC News, 5 September 2017
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/11/Brexit.pdf).
- English Grammar 2019-20
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/09/English-Grammar-2019_20.pdf).
Programme
First module: English grammar: Learning the LanguageThe first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language. The language skills acquired by the students will be assessed at the end of the course through the 'Prova di esonero'.
Second module: Afrofuturism: Literature, Music, Cinema
Afrofuturism is an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. At a first glance, Afrofuturism may sound like an oxymoron. “Afro” and “Futurism” are likely to be considered as terms in opposition, the former evoking images of primitivism and backwardness, the latter – ever since F. T. Marinetti’s definition in 1909 – celebrating instead speed and modernity. The creative contribution of Afrofuturist writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers and critics challenges the stereotypical historical view routinely applied to the Black Atlantic experience and proposes counter-histories that reconsider the role of black people in the western society in the past and imagine alternative roles in the future. The module focuses on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The reference material includes works of fiction, critical essays and audiovisual material.
Core Documentation
For students attending classes:- Adriano Elia, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, RomaTrE-Press, 2015.
Further reference material will be given during the course (see References below).
For students not attending classes:
- R. Ambrosini, A. Rutt, A. Elia, The UK: Learning the Language, Studying the Culture, Roma, Carocci, 2008 (2005).
- N. McNaughton, Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010 (2003).
- A. Hunt, B. Wheeler, “Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”, BBC News, 5 September 2017
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/11/Brexit.pdf).
- English Grammar 2019-20
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/09/English-Grammar-2019_20.pdf).
Reference Bibliography
- DEFINITION OF AFROFUTURISM 1. Dery M. 1993, Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose, in Dery M. (ed.), Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture, in “The South Atlantic Quarterly”, 92 [4], pp. 735-778. 2. Elia A. 2014, The Languages of Afrofuturism, in “Lingue e Linguaggi”, Vol. 12, pp. 83-96. 3. Eshun K. 1998, More Brilliant than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction, London, Quartet Books, pp. -017 - -001. 4. Eshun K. 2003, Further Considerations on Afrofuturism, in “CR: The New Centennial Review”, 3 [2], pp. 287-302. 5. Lavender III I. 2011, Critical Race Theory, in Bould M., Butler A.M., Roberts A., Vint S. (eds), The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, London/New York, Routledge, pp. 185-193. 6. Lewis G. 2008, Foreword: After Afrofuturism, in Journal of the Society for American Music, 2 (02), pp. 139-153. 7. Nelson A. 2002, Introduction: Future Texts, in “Social Text”, 71, 20 [2], pp. 1-15. 8. Sinker M. 1992, Loving the Alien, in “The Wire”, 96, pp. 30-33. 9. Womack Y. L., 2013, Afrofuturism. The World of Black Sci-fi and Fantasy Culture, Chicago, Lawrence Hill Books, pp. 1-24. - CRITICISM 1. Ashcroft B., Griffiths G., Tiffin H. (eds) 2013 [2000], Postcolonial Studies – The Key Concepts, London/New York, Routledge (excerpts). 2. Césaire A. 1995 [1956], Notebook of a Return to My Native Land, translated by M. Rosello with A. Pritchard, Introduction by M. Rosello (pp. 9-68), Tarset, Northumberland, Bloodaxe Books. Excerpts: Rosello M., "Introduction", pp. 46-49; Césaire, "Notebook", pp. 107-117. 3. Du Bois W. E. B. 1994 [1903], The Souls of Black Folks, New York, Dover Publications, pp. v-vii; 1-24. 4. Fanon F. 2008 [1952], Black Skin, White Mask, London, Pluto Press. Excerpts: "Introduction" (pp. 1-7); Chapter 5, "The Fact of Blackness" (pp. 82-108); "By Way of Conclusion" (pp. 174-181). 5. Fanon F. 2001 [1961], The Wretched of the Earth, London, Pluto Press, pp. 251-255. 6. Gilroy P. 1993, The Black Atlantic: Modernity And Double Consciousness, London/New York, Verso, pp. i-xiii; 1-19; 225-228. 7. Mikula M. 2008, Key Concepts in Cultural Studies, Houndmills, Basingstoke/New York, Palgrave Macmillan (excerpts). 