See module specification for other years:
2023-242024-25
Module summary
This module is suitable for students with advanced language skills. It requires students to engage in a critical analysis of a variety of spoken and written texts.
Module will run
Occurrence
Teaching period
A
Spring Term 2022-23
Module aims
This module provides a knowledge and understanding of language use in context and develops student discourse analytic competence with a focus on lexical, grammatical and organisational properties of discourse. Implications of discourse analysis for communication, culture, and language teaching are discussed.
Module learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete the module will develop an understanding of:
the concept of discourse and discourse properties
how cultural, situational and textual contexts influence discourse construction and decoding
cohesion and coherence
different modes and types of discourse
how language is used by teachers and pupils in the classroom
discourse-based approaches to language teaching
discourse analysis as a tool for research.
Academic and graduate skills
Formulate arguments and contribute to discussion
Develop academic writing skills
Participate in individual and group work, presentations, and peer-teaching activities
Demonstrate effective planning and time management
Word-process, manage files, use-email, VLE and the Web
Undertake empirical and literature research
Module content
Module outline
The module consists of nine sessions. Teaching and learning activities will include presentations by the tutor, small group discussions and practical activities (individual and group).
Written discourse: cross-cultural rhetorical patterns
Week 8
Written discourse: meta-language
Week 9
Discourse types/genres/registers
Week 10
Consolidating tasks
Module details
Week 2
Text, context, spoken and written discourse
This session introduces the concept of ‘discourse’ and ‘context’ and shows the inherent relationship between them. Spoken and written texts will be analysed regarding their lexical, grammatical and organisational features. The influence of cultural, situational and textual contexts on the construction and decoding of discourse will be discussed. Reference will also be made to the way in which spoken dialogues are typically presented in EFL textbooks.
This session explores features of (un)successful collaborative group interaction.
Week 4
Classroom discourse: teacher-student interaction
This session introduces traditional and dialogic classroom discourse structures.
Week 5
Classroom discourse: academically-productive talk
This session explores teacher questioning and feedback strategies and student oral contributions that make up academically-productive talk. Implications for whole-class teaching and group work will be discussed.
Week 6
Written discourse: cohesion and coherence
This session focuses on the two main properties of discourse, namely cohesion and coherence. How cohesive devices unify a stretch of discourse, and how sentences and parts of discourse are linked coherently to form a larger organisational structure, will be illustrated. Applications and implications for the teaching and learning of reading and writing will also be considered.
Week 7
Written discourse: cross-cultural rhetorical patterns
The session introduces variation in discourse structures across languages and cultures. Applications and implications for the teaching and learning of reading and writing will also be considered.
Week 8
Written discourse: meta-language
This session presents lexical, grammatical and structural devices that are employed to signal discourse structures and to make explicit the interaction between the writer and text. Implications for the teaching will be considered.
Week 9
Discourse types/genres/registers
This session examines different types of discourse (e.g. academic texts, political speeches, advertisements, newspaper reports) regarding their lexical, grammatical and organisational features. The impact of the choice of language on communication will also be explored.
Week 10
Consolidation tasks
This session brings together all the topic areas covered in the module.
Students will be asked to work in groups and present an analysis of a selected piece of discourse and consider the broader implications for effective communication and language learning.
Indicative assessment
Task
% of module mark
Essay/coursework
100
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
The summative assessment for this module is a 3,500 word essay.
Indicative reassessment
Task
% of module mark
Essay/coursework
100
Module feedback
You will receive feedback in a range of ways throughout this module. This will include oral feedback in class, responses to posts on the VLE discussion board and written comments on work. You will have the chance to obtain feedback on your writing during the module, and you will have a short one-to-one meeting with a module tutor to discuss assessments.
You will be provided physical written feedback on assignment report sheets as well as them being readily available on the VLE.
The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information
Indicative reading
Essential Reading
Alexander, R. (2018). Developing dialogic teaching: genesis, process, trial, Research Papers in Education, 33:5, 561-598.
Celce-Murcia, M and Olshtain, E. (2000) Discourse and Context in Language Teaching: A guide for teachers, Cambridge University Press
Carter, R., Goddard, A. Reah, D. Sanger, K & Bowring, M (1997) Working with Texts: a core book for language analysis
Connor, U. (1996) Contrastive Rhetoric. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Coulthard, M. (1994) Advances in Written Text Analysis, Routledge
Coulthard, M (1992) Advances in Spoken Discourse Analysis, Routledge
Halliday, M . & Hasan, R. (1976) Cohesion in English, Arnold.
Hyland, K & Tse, P (2004) Metadiscourse in Academic Writing: A Reappraisal. Applied Linguistics, Vol 25/2: 156-177
Hardman, J. (2019). Developing and supporting implementation of a dialogic pedagogy in primary schools in England. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 1-14.
Hoey, M. (1983) On the Surface of Discourse, George Allen and Unwin
Hoey, M. (1991) Patterns of lexis in the text. Oxford: Oxford University Press
McCarthy, M. (1991) Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Van Kopple, W. (1991) Themes, thematic progressions, and some implication for understanding discourse. Written Communication, 8, 311-347
Wider Reading
Biber, D. (1995) Dimension of register variation. New York: Cambridge University Press
Carter, R. and McRae, J. (eds.) (1996) Literature, Language and the Learner: creative classroom practice
Carter, R (1997) Investigating English Discourse: Language, Literacy, Literature
Cook, G (1997) Discourse. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Cameron, D. (2001) Working with Spoken Discourse, Sage
Hardman, F. (2011) Promoting a dialogic pedagogy in English teaching in Davison, J., Daly, C. & Moss, J. (eds.) Debates in English Teaching. London: Routledge, pp. 36-47
Bloom, B.S. (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Addison Wesley
Connor, U. & Johns, A. (Eds.) (1990) Coherence in writing. Arlington, VA: TESOL
Cazden, C. and Beck. S. (2003) ‘Classroom Discourse’, 165-197 in Graesser, A., Gernsbacher, M.A., and Goldman, S.R. (Eds) Handbook of Discourse Processes. New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Lazaraton, A. (2002) ‘Qualitative and qualitative approaches to discourse analysis’ in Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Vol 22, 32-51
Hatch, E. (1992) Discourse and Language Education. New York: Cambridge University Press
Halliday, M. & Hasan, R. (1989) Spoken and Written Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Hellinger, M. & Ammon, U (1996) Contrastive sociolinguistics. The Hague: Mouton
Hardman, F (2008) Opening-up classroom discourse: the importance of teacher feedback. In Mercer, N. & Hodgkinson, S. (eds.) Exploring Talk in Schools. London: Sage, 131-150
Abd-Kadir, J & Hardman, F. (2007) The discourse of whole-class teaching: a comparative study of Kenyan and Nigerian primary English lessons. Language and Education 21, 1, 1-15 Wajnryb, R. (2003) Stories: Narrative Activities for the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Hinkel, E. (2002) Secondlanguage Writer’s Text: Linguistic and Rhetorical Features, Erlbaum
Hinkel, E. (Ed.) Handbook of Research in Second Language Writing. Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum
Fraser, B (1999) What are discourse markers? Journal of Pragmatics, Vol 31: 931-952
Hoey, M. (2001) Textual Interaction: an introduction to written discourse analysis. London: Routledge
McCarthy, M. (2001) Issues in Applied Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
McCarthy, M. & Carter, R (1994) Language as discourse: perspectives for language teachers. London: Longman
McCarthy, M. & Carter, R. (2000) ‘Designing the discourse syllabus’. Hall, D. & Hewings, A. (eds.) Innovation in English Language Teaching: A Reader. USA: Routledge
McCormick, D.E. and Donato, R. (2000) ‘Teacher questions as scaffolded assistance in an ESL classroom’ in Hall, J.K. and Verplaetse, L.S. (Eds) Second and Foreign language learning through classroom interaction, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Mercer, N, & Hodgkinson, S. (2008) Exploring talks in school. London: Sage
Nassaji, H. & Wells, G. (2000). What’s the use of ‘triadic dialogue’?: an Investigation of student-teacher interaction. Applied Linguistics, 21/3,376-406
Panetta, C. (2001) Contrastive Rhetoric Revisited and Redefined. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Schriffrin, D., Tannen, D, Hamilton, H.E. (2003) Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Blackwell
Widdowson, H (2007) Discourse Analysis, OUP
Kaplan, R.B. & Grabe, W. (2002) A modern history of written discourse analysis. Journal of Second Language Writing, 11, 191-223
Grabe, W. & Kaplan, R. B. (1996) Theory & Practice of Writing. London: Longman
Tannen, D. (1989) Talking Voices. New York: Cambridge University Press
Thornbury, S. (2005) Beyond the Sentence: An Introduction to Discourse Analysis, Oxford: MacMillan
Kaplan, R.B. (1966) Cultural thought patterns in intercultural education. Language learning, 16, 1-20
Kaplan, R. B (2000) Contrastive rhetoric and discourse analysis: Who writes what to whom? When? In what circumstances? In S. Sarangi & M. Coulthard (Eds.) Discourse and Social Life, pp 82-101. London: Pearson Education
Kaplan, R.B ( ) Contrastive Rhetoric. In E. Hinkel (Ed.) Handbook of Research in Second Language Writing. Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum
Candlin, C. & Hyland, K. (Eds.) (1999) Writing: Text, processes and practices. London: Longman
Swales, J. (2000) Languages for Specific Purposes. In W. Grabe, et. Al. (Eds.) Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20 Applied Linguistics as an emerging discipline, (pp. 59-76). New York: Cambridge University Press
Bhatia, V. K. (2005) Worlds of Written Discourse. London: Continuum
Biber, D. (1995) Dimension of register variation. New York: Cambridge University Press
Conrad, S. & Biber, D. (Eds.) (2001) Variation in English: Multi-dimensional studies. London: Longman
Yule, G. (1996) Pragmatics. Oxford: OUP
Wells, G. (1999) Dialogic Inquiry: Towards a Sociocultural Practice and Theory of Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press