Bachelor
2022/2023
Discourse Analysis
Type:
Elective course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)
Area of studies:
Linguistics
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
Where:
School of Foreign Languages
When:
4 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
6
Contact hours:
30
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The study of discourse is essentially the study of language in its natural habitat. Language is used in a variety of contexts to fulfill a broad range of communicative and social goals. This course provides an introduction to discourse analysis, involving the analysis of language above the level of sentence as well as the investigation of language in context. It offers an overview of some of the major approaches to studying oral and written texts. Students will have the opportunity to try out different methods for the analysis of discourse using different theoretical perspectives and methodologies. We will examine and practice various analytic perspectives, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, narrative, pragmatics/speech act theory, sociocultural theory, and interactional sociolinguistics. We will also work with theoretical and empirical literature on discourse analysis through required readings (and through preparing and leading a presentation based on the chosen literature).
Learning Objectives
- To acquaint students with approaches to and research in discourse analysis
- To familiarize students with modern and classic academic literature on discourse analysis
- To develop skills in analysing both spoken and written discourse
- To provide students opportunities to apply discourse analytic methods in their own research
- To acquaint students with basic theoretical information and modern development in the field of discourse analysis and its features
- To develop basic skills for the implementation of discourse-analytical procedures on texts of different genres.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Analyze a written or spoken discourse
- Aware of major approaches to the analysis of discourse
- Describe the relationship of discourse and context
- Identify how views of the world and identities are constructed through the use of discourse.
Course Contents
- Introduction & Course Overview. What is discourse analysis? Different views of discourse analysis.
- Discourse and pragmatics. Language, context and discourse. Speech acts and discourse. Cross-cultural pragmatics and discourse.
- Genres and registers; spoken and written discourse. Applications of genre analysis.
- Discourse and conversation. Discourse transcription. Transcription conventions.
- Discourse grammar. The texture of a text. Patterns of cohesion. Grammatical differences between spoken and written discourse.
- Corpus approaches to Discourse analysis. Kinds of corpora. Corpus studies of the social nature of discourse.
- Multimodal discourse analysis
- Critical discourse analysis.
- Discourse and society. Discourse communities. Language as social and local practice. Discourse and gender. Discourse and identity. Discourse and ideology.
- Doing Discourse Analysis.
Assessment Elements
- Attendance and ParticipationSince this course is organized as a seminar, participation from each student is critical to the success of this course. Therefore, class attendance is mandatory. Class participation involves taking part in discussions, debates, talks, case studies; independent preparation for seminars (information search; reading papers; watching videos; annotating and rendering the obtained materials) and submitting written home assignments. All students are required to actively participate in the discussion and expected to have read the assigned material and submit home assignments PRIOR to the class meetings. At random times throughout the course, students will be called upon to present to the entire class a brief overview of the main issues discussed in the readings. If a seminar is held online, class participation is graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. Class participation will be evaluated according to a points scale. Written home assignments. Students should meet assignment deadlines by all means. The papers must be submitted PRIOR to the class meetings. If you must miss class for a legitimate reason, please notify the instructor in advance; in any event, you are responsible for any work that you miss, and missing class is no excuse for not turning in an assignment. Students are expected to produce original work and give appropriate credit to others' work to which they refer (i.e. proper citations). Students must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. The assignments should be typed and follow basic academic style conventions and formatting rules. Instructions will be given per assignment. The make-up of missed work is allowed for excused absences only.
- Interactive ActivitiesInteractive activities include ongoing tests, quizzes, presentations and projects. Before some of the seminars, tests/quizzes will evaluate students’ understanding of the required Key Texts. It is up to the instructor to decide whether to give a quiz or not; students will not be warned about it in advance, so they should do their reading beforehand. Written quizzes are compulsory for everyone who is in class at that moment. If a 5-minute quiz is used as a written form of checking home assignments, a student who is late is not permitted to write the quiz. A student who is absent is not permitted to do it either. You are not permitted about a written quiz in advance, as it is up to your teacher to decide on a way of checking home assignments – oral / written. Therefore, results for written quizzes are summed to all points you get during the course. Every student is required to give one in-class presentation on an academic paper (the current theories, ideas and hypotheses in discourse studies). If a student has taken up a project that requires their presence in class (for instance, a presentation), but has to miss the class, they should find themselves a replacement (another student who will agree to do the project in their place).
- Module TestsAt the end of each module students must take a test which covers the material discussed in class.
- Group ProjectStudents will work in groups of 2 to 3 students to prepare a discourse analysis paper (following the guidelines). Discourse Analysis Paper (1000-1500 words) that links the student’s research interests with the topics and issues raised in class. Students will prepare a 5-7-minute presentation introducing their group project (discourse analysis paper).
- Group PresentationStudents are required to present their discourse analysis paper in class.
Interim Assessment
- 2022/2023 2nd module0.2 * Attendance and Participation + 0.25 * Group Project + 0.15 * Interactive Activities + 0.2 * Module Tests + 0.2 * Group Presentation
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Discourse analysis : an introduction, Paltridge, B., 2013
- The Routledge handbook of discourse analysis, , 2014
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Conversation analysis and discourse analysis : a comparative and critical introduction, Wooffitt, R., 2005
- Discourse analysis : putting our worlds into words, Strauss, S., 2014