Specialized rehabilitation

Module GLOTTOLOGIA E LINGUISTICA

At the end of the corse, in line with the Dublin Descriptors and thanks to the workshop-based approach adopted in the course, students should be able to achieve the learning outcomes described below.

1.    Knowledge and understanding

Students will learn:

- the theoretical foundations for a scientific study of languages and language, through reflection on the characteristics and properties common to all historical-natural languages, linguistic variation, and the main sociolinguistic issues; 

- some basic concepts of pragmatics (speech acts, Grice's model, deixis) and textual linguistics;

- the main characteristics of Italian used in medicine and the textual types of medical-scientific communication.

2.    Applying knowledge and understanding

Students will be able to:

- use tools for analyzing the Italian used in specialized texts, particularly medical texts (from a morphological, syntactic, textual, and pragmatic-communicative point of view);

- recognize and describe the linguistic and textual peculiarities of medical Italian in relation to common language.

3.   Making judgements 

Students will be able to critically evaluate the use of language in specialized and professional contexts, in relation to the context, communicative purposes, and target audience.

4.    Communication skills

Students will be required to: 

- present linguistic content in a clear and appropriate manner, using appropriate specialized terminology;

- argue coherently and in a structured manner during oral presentations;

5.    Learning skills

Students will be able to use tools for the independent study and updating of linguistic and communication knowledge and skills, according to the needs of their future professional activity.

Lectures and active learning, with the support of multimedia presentations.

Workshop dedicated to the analysis of scientific texts, particularly medical texts.

• Some basic concepts: natural and human language; natural-historical languages. The sociolinguistic perspective, varieties of Italian: specialistic languages and medical language. 
• From meaning to use: pragmatics. Speech acts, the Gricean model, implicatures and presuppositions. 
• Textual linguistics.
• The Italian of medicine: morphological, syntactic and textual peculiarities. 
• Toward professional writing: textual types of specialized medical communication (scientific article, medical record, report, etc.).

- G. Gagliardi, Linguistica per le professioni sanitarie, Pàtron editore, 2019, in particolare: cap. I. Il linguaggio e le lingue storico-naturali (pp. 17-56); cap. V. Il lessico (pp. 161-189); VIII. Pragmatica (pp. 259-286).

- G. Gobber, M. Morani, “Elementi di linguistica del testo”, in Id. Linguistica generale. III ed. 2026, pp. 131-147.

- R. Piro, L'italiano della medicina, Carocci, 2022 (pp. 126). 

Possible in-course tests or laboratory exercises on textual analysis will be agreed upon and, if necessary, the students' writing of a textual analysis paper (as agreed upon in class).

• What are the specific characteristics of human language that distinguish it from other types of "language."
  
• Language varieties (diatopia, diaphasia, diamesia, diastratia).
  
• Medical Italian: between common language and specialized variety.
  
• The main morphological characteristics of medical Italian.
  
• What are the specific syntactic aspects of medical Italian?
  
• From what perspective does pragmatics observe language and what elements does it highlight?
  
• What is deixis?
  
• Direct and indirect speech acts.
  
• What are anaphoric encapsulators?
  
• Textual types of medical communication.