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Discourse Analysis for Language Teaching

• Module code: LG7015
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 7
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module serves to introduce the key theoretical concepts involved in the understanding and study of discourse. It will work through a wide variety of strands within discourse studies which will contextualise the key theories as well as give students an understanding of the range of viewpoints from which discourse can be conceptualised and studied. These areas include pragmatics, Critical Discourse Analysis, corpus linguistics and sociolinguistics. This module will also link the theories and tools of discourse studies to the practice of language teaching.

Aims

• To provide students with an overview of key concepts within discourse studies.
• To develop students' awareness of the range of tools and applications for undertaking discourse analysis.
• To develop skills in applying theory and specific tools to the analysis of discourse.
• To link the findings within discourse studies to the practice of language teaching

Learning outcomes

• Demonstrate deep understanding of specialised theoretical knowledge
• Critically evaluate key concepts in the study of discourse.
• Select an appropriate methodological approach for the analysis of discourse and evaluate its effectiveness.
• Implement findings from theory/analysis to the practice of language teaching.

Curriculum content

• Discourse overview; key concepts and main approaches
• Pragmatics; speech act theory, politeness, intercultural communication
• Corpus linguistics: understanding, building, analysing (frequency, key words, lexical bundles, semantic prosody etc) and applying.
• Sociolinguistics: linguistic homogenisation and differentiation; the role of language; power of language to perpetuate inequalities; English as a global language
• Critical Discourse Analysis; Critical approaches to teaching and learning
• Multimodality; multimodal approaches to communication; theoretical bases; multimodality in classrooms, materials and coursebooks.

Teaching and learning strategy

Teaching will take the form of lectures, interactive seminars/ workshops and tutorials. On the weeks where particular practical applications are explored, students will have the opportunity apply these in workshops.Tutorials will be embedded into the course to support students' learning.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

The module is assessed formatively and summatively. Formative development tasks are provided for each lecture / interactive seminar / workshop session. Summative assessment are through two pieces of coursework. The first is an essay (1,500 - 2,000 words: 40%) exploring an issue within the field.  The second will be a report involving the application of an area/ model of discourse from a key theory to critique existing published materials (3,000 - 3,500 words: 60%).

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

Gee, J. P., & Handford, M. (2012). The Routledge handbook of discourse analysis (18^th ed). New York, Routledge.

Jaworski, A & Coupland, N  (2014). The Discourse Reader (3rd ed.). London; New York: Routledge.

Bibliography recommended reading

Bloor, M. and Bloor, T. (2007) The> Practice of Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Hodder.

Jewitt, C. (2016)The Routledge Handbook of Multimodal Analysis. 2^nd ed. London: Routledge.

Johnstone, B., Wodak, R. and Kerswill, P. (2010) The SAGE handbook of sociolinguistics. Handbook of sociolinguistics, London: Sage.

Markee, N. (2015) The Handbook of Classroom Discourse and Interaction Blackwell Handbooks in Linguistics, Hoboken: Wiley.

Machin, D. (2007). Introduction to multimodal analysis. London: Hodder Arnold.