8. Sardar Z. 2008, Foreword to the 2008 Edition, in Fanon F. 2008 [1952], pp. vi-xx. 9. Sartre J. P., Preface, in Fanon F. 2001 [1961], pp. 7-26. AFROFUTURISM AND LITERATURE 1. Afrofuturism: Timeline of the Alterverse. Webb F. 2014, Reframing Afrofuturism, a Historical, Spiritual and Conceptual History, www.tikitoki. com/timeline/entry/309200/Afrofuturism#vars!date=1829-08-13_11:34:51 2. Baraka A. 1996, Rhythm Travel, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 113-115. 3. Bould M., Butler A. M., Roberts A., Vint S. 2011, Introduction, in The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, London/New York, Routledge, pp. xix-xxii. 4. Butler O. E. 1988 [1979], Kindred, London, The Women’s Press Limited, pp. 9-51. 5. Butler O. E. 1995, The Monophobic Response, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 415-416. 6. Callahan J. 2001, Introduction, in Ellison R. 2001 [1952], pp. ix-xxiv. 7. Davis L., "31 Essential Science Fiction Terms and Where They Came From", 23 June 2014, http://io9.com/31-essential-science-fiction-terms-and-where-they-came- 1594794250 8. Delany S. R. 1999, Racism and Science Fiction, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 383-397. 9. Du Bois W.E.B. 1920, The Comet, in Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil, New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, in Thomas (ed.) 2000, pp. 5-18. 10. Elia A. 2015, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, Roma TrE-Press. 11. Ellison R. 1981, Author’s Introduction, in Ellison R. 2001 [1952], pp. xxv-xli. 12. Ellison R. 2001 [1952], Invisible Man, London, Penguin, pp. 1-37; 94-95; 216-217; 231-250; 572-581. 13. Gates H.L. Jr, McKay N.Y. 2003 (eds), The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, New York, Norton (excerpts) Jarrett G.A. 2014 (ed.), The Wiley Blackwell Anthology of African American Literature, Oxford, Wiley Blackwell (excerpts). 15. Kenan R. 1991, An Interview with Octavia E. Butler, in “Callaloo”, 14.2, pp. 495-504. 16. Nevins J., Martinez M., "Before Science Fiction: Romances of Science and Scientific Romances", 23 December 2011, http://io9.com/5870883/science-fictionbefore- science-fiction-romances-of-science-and-scientific-romances 17. Rabaka R. 2006, W.E.B. Dubois’s “The Comet” and Contributions to Critical Race Theory: An Essay on Black Radical Politics and Anti-Racist Social Ethics, in “Ethnic Studies Review”, http://www.thefreelibrary.com/W.E.B.+DuBois%27s+%22The+Comet%22+and+contributions+to+critical+race...-a0168089669. 18. Schuyler G. S. 2011 [1931], Black No More, New York, Dover Publications. Excerpt in Thomas S.R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 35-50. 19. Thomas S. R. 2000, Introduction: Looking for the Invisible, in Thomas S.R. (ed.) 2000, pp. ix-xiv. 20. Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, New York, Warner Books. 21. Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2004, Dark Matter: Reading the Bones, New York, Warner Books. 22. Yaszek L. 2005, An Afrofuturist Reading of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, in “Rethinking History: The Journal of Theory and Practice”, 9 [2-3], pp. 297-313. 23. Yaszek L. 2006, Afrofuturism, Science Fiction, and the History of the Future, in “Socialism and Democracy”, 42, 20 [3], pp. 41-60. http://sdonline.org/42/afrofuturism-science-fiction-and-the-history-of-the-future/. AFROFUTURISM AND MUSIC 1. Baraka, A. 1996 [1993], "Sun Ra", in Eulogies, New York, Marsilio Publishers, pp. 171-174. 2. Corbett J. 1994, Brothers from Another Planet: The Space Madness of Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sun Ra, and George Clinton, in Extended Play – Sounding Off from John Cage to Dr. Funkenstein, Durham/London, Duke University Press, pp. 7-24. 3. Williams B. 2001, Black Secret Technology: Detroit Techno and the Information Age, in Nelson A., Tu Thuy Lihn N. with Headlam Hines A. (eds), Technicolor: Race, Technology, and Everyday Life, New York/London, New York University Press, pp. 154-176. AFROFUTURISM AND CINEMA 1. Akomfrah J., The Last Angel of History (1995) – film 2. Coney J., Space is the Place (1974) – film 3. Demme J., Beloved (1998) – film 4. Gerima H., Sankofa (1993) – film 5. Fawaz R. 2012, Space, that Bottomless Pit. Planetary Exile and Metaphors of Belonging in American Afrofuturist Cinema, in “Callaloo”, 35 [4], pp. 1103- 1122. 