This course focuses on written texts, examining models of discourse which provide practical insights into the structure and/or cognitive processing of these texts. Students will study a number of approaches and will look critically at the models suggested by well-known text linguists, stylisticians and discourse analysts. Teaching on this course includes a selection of work from the following topics: discourse structures, (cognitive) stylistic analysis, narrative and non-narrative texts.

10 x 1-hour lecture
14 x 1-hour seminars

ENGLANG5070: Modern English Language

ENGLANG4019: Written Text and Narrative
ENGLANG4055: Written Text Analysis

None

2 x 2,500 words written assignment (50% each)

This course aims to:

■ give an overview of different areas of discourse studies

■ facilitate a critical understanding of a range of approaches and methodologies for each

■ familiarise students with the main research tools

■ give a framework within which students can undertake research into text linguistics and discourse analysis.

By the end of this course students will:

■ have acquired an advanced understanding of the analytic tools needed to study a special topic in written text analysis and/or discourse studies

■ be able to analyse a body of data relevant to the topic, using quantitative or qualitative methods or a combination of the two

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.