Professional Writing Workshop: Basic Tools for Non-Italian Speaking Students
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This professional skills workshop aims to develop and strengthen specific cross-cutting skills. The abilities learned will help students through their education and enable them to acquire an initial toolkit of skills for a given professional field. These also include the general interpersonal and communication skills that are required for the world of work.
Expected learning outcomes
The professional skills workshop uses interactive and participative teaching methods to develop specific knowledge and skills in selected professional fields. This didactic approach aims to strengthen teamworking, knowledge sharing and problem-solving abilities, while also helping students to practically apply the skills and knowledge they have gained previously within a specific practical setting.
The workshop is open to a limited number of participants, enabling the organisation and monitoring of individual and group work so as to create the best possible opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and understanding gained.
Participants will gain an awareness of the workshop's underlying themes, giving them a grounding from which to form their own personal opinion on the topic at hand.
The workshop is open to a limited number of participants, enabling the organisation and monitoring of individual and group work so as to create the best possible opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and understanding gained.
Participants will gain an awareness of the workshop's underlying themes, giving them a grounding from which to form their own personal opinion on the topic at hand.
Lesson period: First week
Assessment methods: Giudizio di approvazione
Assessment result: superato/non superato
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First week
Course syllabus
The workshop is specifically designed for students of the Stranimedia curriculum and will take place from 17 to 21 February 2025 as follows:
Module 1: Presentation of the workshop and introduction to text types
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Presentation of the workshop and its objectives
· Genre-related features: structure and register
· Reflections on standard and neo-standard Italian
Activities: writing and vocabulary exercises; identifying the linguistic features of different text types; organising, structuring and restructuring a text; choosing the right text type based on the context.
Module 2: Professional writing
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Basic tools to write academic and work-related texts
· Writing a university thesis, conference paper, company report, press release, brochure, or presentation
· Choosing the right language register; using verb tenses and moods; sentence syntax and punctuation; organising a text
· Storytelling
Activities: vocabulary and writing exercises on the proposed topics; mock presentation to the class.
Module 3: The world of work: oral and written communication in professional contexts
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Oral communication: introducing yourself in formal and informal contexts; simulating a job interview, business call or dialogue between colleagues as examples of interaction and collaboration in the workplace; problem solving; becoming familiar with cultural differences on the job in Italy; public speaking.
· Written communication: preparing a CV and a cover letter in Italian; writing formal and informal e-mails, short texts, messages in a work group chat.
Activities: writing CVs, short texts and e-mails; simulating job meetings and interviews; group brainstorming sessions; role-playing.
Module 4: Reporting on a visit to a site representative of the Italian culture
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Planning what to do before, during and after the visit; communicating the results of the visit, specifying details and including personal impressions
· Describing a public place or monument using sector-specific terminology; rephrasing contents into a descriptive text; getting familiar with the surrounding area.
Activity: describing and reporting on the place chosen
Module 5: Writing for the web: e-talian, blogs, online newspapers
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· e-talian
· Structure and vocabulary of newspapers
· Characteristics of web writing
· Choosing web contents
· Summarising strategies
Activities: creating blogs and newspaper webpages; simulation of an editorial staff meeting to decide which contents are going to be published.
Final assessment
Task: students have to write a text from one of the proposed text types, and present it to the class; a final discussion will follow.
Objective: assessing participants' understanding of the theoretical notions of the workshop and their ability to put them into practice.
Workshop timetable
Monday, 17 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Tuesday, 18 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Wednesday, 19 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Thursday, 20 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Friday, 21 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Module 1: Presentation of the workshop and introduction to text types
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Presentation of the workshop and its objectives
· Genre-related features: structure and register
· Reflections on standard and neo-standard Italian
Activities: writing and vocabulary exercises; identifying the linguistic features of different text types; organising, structuring and restructuring a text; choosing the right text type based on the context.
Module 2: Professional writing
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Basic tools to write academic and work-related texts
· Writing a university thesis, conference paper, company report, press release, brochure, or presentation
· Choosing the right language register; using verb tenses and moods; sentence syntax and punctuation; organising a text
· Storytelling
Activities: vocabulary and writing exercises on the proposed topics; mock presentation to the class.
Module 3: The world of work: oral and written communication in professional contexts
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Oral communication: introducing yourself in formal and informal contexts; simulating a job interview, business call or dialogue between colleagues as examples of interaction and collaboration in the workplace; problem solving; becoming familiar with cultural differences on the job in Italy; public speaking.
· Written communication: preparing a CV and a cover letter in Italian; writing formal and informal e-mails, short texts, messages in a work group chat.
Activities: writing CVs, short texts and e-mails; simulating job meetings and interviews; group brainstorming sessions; role-playing.
Module 4: Reporting on a visit to a site representative of the Italian culture
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· Planning what to do before, during and after the visit; communicating the results of the visit, specifying details and including personal impressions
· Describing a public place or monument using sector-specific terminology; rephrasing contents into a descriptive text; getting familiar with the surrounding area.
Activity: describing and reporting on the place chosen
Module 5: Writing for the web: e-talian, blogs, online newspapers
Duration: 4 hours
Contents:
· e-talian
· Structure and vocabulary of newspapers
· Characteristics of web writing
· Choosing web contents
· Summarising strategies
Activities: creating blogs and newspaper webpages; simulation of an editorial staff meeting to decide which contents are going to be published.
Final assessment
Task: students have to write a text from one of the proposed text types, and present it to the class; a final discussion will follow.
Objective: assessing participants' understanding of the theoretical notions of the workshop and their ability to put them into practice.
Workshop timetable
Monday, 17 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Tuesday, 18 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Wednesday, 19 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Thursday, 20 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Friday, 21 February 2025, from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm, room T4
Prerequisites for admission
There are no specific requirements to attend this workshop.
Teaching methods
The workshop will be delivered in-person and includes:
- interactive lectures;
- practical exercises, role-playing, class debates;
- group activities and project work;
- oral and written reflections;
- multimedia materials and online resources to delve deeper into the topic;
- field trip to a site representative of the Italian culture.
This approach will enable students not only to acquire theoretical knowledge, but also to apply this knowledge to practical examples related to their own experiences and the current Italian context.
Each class is structured in two parts: the first part will be in the form of an interactive lecture, while the second will focus on practical exercises.
- interactive lectures;
- practical exercises, role-playing, class debates;
- group activities and project work;
- oral and written reflections;
- multimedia materials and online resources to delve deeper into the topic;
- field trip to a site representative of the Italian culture.
This approach will enable students not only to acquire theoretical knowledge, but also to apply this knowledge to practical examples related to their own experiences and the current Italian context.
Each class is structured in two parts: the first part will be in the form of an interactive lecture, while the second will focus on practical exercises.
Teaching Resources
The materials used in class (texts, slides, multimedia materials and reading list) will be made available on the workshop website on myAriel.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students will be assessed based on compliance with attendance requirements (min. 16 hours out of 20), participation in the workshop activities, and a group project decided between the participants.
Assessment criteria will be active participation in class, sharing of experiences, contribution to group activities and performance in writing assignments referring to different types of texts.
Assessment criteria will be active participation in class, sharing of experiences, contribution to group activities and performance in writing assignments referring to different types of texts.
- University credits: 3
Professional training laboratories: 20 hours
Professor:
Camaldo Albarosa
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Camaldo AlbarosaProfessor(s)