6. George Clinton - Parliament Funkadelic, The Mothership Connection (1985) – film 7. Higbee E., Bhala Lough A., The Life & Music of Lee Scratch Perry The Upsetter (2011) – film 8. Nama A. 2008, Black Space – Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film, Austin, TX, University of Texas Press. Excerpts: "Introduction" (pp. 1-9); Chapter 6, "Subverting the Genre: The Mothership Connection" (pp. 148-172). 9. Sayles J., The Brother from Another Planet (1984) – film 10. Tarantino Q., Django Unchained (2012) – film WEBSITES - http://afrofuturism.net/filmvideography-2/ - http://www.gotmesh.org/category/dos-and-donts/ - www.sparknotes.com/lit/invisibleman - www.sparknotes.com/lit/kindred - Nelson A. 2010, Interview with Alondra Nelson, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFhEjaal5js - Snider J. C. 2004, Interview: Octavia E. Butler, “SciFiDimensions”, http://www.scifidimensions.com/Jun04/octaviaebutler.htmType of delivery of the course
The teaching method involves lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations and audio-visual material relating to the topics being covered. The course is taught in English but the general level of the class will be taken into consideration.Attendance
Lecture attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
The final exam is written and consists of a series (90) of multiple choice and open-ended questions based on the syllabus. Those students who wish to improve the final grade of the Written Exam may take an Oral Exam, whose outcome may affect positively or negatively the grade of the Written Exam.Canali
teacher profile teaching materials
Professor Tania Zulli
A.A. 2018/19
8 C.F.U.
Valid for all Undergraduate Courses
Classes start on 11th March 2019
3 modules-compulsory-8 CFU
Timetable:
To give the exam, students MUST enrol on the “Portale dello studente”.
When coming to register the mark, students will have to hand a certificate attesting that they have passed the test at CLA.
This syllabus is valid till February 2020.
Students are highly recommended to read the files PROGRAM and FAQ_COURSE_2018-19 before getting in touch with questions about the course.
Attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Non-attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
SYLLABUS 2018-2019
“JOSEPH CONRAD AND THE TRANSNATIONAL: MIGRATION, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE”
1° module: English Grammar: Learning the language
Classes will focus on the study of English grammar, vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2° module: Joseph Conrad
Conrad’s fiction will be analyzed in a transnational perspective, not only by focusing on his well-known biographical condition of émigre which certainly invites to an international approach, but mainly considering the many practices of cultural negotiation characterizing his narrative. In order to show this multiplicity of literary and linguistic effects, we will make a comparative analysis of Conrad’s prose and the works of other writers, both European and non-European. Conrad is a British writer whose Polish origins and solid European literary culture influenced and shaped both the content and the language of his works. Several idioms are present in his narrative: English as the official language of novel writing, French and Polish as the languages that influenced the structure and word choice of his fiction, the colonial languages introduced in his African and Malay novels. This linguistic variety conveys a multiplicity of cultural viewpoints that has been transposed in Conrad’s works accounting for his status of cosmopolitan writer.
3° module: “Amy Foster”
Differently from other works written by Conrad, which concentrate on the social, political and cultural implications of the ‘adventure of colonization’, Amy Foster concentrates on the ‘adventure of migration’, apparently less cruel, but equally tragic in its representation of mass movements, hostility and solitude. The topic is introduced under a double perspective, the plural vision of mass migration — the protagonist’s journey on trains and ships crowded with people is skillfully reported by Dr Kennedy as Yanko’s own story — and the individual view of the emigrant, the single man fighting to change his life.
Exclusion, adaptation, and the difficulty of communication will be analyzed in order to detect the many links of the story to today’s contemporary reality of migration.
