Discourse Analysis

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• psycholinguistic processes in discourse;
• a selection of contemporary theoretical approaches to discourse analysis;
• contextual and pragmatic factors contributing to discourse coherence;
• the contribution of grammar, lexis and phonology to discourse structure;
• structure of a range of spoken, written and computer-mediated language genres.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• analyse a range of text types, using appropriate linguistic and sociolinguistic tools;
• apply computational tools to the analysis of texts;
• compare and evaluate differing theoretical and analytic approaches to discourse;
• relate a theoretical understanding of various discourse genres to practical proposals for language teaching.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• link academic theory and professional practice;
• select and analyse texts from a variety of genres, and present your analysis confidently and effectively to others with your own critical interpretation;
• use information technology appropriately to support research and professional activity.
• identify and use academic and professional resources, printed and electronic;

This option provides an overview of the main contemporary currents in the diverse field of discourse analysis. Topics to be covered include the role of grammar, vocabulary and information structure in discourse; the psychology of discourse processing and discourse comprehension; distinctive characteristics of spoken and written discourse; genre analysis; and critical discourse analysis. Applications in language education will be discussed, and you will gain extensive experience of the practical analysis of a variety of text types.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include

• tutor led seminars;
• text analysis exercises;
• individual tutorials;
• virtual learning environment (Blackboard).

Learning activities include

• preparing and delivering a presentation
• selecting and using online resources
• undertaking a small scale text analysis project.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Van Dijk, T A ed (1997). Discourse as Structure and Process. Sage.

Nunan, D (1993). Introducing Discourse Analysis. Penguin Books.

Cook, G (1989). Discourse. Oxford University Press.

Brown, G and Yule, G (1983). Discourse Analysis. Cambridge University Press.

Jaworski, A and Coupland, N eds (1999). The Discourse Reader. Routledge.

McCarthy, M (1991). Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press.

Schiffrin, D, Tannen, D and Hamilton, H E eds (2001). The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Blackwell Publishing.

Coulthard, M (1985). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis. Longman.

Hatch, E (1992). Discourse and Language Education. Cambridge University Press.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External