Italian Studies
Honours-Level Optional Modules, 2015-16
Year-long Modules (Terms 1 & 2, 30 CATS)
-Comparative Literature: Italian and English Short Fiction (IT309; tutors: Alessio Cotugno,
Rochelle Sibley):
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/mitalian/modules/modulesyears34/it309
-Dissertation (IT412; Year 4 only):
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/currentstudents/undergraduate/italian/
resources/dissertation
Term 1 modules (15 CATS)
-Introducing Dante's Hell (IT317; tutor: Simon Gilson):
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/currentstudents/undergraduate/italian/
modules/modulesyears34/it317
-Transnational Stories in Italy (ITXXX; not available to students who have already taken IT303)
(new module; tutors: Joanne Lee, Jenny Burns; see description below)
-Translation: Contemporary Theories and Practices (ITXXX; new module; tutor: Loredana Polezzi;
see description below)
-The Making of the Italian Language: From Dante to the Present (ITXXX; new module; tutor:
Alessio Cotugno; see description below)
Term 2 modules (15 CATS)
-Culture and Identities in Nineteenth-century Italy (IT305; tutors: Fabio Camilletti, Alessia Aloisi):
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/currentstudents/undergraduate/italian/
modules/modulesyears34/it305
-Italian Cinema: Envisioning the Nation (IT313; tutor: Jenny Burns):
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/currentstudents/undergraduate/italian/
modules/modulesyears34/it313
-Magic and Marvels in Renaissance Italy (IT323; tutor: Maude Vanhaelen):
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/modernlanguages/currentstudents/undergraduate/italian/
modules/modulesyears34/it323
-Multilingualism and Modern Languages (ITXXX; new module; tutors: Marco Santello, Naomi
Wells; see description below)
Abstracts for new modules
Transnational Stories in Italy. This module aims to enhance students’ understanding of how
mobility and immigration have shaped identities in Italy in recent decades. Students will develop a
detailed knowledge of Italy’s history as a former colonial power and explore the impact of
postcoloniality on national cultures. These questions will be explored in relation to Italy’s identity
as a destination country in global migratory flows through an analysis of four contemporary novels.
The topics discussed will include the impact of displacement on subjectivity; the problematic notion
of home; the memory of Italy’s colonial past; and motherhood and migration. The analysis of the
texts will be informed by theories of personal, cultural, and national identity construction and
students will develop an awareness of how terms such as transnationalism, postcolonialism,
hybridity and multiculturalism can be applied to the Italian case.
Translation: Contemporary Theories and Practices. The module is designed to introduce
students to the notion of translation as a specific set of skills, situate the practice of translation
within the context of relevant theories developed in the field of Translation Studies, and raise
awareness of the role of translation and of translators in contemporary society. The module will be
available across the School of Modern Languages & Cultures, and does not require language
abilities in any specific language.
The Making of the Italian Language: From Dante to the Present. This module aims to
emphasize a broad cultural approach to the History of the Italian language, with an emphasis upon
Dante’s linguistics, the Renaissance and the vernacularization of knowledge, the process of
unification and the relation between language and national-building in XIXth century Italy, and the
contemporary social and linguistic transformations.
Multilingualism and Modern Languages. This module will discuss the roles and the uses of
modern languages in contemporary societies in light of their geographical fragmentation as well as
transnational status. Taking a sociolinguistic perspective, students will explore key issues relating to
the rich multilingualism of Europe, its repertoires and its minority languages. The module will also
present French, German, Italian and Spanish in a range of settings that challenge their
characterization as European languages – for instance against the backdrop of global Englishes –
looking at multilingual practices and linguistic behaviours in various parts of the world where these
languages come into contact with others.
This module will be offered across the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. By
carrying out a small research project involving speakers of their languages of specialization,
students will develop a set of research skills in relation to language in society. The aim is to
approach critically the planning and methods involved in the collection and analysis of
sociolinguistic data and to acquire a first-hand understanding of languages and their current uses.
Students will also be encouraged to reflect upon their previous direct experiences during the year
abroad and to question assumptions related to linguistic borders/boundaries, territoriality and
monolingualism.