Attending students:
Exemption Test
The Exemption Test for attending students takes place at the end of the course and is exclusively addressed to the students who have attended classes. It is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Oral Exam
Attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will be on the topics analysed during the course (both grammar and literature/culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Exemption tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Non attending students:
Written Exam
The Written Exam is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Questions will focus on the programme for non-attending students.
Oral Exam
Non-attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will focus on the topics of the programme for non-attending students (both grammar and literature/culture).
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Written tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Programme
Language, Culture and Institutions of the English Speaking CountriesProfessor Tania Zulli
A.A. 2018/19
8 C.F.U.
Valid for all Undergraduate Courses
Classes start on 11th March 2019
3 modules-compulsory-8 CFU
Timetable:
To give the exam, students MUST enrol on the “Portale dello studente”.
When coming to register the mark, students will have to hand a certificate attesting that they have passed the test at CLA.
This syllabus is valid till February 2020.
Students are highly recommended to read the files PROGRAM and FAQ_COURSE_2018-19 before getting in touch with questions about the course.
Attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Non-attending students:
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
SYLLABUS 2018-2019
“JOSEPH CONRAD AND THE TRANSNATIONAL: MIGRATION, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE”
1° module: English Grammar: Learning the language
Classes will focus on the study of English grammar, vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2° module: Joseph Conrad
Conrad’s fiction will be analyzed in a transnational perspective, not only by focusing on his well-known biographical condition of émigre which certainly invites to an international approach, but mainly considering the many practices of cultural negotiation characterizing his narrative. In order to show this multiplicity of literary and linguistic effects, we will make a comparative analysis of Conrad’s prose and the works of other writers, both European and non-European. Conrad is a British writer whose Polish origins and solid European literary culture influenced and shaped both the content and the language of his works. Several idioms are present in his narrative: English as the official language of novel writing, French and Polish as the languages that influenced the structure and word choice of his fiction, the colonial languages introduced in his African and Malay novels. This linguistic variety conveys a multiplicity of cultural viewpoints that has been transposed in Conrad’s works accounting for his status of cosmopolitan writer.
3° module: “Amy Foster”
Differently from other works written by Conrad, which concentrate on the social, political and cultural implications of the ‘adventure of colonization’, Amy Foster concentrates on the ‘adventure of migration’, apparently less cruel, but equally tragic in its representation of mass movements, hostility and solitude. The topic is introduced under a double perspective, the plural vision of mass migration — the protagonist’s journey on trains and ships crowded with people is skillfully reported by Dr Kennedy as Yanko’s own story — and the individual view of the emigrant, the single man fighting to change his life.
Exclusion, adaptation, and the difficulty of communication will be analyzed in order to detect the many links of the story to today’s contemporary reality of migration.
Attending students:
Exemption Test
The Exemption Test for attending students takes place at the end of the course and is exclusively addressed to the students who have attended classes. It is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Oral Exam
Attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will be on the topics analysed during the course (both grammar and literature/culture). Further details will be given by the teacher in class.
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Exemption tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Non attending students:
Written Exam
The Written Exam is made up of multiple choice exercises (module 1: grammar) plus 3 open questions (modules 2 and 3: literature and culture). Questions will focus on the programme for non-attending students.
Oral Exam
Non-attending students who would like to improve their written mark may give an Oral Exam in one of the three available sessions (i.e. January/February, June/July, September). The exam will focus on the topics of the programme for non-attending students (both grammar and literature/culture).
Depending on the oral performance, the initial mark may either increase or decrease.
N.B. Access to the Oral Exam is only possible after passing both the CLA and Written tests. When registering the mark (during one of the oral sessions) students will have to present a document attesting that they have passed the test at CLA. Enrolment on the “Portale dello studente” is compulsory.
Core Documentation
- Peter May, Compact First. Second Edition, Student’s Book Pack with answers, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014.- Tania Zulli, Amy Foster, Venezia, Marsilio, 2018.
- Tania Zulli, Joseph Conrad: Language and Transnationalism, Chieti, Solfanelli, 2019.
