Course Catalogue

Discourse in Professional Contexts ENGLANG4050

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Critical Studies
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course introduces students to the analysis of primarily spoken discourse across a range of professional and institutional contexts, such as in medical, legal, and educational settings as well as in the workplace more generally. Students will adopt a range of methodological and theoretical tools from various discourse analytic approaches to analyse authentic examples of language in use.

Timetable

1x1hr lecture; 1x1hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

 

This is one of the Honours options in English Language and Linguistics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into English Language & Linguistics, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation

Excluded Courses

None 

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Essay (2500 words) - 50% 

■ Portfolio of technical exercises - 50% 

 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

Course Aims

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ gain a grounding in the analysis of professional discourse and conversation analysis;

■ acquire the ability to analyse a range of spoken discourse types;

■ critically appraise theories of spoken discourse.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ explain the key characteristics of discourse in professional and/or institutional contexts;

■ apply models of spoken discourse through the detailed analysis and examination of transcripts or other types of linguistic data; 

■ critically evaluate theories of spoken discourse.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions