2.5
Analysis of Contemporary English III (Discourse and Pragmatics) - ENGL510
Compulsory/Elective:
Hours assigned:
Method of assessment:
Number of credits:
Compulsory
42
Continuous 100%
3
Objectives
Analysis of Contemporary English III continues to investigate the systems of the English
Language.
In Analysis of Contemporary English III, students are expected to:
(i)
appreciate the variable relationship between language form and communicative
function in written discourse;
(ii)
further develop their knowledge of the main concepts, descriptive categories
and analytical frameworks relating to spoken contemporary English language;
(iii)
develop their ability to apply the analytical techniques to a variety of authentic
spoken contemporary English text types;
(iv)
develop their knowledge of the contexts and cultural influences which affect
spoken English language in use;
(v)
further develop their knowledge of the rules relating to the form, meaning and
use of utterances and the principles involved in the interpretation of spoken
and written texts;
(vi)
further develop their ability in identifying and describing text types and the
rhetorical goals of interpersonal or cross-cultural communication or both; and
(vii)
further develop their awareness and knowledge of the contexts and cultural
influences which affect English language in use.
Syllabus
1.
Cohesion and Coherence of Written Discourse (14 hours)
This component expands on the previous component by examining the
construction of longer texts. Students will be shown how the coherence,
cohesion and effectiveness of written texts rely on an understanding of how the
reader's knowledge is represented and conceptualised. Students will be
introduced to genre analysis and its workplace applications.
2.
Spoken Discourse (14 hours)
In this component, students will investigate the principles and rules that
regulate the organisation of spoken interpersonal communication. Students
will acquire an understanding of the relationships between the contexts of use
and linguistic features in spoken English texts and learn to identify and
describe the textual patterns, organisation and structural features of spoken
English. They will become familiar with how to identify, analyse and describe
a variety of spoken English genres and be able to compare and describe
discourse structures used in different contexts and cultures.
3.
Pragmatics (14 hours)
This component explores the negotiation of pragmatics meaning in context in
both spoken and written texts and examines ways of negotiating and
establishing meaning at word, clause and text levels. Students will be
introduced to theoretical frameworks for studying language in terms of its
participants, the choices they make, the constraints they operate under and the
effects of their use of language on hearer(s) and reader(s). This understanding
will serve to explain how language forms can have multiple functions and
meanings in spoken and written communication. This component will also
identify and describe some of the major universal and culturally-specific
pragmatic ‘rules’ of communication.
Content
Whenever possible, the examples/data used during the subject will be drawn
from the students and their places of work in order to underline the relevance and
applicability of what is being studied. Analysis of Contemporary English
(including subjects I & II of the subject in Stage 1) is intended to provide a useful
background for studying other subjects on the subject and subject teachers will
work closely together to ensure that such integration takes place.
1.
Written Discourse
1.1
Cohesion (intra-text linking devices; extra-textual reference)
1.2
Coherence (representations of knowledge; writer as reader;
Speech Acts & metaphor)
1.3
Genre Analysis (contextual configuration; generic structure
potential; analysing and describing genres)
2.
Spoken Discourse
2.1
Discourse units and relations
2.2
Turn-taking
2.3
Adjacency pairs and exchange structure
2.4
Interruptions
2.5
Topic development
2.6
Opening and closings
2.7
Analysis of spoken genre
3.
Pragmatics
3.1
Descriptive approaches to meaning
3.2
Appropriacy
3.3
Deixis
3.4
Speech acts
3.5
The co-operative principle and conversational implicature
3.6
Politeness phenomena
3.7
Indirectness
3.8
Cross-cultural pragmatics
Assessment
Continuous Assessment:
100%
Three written assignments each of approximately 1,500 words, to be submitted in
week 7, 11 and 14 respectively. The assignments are of equal weighting.
Assessment criteria for the coursework and the examination will include the
appropriacy, fluency and accuracy of the students’ use of English.
Reading List
(i)
Written Discourse
Required
Georgakopoulou, A. and Goutsos, D. (1997) Discourse Analysis: An
Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Suggested
de Beaugrande, R. & Dressler, W., (1981) Introduction to Text Linguistics.
London: Longman
Bhatia, V. J., (1993) Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings.
London: Longman.
Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R. (1989) Language, context, and text: aspects
of language in a social-semiotic perspective. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R. (1976) Cohesion in English. London:
Longman.
Hoey, M. (1991) Patterns of Lexis in Text. Oxford: Oxford University
Swales, J.M. (1990) Genre Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tannen, D. Spoken and Written Language. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex. 1982.
(ii)
Spoken Discourse
Required
Georgakopoulou, A. and Goutsos, D. (1997) Discourse Analysis: An
Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Suggested
Coulthard, M. (1985) An Introduction to Discourse Analysis. London:
Longman.
Sacks, H., Schegloff, E.A. and Jefferson, G. (1978) 'A simplest systematics for
the organization of turn-taking in conversation' in Schenkein, J., (ed.).
Studies in the Organization of Conversational Interaction. 7-55. New
York: Academic Press.
Schegloff, E.A. and Sacks, H. (1974) 'Opening up closings', in Turner, R.,
(ed.), Ethnomethodology: Selected Readings. 233-264. Baltimore:
Penguin.
Stenström, A-B. (1994) An Introduction to Spoken Interaction. London:
Longman.
(ii)
Pragmatics
Required
Thomas, J. (1995) Meaning in Interaction: An introduction to pragmatics.
London: Longman.
Suggested
Brown, P. and Levinson, S. (1987) Politeness: Some universals in language
usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Grundy, P. (1995) Doing Pragmatics. London: Edward Arnold.
Yule, G. (1996) Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Note: see also the reading list under Practical Communication Strategies.
Prepared by: Prof Martin Warren