Reference Bibliography
Further reading is not requiredType of delivery of the course
The teaching method involves lectures supported by textbooks and Powerpoint presentations relating to the topics being covered. The course is taught in English, but the general level of the class will be taken into consideration.Attendance
Attendance is not compulsoryType of evaluation
- The final exam is written and consista of a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions based on the syllabus. Those students who wish to improve the final grade of the Written Exam may take an Oral Exam, whose outcome may affect positively or negatively the grade of the Written Exam. teacher profile teaching materials
The first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language. The language skills acquired by the students will be assessed at the end of the course through the 'Prova di esonero'.
Second module: Afrofuturism: Literature, Music, Cinema
Afrofuturism is an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. At a first glance, Afrofuturism may sound like an oxymoron. “Afro” and “Futurism” are likely to be considered as terms in opposition, the former evoking images of primitivism and backwardness, the latter – ever since F. T. Marinetti’s definition in 1909 – celebrating instead speed and modernity. The creative contribution of Afrofuturist writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers and critics challenges the stereotypical historical view routinely applied to the Black Atlantic experience and proposes counter-histories that reconsider the role of black people in the western society in the past and imagine alternative roles in the future. The module focuses on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The reference material includes works of fiction, critical essays and audiovisual material.
- Adriano Elia, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, RomaTrE-Press, 2015.
Further reference material will be given during the course (see References below).
For students not attending classes:
- R. Ambrosini, A. Rutt, A. Elia, The UK: Learning the Language, Studying the Culture, Roma, Carocci, 2008 (2005).
- N. McNaughton, Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010 (2003).
- A. Hunt, B. Wheeler, “Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”, BBC News, 5 September 2017
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/11/Brexit.pdf).
- English Grammar 2019-20
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/09/English-Grammar-2019_20.pdf).
Programme
First module: English grammar: Learning the LanguageThe first module deals with some of the main grammar and morpho-syntactic structures of the English language. The language skills acquired by the students will be assessed at the end of the course through the 'Prova di esonero'.
Second module: Afrofuturism: Literature, Music, Cinema
Afrofuturism is an interdisciplinary cultural movement that rejects a number of clichés that have commonly referred to people of African descent. At a first glance, Afrofuturism may sound like an oxymoron. “Afro” and “Futurism” are likely to be considered as terms in opposition, the former evoking images of primitivism and backwardness, the latter – ever since F. T. Marinetti’s definition in 1909 – celebrating instead speed and modernity. The creative contribution of Afrofuturist writers, musicians, artists, filmmakers and critics challenges the stereotypical historical view routinely applied to the Black Atlantic experience and proposes counter-histories that reconsider the role of black people in the western society in the past and imagine alternative roles in the future. The module focuses on the different languages of Afrofuturism: music, visual arts, cinema and especially literature − proto-Afrofuturist fiction such as W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “The Comet” (1920), George S. Schuyler’s novel Black No More (1931) and more recent examples such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) and Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979). The reference material includes works of fiction, critical essays and audiovisual material.
Core Documentation
For students attending classes:- Adriano Elia, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, RomaTrE-Press, 2015.
Further reference material will be given during the course (see References below).
For students not attending classes:
- R. Ambrosini, A. Rutt, A. Elia, The UK: Learning the Language, Studying the Culture, Roma, Carocci, 2008 (2005).
- N. McNaughton, Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2010 (2003).
- A. Hunt, B. Wheeler, “Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”, BBC News, 5 September 2017
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2009/11/Brexit.pdf).
- English Grammar 2019-20
(available here: https://scienzepolitiche-uniroma3-it.mirror.uniroma3.it/aelia/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/09/English-Grammar-2019_20.pdf).
