LING204: Discourse Analysis: Looking at Language in Use

This course is available to visiting students (ERASMUS, JYA etc) as follows:

  • Full Year (October to June) - 8 semester credits or 16 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Only (October to December) - 4 semester credits or 8 ECTS credits

Please note that visiting students who are at Lancaster for the full academic year must register for the full course. The Michaelmas Only option is only available to Michaelmas Only visiting students.

Terms taught:

1 and 2

Course Aims:

At the end of the course, students should:

  • be familiar with classical and contemporary approaches to analysing text and discourse ;
  • know about, and be able to apply, a range of methods to describe and interpret texts;
  • have an understanding about the links between text, interaction and social context.

Course description:

The course aims to introduce students to the critical analysis of spoken and written discourse in contemporary social contexts. It provides a range of resources and techniques for analysing texts, and enables students to apply them in looking at use of language as one aspect of social processes and change in society. Methods include functional grammatical analysis of clauses and sentences, analysis of text cohesion and generic structure, conversational and pragmatic analysis of spoken interaction, and intertextual and interdiscursive analysis. While Term 1 will focus on spoken data and conversation analysis, Term 2 will address written texts and introduce Critical Discourse Analysis, with cognitive aspects being included throughout the course. We anticipate that if you follow this course you will:

  • develop your capacity for language analysis
  • learn to apply academic knowledge and analysis to real world issues and problems
  • develop a critical stance towards your social environment in its language aspects
  • question and challenge social and intellectual authority and knowledge, including what is taught on the course.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

Term 1

  • Introduction 
  • Cross-cultural communication 
  • Speech events
  • Encounters and frames
  • Conversation analysis
  • Talking in groups
  • Politeness and impoliteness
  • Cooperation and implicature 
  • Revision

Term 2

  • Genres and discourses 
  • Transitivity I: social actors
  • Transitivity II: process types 
  • Modality 
  • Cohesion and coherence
  • Intertextuality and interdiscursivity 
  • Institutional discourse I: health communication
  • Institutional discourse II: schools and universities 
  • Revision

There will also be a study skills lecture each term.

Recommended reading:

Thompson, G. (2004) Introducing Functional Grammar. 2nd ed. Arnold

Fairclough, N. (2003) Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. Routledge

Johnstone, B. (2008) Discourse Analysis. 2nd ed. Blackwell.

Woods, N. (2006) Describing Discourse. Arnold.

Yule, G. (1996) Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press

Restrictions:

None.

Compulsory for:

Sociolinguistics (single and combined) majors must take this course in their second year

Prerequisites:

At least one of the following at Part I: Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, English Language, CULT101.

Assessment:

Two assignments (20% Term 1, 20% Term 2) plus exam (60%) OR Dissertation (100%)

 

For further information contact Veronika Koller and Gila Schauer.