*Note: Students admitted in 2020-21 or before may choose LCOM1001. Students admitted in 2021-22 and thereafter may only choose ENGL1056.*
This course introduces a range of theories, approaches and applications pertinent to the study of language and communication. In doing so, students will be familiarized with key concepts and frameworks used for studying language and communication. While the course will highlight the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to language and communication, it will strongly draw on themes and research from within the field of sociolinguistics. Based on these insights, students will be encouraged to bring real-life data and reflect on their own linguistic experiences to inform their discussions and coursework. Students will be expected to develop ideas for research projects and collect small segments of data for analysis.
Topics may include:
Language, Communication, Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, Research Methods, Content Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Interviews, Ethnography, Transcription
The course will consist of a mix of lectures, workshops and tutorials.
At the end of the course, students should:
- have an awareness of some key theoretical issues in the field of language and communication.
- have the knowledge of important concepts, frameworks and methodologies for studying language and communication.
- be able to critically reflect upon the role of language in different social contexts.
- be able to develop ideas for small-scale research projects and work with data.
Attendance and Participation (including group discussions, tasks) 25%
Presentation 15%
Quizzes 20%
Project/Essay 40%
Suggested readings will be provided throughout the course. Students are expected to source additional readings related to their research topics.