Reference Bibliography
- DEFINITION OF AFROFUTURISM 1. Dery M. 1993, Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose, in Dery M. (ed.), Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture, in “The South Atlantic Quarterly”, 92 [4], pp. 735-778. 2. Elia A. 2014, The Languages of Afrofuturism, in “Lingue e Linguaggi”, Vol. 12, pp. 83-96. 3. Eshun K. 1998, More Brilliant than the Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction, London, Quartet Books, pp. -017 - -001. 4. Eshun K. 2003, Further Considerations on Afrofuturism, in “CR: The New Centennial Review”, 3 [2], pp. 287-302. 5. Lavender III I. 2011, Critical Race Theory, in Bould M., Butler A.M., Roberts A., Vint S. (eds), The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, London/New York, Routledge, pp. 185-193. 6. Lewis G. 2008, Foreword: After Afrofuturism, in Journal of the Society for American Music, 2 (02), pp. 139-153. 7. Nelson A. 2002, Introduction: Future Texts, in “Social Text”, 71, 20 [2], pp. 1-15. 8. Sinker M. 1992, Loving the Alien, in “The Wire”, 96, pp. 30-33. 9. Womack Y. L., 2013, Afrofuturism. The World of Black Sci-fi and Fantasy Culture, Chicago, Lawrence Hill Books, pp. 1-24. - CRITICISM 1. Ashcroft B., Griffiths G., Tiffin H. (eds) 2013 [2000], Postcolonial Studies – The Key Concepts, London/New York, Routledge (excerpts). 2. Césaire A. 1995 [1956], Notebook of a Return to My Native Land, translated by M. Rosello with A. Pritchard, Introduction by M. Rosello (pp. 9-68), Tarset, Northumberland, Bloodaxe Books. Excerpts: Rosello M., "Introduction", pp. 46-49; Césaire, "Notebook", pp. 107-117. 3. Du Bois W. E. B. 1994 [1903], The Souls of Black Folks, New York, Dover Publications, pp. v-vii; 1-24. 4. Fanon F. 2008 [1952], Black Skin, White Mask, London, Pluto Press. Excerpts: "Introduction" (pp. 1-7); Chapter 5, "The Fact of Blackness" (pp. 82-108); "By Way of Conclusion" (pp. 174-181). 5. Fanon F. 2001 [1961], The Wretched of the Earth, London, Pluto Press, pp. 251-255. 6. Gilroy P. 1993, The Black Atlantic: Modernity And Double Consciousness, London/New York, Verso, pp. i-xiii; 1-19; 225-228. 7. Mikula M. 2008, Key Concepts in Cultural Studies, Houndmills, Basingstoke/New York, Palgrave Macmillan (excerpts). 8. Sardar Z. 2008, Foreword to the 2008 Edition, in Fanon F. 2008 [1952], pp. vi-xx. 9. Sartre J. P., Preface, in Fanon F. 2001 [1961], pp. 7-26. AFROFUTURISM AND LITERATURE 1. Afrofuturism: Timeline of the Alterverse. Webb F. 2014, Reframing Afrofuturism, a Historical, Spiritual and Conceptual History, www.tikitoki. com/timeline/entry/309200/Afrofuturism#vars!date=1829-08-13_11:34:51 2. Baraka A. 1996, Rhythm Travel, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 113-115. 3. Bould M., Butler A. M., Roberts A., Vint S. 2011, Introduction, in The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, London/New York, Routledge, pp. xix-xxii. 4. Butler O. E. 1988 [1979], Kindred, London, The Women’s Press Limited, pp. 9-51. 5. Butler O. E. 1995, The Monophobic Response, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 415-416. 6. Callahan J. 2001, Introduction, in Ellison R. 2001 [1952], pp. ix-xxiv. 7. Davis L., "31 Essential Science Fiction Terms and Where They Came From", 23 June 2014, http://io9.com/31-essential-science-fiction-terms-and-where-they-came- 1594794250 8. Delany S. R. 1999, Racism and Science Fiction, in Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 383-397. 9. Du Bois W.E.B. 1920, The Comet, in Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil, New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, in Thomas (ed.) 2000, pp. 5-18. 10. Elia A. 2015, La Cometa di W.E.B. Du Bois, Roma, Roma TrE-Press. 11. Ellison R. 1981, Author’s Introduction, in Ellison R. 2001 [1952], pp. xxv-xli. 12. Ellison R. 2001 [1952], Invisible Man, London, Penguin, pp. 1-37; 94-95; 216-217; 231-250; 572-581. 13. Gates H.L. Jr, McKay N.Y. 2003 (eds), The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, New York, Norton (excerpts) Jarrett G.A. 2014 (ed.), The Wiley Blackwell Anthology of African American Literature, Oxford, Wiley Blackwell (excerpts). 