Module Information

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1 College of Arts and Humanities BA English Language & Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Module Information Department of English Language & Literature

2 English Language and TEFL undergraduate schemes have been designed to give students concise and balanced coverage of linguistic theory and practice. Because staff specialise in the real-world application of linguistics, students should find the modules they follow both interesting and of relevance to their future careers. 2

3 LEVEL TWO ALE200 ALE211 ALE218 ALE224 ENA200 EN-260 Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Theory and Practice I and II Psycholinguistics Discourse Analysis Corpora and Concordancing Sociolinguistics Studying Dialects LEVEL THREE ALE305 ALE306 ALE308 ALE316 ENA300 ENA301 EN-376 First Language Acquisition Second Language Acquisition Issues in current ELT Language in the Media Research Project Preparation (Linguistics) Research Project (Linguistics) Prehistory, History & Language

4 Level 2 - Module Information ALE200 - Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Theory and Practice I and II Lectures will cover a variety of topics including form and function of language; the grammatical system as such knowledge is required in EFL; techniques for teaching reading; writing, speaking and listening; and classroom management. Seminars aim to deepen and extend your knowledge of material covered in lectures. Preparation will be based on reading and exercises, and the seminars themselves will be based on discussion of ideas from lectures which have been developed in the reading. Assessment: coursework and exam ALE211 - Psycholinguistics Lectures will explain and explore the field of psycholinguistics and its concerns; the brain and biological systems; speech perception; words and meanings; sentence processing; text and discourse; first language acquisition; bilingualism; second language acquisition. Assessment: coursework & exam ALE218 - Discourse Analysis This module introduces students to key approaches and research methodologies in the broad field of discourse analysis, including ethnography of communication, speech act theory, pragmatics, register analysis, genre analysis, and interactional sociolinguistics/conversation analysis. We will discuss these approaches, their strengths and limitations, and critically examine the application of these approaches in empirical research studies. The course features hands-on data analyses, and students will be responsible for carrying out an original discourse analysis based on original data. Assessment: 2,500 word assignment and 2-hour exam 4

5 Level 2 - Module Information Contined ALE224 - Corpora and Concordancing This module will introduce students to the mental lexicon and will begin to answer questions about what words are, how they are used and change, and how they are stored in the mind. This material will be built on by introducing students to the use of technology which allows the statistical analysis of text. This analysis has various uses including stylistic analysis, as a translation aid, as a measure of the difficulty and technicality of a text, and as a means of predicting learning and sequencing the content of teaching syllabuses. Students will carry out a small project using these statistical devices and will make these kinds of analysis. Students will devise their own projects for assignment. Assessment: presentation, lab assignment and project ENA200 Sociolinguistics This course introduces students to the field of sociolinguistics the study of language in society. The course aims to raise students awareness of the many and complex ways that linguistic choices are associated with social and situational factors. The course surveys the history and approaches to sociolinguistics, and explores some of the major issues and debates in the field, including how language varies according to factors like gender, ethnicity, social class, and education, and how factors like power, inequality, and cultural difference shape human interaction and affect the social outcomes of different types of interaction. We will critically consider the notion of variation, examine the dynamics of language in macro-social settings and micro-interactional contexts, and explore the ways that the mutually constitutive relationship between language and society is mediated through language ideology and identity construction. Assessment: 3 Blackboard quizzes; one exam; and one essay/final project 5

6 Level 2 - Module Information Contined EN Studying Dialect This module tells the story of the study of dialect down the centuries, emphasizing the study of varieties of the English language. It looks at the early interest in provincial English, through to the development of systematic dialectology in the nineteenth century, the advent of the sociolinguistic approach in the twentieth century, and on to the current diversity of methods and research. In doing so we also look at the history of dialect dictionaries, linguistic atlases, and national dialect surveys; at cultural attitudes towards non-standard English; and at the range of theoretical underpinnings of dialect study: philological, structuralist, and generative. Assessment: coursework 6

