Applied Linguistics and English Language

Course Options

The components covered in Semester 1 provide a high level overview of core topics in English Language and English Linguistics and TESOL. You will study current issues in these fields, which will provide the basis for independent empirical research in your chosen specified areas in Semester 2. 



English Language and English Linguistics

In Phonetics and Phonology you will gain an overview articulatory phonetics, practical phonetics, acoustic phonetics, speech perception, clinical phonetics and phonological theories. Emphasis throughout the course is on the practical application of phonetics and phonetic theory to the analysis of speech data, and in particular, on accents of English/languages of the UK, with specific attention to the accent(s)/languages which they intend to study further.

In Sociolinguists you will explore the interface between language and society and how these drive linguistic variation and change. We will discuss influences on speech such as age, geography and the media, as well as the language system itself. By examining empirical analyses of natural speech data conducted by key researchers in the field, you will learn core concepts associated with this field of study. By the end of the course you will be able to say what people are doing when they speak, and why. 

Discourse Studies focuses on written texts, examining models of discourse which provide practical insights into the structure and cognitive processing of these texts. You will study a number of approaches and will look critically at the models suggested by well-known text linguists, stylisticians and (critical) discourse analysts. Teaching on this module may include work on discourse structures, stylistic analysis, cognitive processing of texts, narrative and non-narrative texts, socio-political analysis of texts.

TESOL

Classroom Processes: Introduction to Teaching and Learning (novice teachers)

This course provides a foundation in the principles of teaching and learning English as a foreign language. By a process of observation and reflection on teacher and learner roles, underlying principles will be identified. Students will study approaches to the teaching of language systems and skills, along with the  principles of planning a series of lessons.

or

Language Learning and applications to the classroom (mid-career teachers)

This is one of the compulsory core courses in the M Ed ELT. It provides students with an overview of key theories of language learning and the related teaching methodologies. It seeks to relate underlying theory to practical applications.  Students will then critically evaluate the tools/materials and approaches used to teach language skills in a particular context, including ICT.