15. Kenan R. 1991, An Interview with Octavia E. Butler, in “Callaloo”, 14.2, pp. 495-504. 16. Nevins J., Martinez M., "Before Science Fiction: Romances of Science and Scientific Romances", 23 December 2011, http://io9.com/5870883/science-fictionbefore- science-fiction-romances-of-science-and-scientific-romances 17. Rabaka R. 2006, W.E.B. Dubois’s “The Comet” and Contributions to Critical Race Theory: An Essay on Black Radical Politics and Anti-Racist Social Ethics, in “Ethnic Studies Review”, http://www.thefreelibrary.com/W.E.B.+DuBois%27s+%22The+Comet%22+and+contributions+to+critical+race...-a0168089669. 18. Schuyler G. S. 2011 [1931], Black No More, New York, Dover Publications. Excerpt in Thomas S.R. (ed.) 2000, pp. 35-50. 19. Thomas S. R. 2000, Introduction: Looking for the Invisible, in Thomas S.R. (ed.) 2000, pp. ix-xiv. 20. Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2000, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, New York, Warner Books. 21. Thomas S. R. (ed.) 2004, Dark Matter: Reading the Bones, New York, Warner Books. 22. Yaszek L. 2005, An Afrofuturist Reading of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, in “Rethinking History: The Journal of Theory and Practice”, 9 [2-3], pp. 297-313. 23. Yaszek L. 2006, Afrofuturism, Science Fiction, and the History of the Future, in “Socialism and Democracy”, 42, 20 [3], pp. 41-60. http://sdonline.org/42/afrofuturism-science-fiction-and-the-history-of-the-future/. AFROFUTURISM AND MUSIC 1. Baraka, A. 1996 [1993], "Sun Ra", in Eulogies, New York, Marsilio Publishers, pp. 171-174. 2. Corbett J. 1994, Brothers from Another Planet: The Space Madness of Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sun Ra, and George Clinton, in Extended Play – Sounding Off from John Cage to Dr. Funkenstein, Durham/London, Duke University Press, pp. 7-24. 3. Williams B. 2001, Black Secret Technology: Detroit Techno and the Information Age, in Nelson A., Tu Thuy Lihn N. with Headlam Hines A. (eds), Technicolor: Race, Technology, and Everyday Life, New York/London, New York University Press, pp. 154-176. AFROFUTURISM AND CINEMA 1. Akomfrah J., The Last Angel of History (1995) – film 2. Coney J., Space is the Place (1974) – film 3. Demme J., Beloved (1998) – film 4. Gerima H., Sankofa (1993) – film 5. Fawaz R. 2012, Space, that Bottomless Pit. Planetary Exile and Metaphors of Belonging in American Afrofuturist Cinema, in “Callaloo”, 35 [4], pp. 1103- 1122. 6. George Clinton - Parliament Funkadelic, The Mothership Connection (1985) – film 7. Higbee E., Bhala Lough A., The Life & Music of Lee Scratch Perry The Upsetter (2011) – film 8. Nama A. 2008, Black Space – Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film, Austin, TX, University of Texas Press. Excerpts: "Introduction" (pp. 1-9); Chapter 6, "Subverting the Genre: The Mothership Connection" (pp. 148-172). 9. Sayles J., The Brother from Another Planet (1984) – film 10. Tarantino Q., Django Unchained (2012) – film WEBSITES - http://afrofuturism.net/filmvideography-2/ - http://www.gotmesh.org/category/dos-and-donts/ - www.sparknotes.com/lit/invisibleman - www.sparknotes.com/lit/kindred - Nelson A. 2010, Interview with Alondra Nelson, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFhEjaal5js - Snider J. C. 2004, Interview: Octavia E. Butler, “SciFiDimensions”, http://www.scifidimensions.com/Jun04/octaviaebutler.htmType of delivery of the course
The teaching method involves lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations and audio-visual material relating to the topics being covered. The course is taught in English but the general level of the class will be taken into consideration.Attendance
Lecture attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
The final exam is written and consists of a series (90) of multiple choice and open-ended questions based on the syllabus. Those students who wish to improve the final grade of the Written Exam may take an Oral Exam, whose outcome may affect positively or negatively the grade of the Written Exam.