The course aims at guiding students through a diachronic analysis of the language of advertising (from the early advertisements of the 16th century - in the form of handbills and posters - to contemporary digital advertisements), and at equipping participants with the ability to discuss Shakespeare's role in advertising and conduct a linguistic, rhetorical and semiotic analysis of contemporary "Shakespearean ads", that is to say of advertisements based on works by William Shakespeare or where the playwright appears as a character. The course will be held in English.

Special information for ERASMUS students is included in the "Note varie" section.

1 The functions of language and the factors of communication.
2 The language of advertising.
2.1 Some advertising history.
2.2 The language of advertising in Shakespeare's times.
2.3 Attention-seeking devices in advertisements.
3 Shakespeare's role in advertisements, from the Victorian age to the present.
4 Analysis of contemporary "Shakespearean ads" (print, video and digital advertisements).

Students will be involved in individual or group assignments.

The written exam must be passed before the correspondent oral exam: for further details see "Vademecum 2013-2014, Parte Generale", available at http://www.uniurb.it/lingue/edocs/PartGen12-13_%28nuovicorsi%29.pdf

Conoscenza e capacità di comprensione (knowledge and understanding)
Even students of business and marketing courses in the Anglophone world have to acknowledge the role of such a cultural icon and myth as Shakespeare. This course provides cultural and linguistic information so as to make students recognize and understand this phenomenon in today's advertising, with an eye to the history of advertising, since - perhaps ignored by many - this selling strategy started exactly at Shakespeare's time.
Capacità di applicare conoscenza e comprensione (applying knowledge and understanding)
After making students aware of this phemomenon, the course will ask students to practice the acquired knowledge by applying their understanding to some ads, so as to show their skill in ‘reading' them.
Autonomia di giudizio (making judgements)
Both the theoretical background, the examples discussed in class and what can derive from the reading list will help student create their own opinion on the use of Shakespeare in contemporary ads.
Abilità comunicative (communication skills)
If class conditions will allow (especially during the seminars) students will be prompted to interact and discuss their judgments on advertising policy and on the history of advertising. The oral exam will be the moment in which their communication skills will be mostly tested.
Capacità di apprendimento (learning skills)
Students' learning skills will be stimulated during the course. First of all listening, understanding and reading, then writing will be also tested by asking them - in group activities - to invent ads that presuppose the knowledge of Shakespeare's topicality in our time.

An expert in Shakespearean ads will hold the seminars.

Modalità didattiche

Lecture and seminars.

English language tutorials are held by the "Collaboratori and Esperti Linguistici", Dr. Peter Cullen and Dr. Deborah Peterson.

Obblighi

Students are warmly invited to attend lessons and the correlated activities, in particular those held by the "Collaboratori ed Esperti Linguistici".

Testi di studio

A) Choose one from the following:
Dyer, G., Advertising as Communication. London: Routledge, 1982 (esp. chapters 6-8, available at the University Library).
Goddard, A., The Language of Advertising. Written texts. London: Routledge, 1998 (esp. units 1-4, available at the University Library).
Myers, G., Words in Ads. London: Hodder Arnold, 1997 [1994] (esp. chapters 2-6 and 8-10, available at the University Library).

B) Read all the following texts:

Elliott, B.B., A History of English Advertising. London: Business Pubns, 1962 (chapters 1-3, PDF).
Mullini, R., "‘With such flourishes as these': The Visual Politics of Charlatans' Handbills in Early Modern London", Textus XXII (2009), n. 3, pp. 553-72 (available at the University Library).
Nevett, T.R., Advertising in Britain: A History. London: Heinemann, 1982 (chapter 2, PDF).
Lanier, D., "Marketing", in A. F. Kinney (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare. Oxford: OUP, 2012, pp. 498-514 (available at the University Library).
The above mentioned PDF files will be available at professor Mullini's School website (http://www.uniurb.it/lingue/matdid/mullini/).

Modalità di
accertamento

Oral exam in English. Oral exams may be preceded by a written part consisting in questions about the course programme, collectively held either on the 'appello' day or on a date communicated together with the list of the 'appelli'.
Possible classwork will also be evaluated.
Written exam and oral language assessment according to the rules applying to the second year of the Laurea triennale.

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

Modalità didattiche

Lecture and seminars.

English language tutorials are held by the "Collaboratori and Esperti Linguistici", Dr. Peter Cullen and Dr. Deborah Peterson.

Testi di studio

A) Choose one from the following:
Dyer, G., Advertising as Communication. London: Routledge, 1982 (esp. chapters 6-8, available at the University Library).
Goddard, A., The Language of Advertising. Written texts. London: Routledge, 1998 (esp. units 1-4, available at the University Library).
Myers, G., Words in Ads. London: Hodder Arnold, 1997 [1994] (esp. chapters 2-6 and 8-10, available at the University Library).

B) Read all the following texts:

Elliott, B.B., A History of English Advertising. London: Business Pubns, 1962 (chapters 1-3, PDF).
Mullini, R., "‘With such flourishes as these': The Visual Politics of Charlatans' Handbills in Early Modern London", Textus XXII (2009), n. 3, pp. 553-72 (available at the University Library).
Nevett, T.R., Advertising in Britain: A History. London: Heinemann, 1982 (chapter 2, PDF).
Lanier, D., "Marketing", in A. F. Kinney (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare. Oxford: OUP, 2012, pp. 498-514 (available at the University Library).
The above mentioned PDF files will be available at professor Mullini's School website (http://www.uniurb.it/lingue/matdid/mullini/).

Modalità di
accertamento

Oral exam in English. Oral exams may be preceded by a written part consisting in questions about the course programme, collectively held either on the 'appello' day or on a date communicated together with the list of the 'appelli'.
Possible classwork will also be evaluated.
Written exam and oral language assessment according to the rules applying to the second year of the Laurea triennale.

For information about the "accertamento linguistico" and written exams, see the section "Lingua inglese - Lettorato".

Disabilità e DSA

Le studentesse e gli studenti che hanno registrato la certificazione di disabilità o la certificazione di DSA presso l'Ufficio Inclusione e diritto allo studio, possono chiedere di utilizzare le mappe concettuali (per parole chiave) durante la prova di esame.

A tal fine, è necessario inviare le mappe, due settimane prima dell’appello di esame, alla o al docente del corso, che ne verificherà la coerenza con le indicazioni delle linee guida di ateneo e potrà chiederne la modifica.

Note for possible ERASMUS students: this exam can be chosen only by those ERAMUS students who will spend the whole academic year at the University of Urbino.

They must be aware that, in order to obtain the 8 credits, the whole exams must be passed, it consisting of three necessarily sequential parts: 1) written language paper to be taken in May 2014 on a different day from parts 2+3, 2) oral language assessment (for 1+2 see "Collaboratori ed esperti linguistici" below"), 3) oral exam on the basis of the following activities and readings enlisted in this programme. Phases 2+3 will be taken on the same day. Student have to pass the written test before registering for parts 2+3. The 8 credits cannot be split, therefore students have to pass all three parts of the exam.

Non attending students are invited to get in touch with Professor Mullini either by phone (during office hours), or by email, and with the "Collaboratori ed Esperti Linguistici" (but also to check possible further information posted on the web).
All students are invited to look up additional information and material which will be made available during the course at professor Mullini's School website (http://www.uniurb.it/lingue/matdid/mullini/), "Materiale didattico".
When students e-mail professor Mullini, they are kindly requested to use their university address if they want to receive an answer.