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  •                            The Street : linguistic aspects   

    STUDENTS WHO NEED TO TAKE THE WRITTEN EXAM FOR THIS COURSE CAN SIGN UP BELOW FOR JULY 2nd at 2.30pm.


    Thursday 17-19 Room 006 vSR

    Office Hours  Friday 11-13 Room 24 vSR 

    ejsainsbury@hotmail.it

    We take as a point of departure the study of various aspects of contemporary urban culture such as graffiti, street art, subvertising, poetry performed or posted on the street and publications by the homeless to investigate the particular forms of language necessary to describe these phenomena.  

    The aim is to widen the students’ lexis and to refine their written and oral skills and critical abilities in analysing texts and describing visual images. To achieve these objectives, the students do in-class pair and group work, oral presentations, short written assignments, also of a creative nature, and a final written exam. The assignments, presentation and exam are assessed for the final mark.

    Bibliography: Cedar Lewisohn, Street Art, (London, Tate Publishing, 2008), Gerard Benson, Judith Chernaik, Cicely Herbert, 100 Poems on the Underground, (London, Cassell Publishers Limited, 1991).

    Students should buy the booklet available at Copisteria X, via San Gallo 72r.

    Non-attenders or students who miss lessons should also collect the file of additional material handed out in class and may have to research topics on internet.

    Assignment to bring to the second lesson Thursday 3rd October:

    Write a long paragraph (or 2-3 short paragraphs) of approximately 200 words with a detailed description of an example of graffiti writing or street art (be careful to state clearly whether you consider it an example of graffiti or street art) actually seen in the street (not an image found on internet. You should include information about the location of the piece and the reason you were particularly struck by the image/writing or sculpture you describe. You may use the terminology on p.4 of the booklet. Work should be typed on a sheet of A4 Paper.

    Assignment for third lesson(10th October): 

    1.Finish reading the Fragments section of the booklet

    2. Do some reasearch on internet about the artists interviewed and some of the artists mentioned on the mindmap given in photocopy.

    Assignment for fourth lesson(17th Oct)

    1. Read pp11-13 of your booklet 'Fugitive texts: graffiti writers'. Answer the questions on the photocopy distributed in class.

    2. Create an imaginary graffer or street artist which you will impersonate. Try to imagine all aspects of that person's life and work.

    Assignment for the fifth lesson (this interview may be handed in either on 24th Oct. or on November 7th) 

    Write an interview between a radio or television presenter and a street artist or graffiti writer. The artist/writer should be an imaginary character (the one you invented or a mix of any presented in class). You may base your work on the group work done in class but each student must write their own interview with just one artist/writer. Your work should be in informal register (suitable to the context) and should be typed on A4 paper (approx. 1 page and a half - 2 pages max. You aim is to be entertaining and informative. 

    Assignment for the sixth lesson (7th Nov.):

    1. Find a subvert which you find effective and bring an image of it to class (printed up or on your phone). Be prepared to explain to the class very briefly what it is and why it is effective.
    2. Read the three inflammatory essays by Jennifer Holzer and finish the question sheet begun in class.

    Assignment for ninth lesson: look at the site of M.E.P., Movement for the Emancipation of Poetry, and choos a short  poem which you like. Bring a copy of the poem to class.



◄Language in Poetry from Africa and South Asia
►Translation English Italian