Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 x 1 Hour Lectures |
| Seminar | 10 x 1 Hour Seminars |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Assessed by a 1500-word assignment on stage 1 | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Assessed by a 1500-word assignment on stage 2 | 35% |
| Semester Assessment | Assessed by a 1500-word assignment on stage 3 | 35% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmit failed assessment on stage 1 | 30% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmit failed assessment on stage 2 | 35% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmit failed assessment on stage 3 | 35% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate familiarity and knowledge of key concepts and understanding of the debates around language(s) in relation to politics, identity and technology.
2. Demonstrate how they have increased their awareness and understanding of language as a key factor in persuading, influencing, and controlling both groups and individuals.
3. Demonstrate how they have increased their awareness and understanding of the role of the combined effects of verbal and visual elements in public and social media.
Aims
1. To help students to acquire an initial grasp of a range of key current issues concerning language in an international context.
2. To develop their awareness of the linguistic dimension of social class, gender interaction, and a-symmetrical power relationships.
3. To increase their understanding of the implicit persuasive and affective force of key linguistic aspects of contemporary media.
Brief description
The module is organized into three broad stages, with a piece of written assessment linked to each one. The introductory stage (weeks 1 – 4) considers what we mean by ‘language’ and what a language is, exploring the differences between concepts such as a language, a language variety, a dialect, and a register. It looks at language ‘families’ (groups of related languages with common ancestors), and discusses how the notion of (e.g.) ‘French’ or ‘English’ or ‘Arabic’ as a singular linguistic entity is a misconception. It opens a debate on the links and separations between language and nationhood, and raises issues concerning the ways languages function is a ‘globalised’ world. The second stage (weeks 5-7) comprises discussion of three specific issues, relating language to power, gender, and social class. The third stage (weeks 8-10) places the emphasis on language and contemporary media, looking at visual languages, language and social media, and news and documentary language.
Content
1. What is (a) language?
2. Language families
3. Language and nation
4. Language(s) in a globalised world
Stage 2: Debates (i) (English Dept)
5. Language and power
6. Language and gender
7. Language and class
Stage 3: Debates (ii) (TFTS Dept)
8. Visual languages
9. Language and social media
10. News and documentary language
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | will be developed in written work and discussion work |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | will be developed as a result of feedback and response |
| Information Technology | will be developed in related study and research work |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will be required to develop their communication and reasoning skills |
| Problem solving | will be developed in relation to assessment tasks and questions |
| Research skills | will be developed in the written assessments |
| Subject Specific Skills | will be developed in reasoning, interpreting evidence, and constructing a logical argument in written and oral form. |
| Team work |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4