BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
1) Course Objectives (official course taught by the instructor): At the end of the course, the student has acquired C1+ level ability in English. In this course the student also acquires specific competences concerning oral and written communication in English both in general discourse and a few specialist fields, such as marketing and business. Students will also acquire competence related to the principles of persuasive communication and theoretical knowledge. Students will also develop practical skills for analyzing texts in contemporary English, also from a translational perspective.
2) Instrumental Objectives (language labs/AAL): By the end of the course, students will have developed and refined their operational skills in the four communicative abilities at the C1+ CEFR level for English. To this end, participation in the dedicated Language Learning Activities (AAL), although not mandatory, is highly recommended.
Course Prerequisites
C1 level of English (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - CEFR).
Teaching Methods
1) Official course taught by the instructor: Teaching will be delivered through face-to-face lectures in English. Sessions may include empirical work and group discussions. All links and materials used during the course will be gradually made available on the Moodle e-learning platform.
2) Regarding instrumental skills (language labs/AAL): Please refer to the section of the university website dedicated to the Language Center by selecting English – LLCS: https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/inglese/inglese-llcs
Students will also have access to tutoring services: https://cla.unibg.it/it/apprendimento-lingue/servizi-studenti/servizio-tutoring
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of two parts: a computer-based test + an oral exam
- Computer-Based Test. This parts tests the following elements: Business English, General English, and translation (open-ended, typed on a computer—just a few lines from Italian into English). Practice exercises are available on Moodle. The test is valid for 18 months. To be admitted to the oral exam, a minimum overall score of 60% is required (it is not necessary to pass each section individually, as long as the overall average reaches 60%). Each correct answer equals 1 point; incorrect answers receive 0 points. There are no penalties for incorrect answers.
- Oral Exam. This consists of a discussion based on the textbook content and the materials analyzed in class (available on Moodle).
The computer-based test accounts for one-third (33.3%) of the final grade. The oral exam accounts for two-thirds (66.6%).
Therefore, the oral exam will take place in English, but only after successfully passing the C1+ level computer-based test with at least 60% correct responses.
The oral exam will cover the entire course program in order to evaluate students’ understanding of the material. Evaluation will consider expressive ability, lexical, morphosyntactic, pragmatic, and phonological accuracy, as well as disciplinary competence. Grading will fall within five bands:
- A: Excellent (30 with honors) – Outstanding knowledge of all course content. Precise, accurate, and effective presentation.
- B: Very Good (30–27) – Very solid understanding of all content. Error-free delivery.
- C: Good (26–24) – Good knowledge of the content. Language is mostly accurate.
- D: Sufficient (23–18) – Acceptable knowledge of the content. Some errors present in delivery.
- E: Insufficient (below 18) – Partial and superficial knowledge of the content; delivery is hard to follow due to numerous errors.
Contents
1) Course Content (official course taught by the instructor) Persuasion dynamics in written and spoken English communication, with a specific focus on Business communication. Negotiation techniques in English.
2) Instrumental Content (language labs/AAL) The content of the C1+ CEFR level language labs (AAL) is available on the university’s Language Center webpage by selecting English – LLCS: https://www.unibg.it/studiare/frequentare/apprendimento-linguistico/inglese/inglese-llcs
Online Resources
More information
The list of required texts for the official course includes titles that are essential for exam preparation, for both attending and non-attending students. The list is available in the program under the section "Online Resources – Leganto – Exam Texts."
The main Textbook is: R. Perloff 2023. The Dynamics of Persuasion: Communication and Attitudes in the Twenty-First Century. Routledge. 8th ed. (module A: ch 1-10, module B ch 11-18). If you want to use a previous edition, it is ok , but please check with the teacher that you cover all the contents requested. Beyond the textbook, students need to study the texts and materials available on Moodle. All students need to sign up to the Moodle course page where all info about the course can be found. The course takes place in the first semester and in the first part of the second semester (sottoperiodi I, II and III)
Language support activities (AAL) are highly recommended. See: https://www.unibg.it/studia-noi/ti-aiutiamo/apprendimento-linguistico/inglese/inglese-llcs