7 Level 3 - Module Information ALE305 - First Language Acquisition The module builds on module ALE 211 Psycholinguistics (NOT a pre-requisite), The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of the processes, conditions and stages of successful first language acquisition, and also to consider variation and disorders in child language acquisition, to explore methodological issues and principles in first language acquisition research, and to provide a comparative model for the better understanding of second language acquisition (which can be pursued in ALE 306), including child bilingualism. Assessment: essay and exam ALE306 - Second Language Acquisition To examine second language learning from psycholinguistic/social/cultural perspectives. To identify qualities and conditions necessary for successful SLA. To explore similarities/differences between first and second language acquisition. To build on preliminary investigations into language acquisition in ALE211 (Psycholinguistics) and ALE305 (First Language Acquisition). Assessment: coursework and exam ALE308 - Issues in current ELT This module builds on ALE108 and ALE 200 as learning objectives are predicated on understanding just how the chronological development of ELT is relevant to the classroom today. Current issues in ELT are identified and examined in recent journal-based source material. Students are given the opportunity to connect the theories and learning with practice by supporting teaching at ELTS. The course guides students to be able to recognise topics and access material at the IATEFL Conference which is held every year in March or April. Assessment: coursework and exam 7

8 Level 3 - Module Information contd... ALE316 - Language in the Media This module builds upon work that you have done on discourse analysis during years 1 and, applying it to a range of media texts, including television interviews, documentaries, political debates, social network sites, and participatory news sites. You will use several of the main theoretical frameworks in Discourse Analysis to do so. For example, you will draw upon the micro-analytic methods of Conversation Analysis to examine how political interviews on television and radio phone-in programmes are routinely structured: How are they opened and closed?; How are neutral questions posited?; and How are answers evaded? Likewise, using Im-Politeness theories, you will examine verbal conflict and aggression in online political deliberation. You will also learn about the similarities in the use of narratives across genres as diverse as documentaries, news and talkshows. The course will improve your data collection and discourse analytic skills. It will also teach you to assess critically the impact of media discourse upon contemporary society (and vice versa) and to evaluate discursive practices whereby identities are legitimised and/or challenged within the media. Assessment: coursework and exam ENA300 - Research Project Preparation (Linguistics) This module introduces students to a range of methodologies used in research in general and in applied linguistics/language acquisition research in particular. It will teach students a range of skills necessary for conducting research in applied linguistics/ first and second language acquisition. Assessment: Coursework - an 800 word annotated bibliography, one 1,500 word literature review and a 1,500 word research proposal. ENA301 - Research Project (Linguistics) In this module, students will conduct an empirical research project in Linguistics under supervision. This will entail collecting and analyzing data, as well as writing up their projects in an 8,000 word dissertation. Assessment: One 8,000 word dissertation 8

9 Level 3 - Module Information contd EN Prehistory, History and Language This module has three sections 1. The origins of language question- focusing especially on the ideas of Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker, and Terrence Deacon. This section gives us an in-depth insight into the theories of the fundamental character of language. 2. The search for the Indo-European- focusing on rival theories ( for example, Colin Renfrew, JP Mallory, Marija Gimbutas) on the origins and spread of Indo-European languages. This section provides an in-detail understanding of research into the language "family" that gave us English. 3. The Old English to Middle English question- what is the evidence that led language historians to identify a boundary between so called "Old" and "Middle English." This section is about the historical processes that changed the grammar, vocabulary, and spelling of English enormously in the Middle Ages. Assessment: coursework 9

10 Suggested reading for prospective students Sarah Thorne (1997) Mastering Advanced English Language. Palgrave Master Series (for those who have not read this already for English Language A-levels) Ronald Carter, A. Goddard, D. Reah, K. Sanger, M. Bowring (1997) Working with Texts: A core book for language analysis. Routledge Intertext Series. Victoria Fromkin, R. Rodman, N. Hyams (any recent edition) An Introduction to Language. Heinle. David Crystal (2002). The English Language: A Guided Tour of the Language. Penguin. David Crystal (1997) Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language CUP David Crystal (1995) Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language CUP Jean Aitchison (1987) Words in the Mind Blackwell Jean Aitchison and Diana M Lewis (2003) New Media Language Routledge Department of English Languages, Language Translation and Literature and Media 10 10

11 DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information contained within this brochure is accurate and up-to-date when published, but we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. The Department reserves the right to revise, alter or discontinue degree programmes or modules and to amend regulations and procedures at any time. It should be noted that not all the modules listed in this handbook will be available every year. 11