Module LANG2161: Everyday English Discourse

Department: Durham Centre for Academic Development

LANG2161: Everyday English Discourse

Prerequisites

• Students must be Erasmus students, non-native speakers of English with an overall estimated IELTS level of 6.0 or above or equivalent, or exchange students with a similar level of English

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• to provide students with an understanding of the features of conversation and media discourse, focusing specifically on English texts, text types and trends
• to raise students awareness of text features influenced by factors such as gender, mode and location of interaction and technology, which are all also causing language change over time
• to help students develop their awareness of representations of views and information in the media
• to examine some key institutions and values with a view to facilitating understanding of contemporary personal and political discourse in the UK and make the first two aims (listed above) possible
• to provide opportunities for students to develop their English speaking and reading skills in terms of both comprehension and criticality

Content

• students will consider what conversation is, what its features are and how it is typically structured
• students will explore how issues such as gender, context and technology influence features of discourse
• students will learn about features of newspapers and other media sources (eg headlines, names, syntax, text types within newspapers - either print or online) with a view to increasing their criticality and enhancing their ability to engage productively in conversations about current affairs, personal matters and general topics
• cultural concepts relevant to material studied will also be studied, as required, so as to facilitate analysis and discussion

Learning Outcomes

• by the end of the module students will be able to:
• identify features of spoken language and discuss structural aspects of conversation
• identify features of media discourse which reveal key aspects of the text, such as probable target readership and/or author bias
• demonstrate an awareness of features of spoken or written discourse

• by the end of the module students will be able to:
• critically analyse both spoken and written text types (particularly conversations) in terms of theoretical principles
• critically analyse features of media discourse and media content

• demonstrate an increased awareness of their own conversational performance and preferences in English
• demonstrate an increased awareness of context, author voice and intention in spoken and written media discourse

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• the module is delivered through seminar-style classes that meet once a week
• contact time will be used to introduce new material through short lectures, short videos and other media as required
• In preparation for classes students will be set reading, listening and writing tasks; during classes there will be an emphasis on participation in pair-work and group discussion
• self-access technologies (DUO) will be used to extend classroom learning
• the assessment is designed to test students' ability to critically reflect on spoken texts (specifically conversations) and/or awareness of context, author voice and intention in spoken and written media discourse

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students will have an opportunity to submit part of their assignment or essay plan each term for some initial feedback and guidance

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University