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ENG352Arts3 Unitsintermediate

Discourse Analysis

This course introduces students to the linguistic analysis of connected writing and speech, focusing on language use in social contexts. Students will explore the origins, theories, and methods of Discourse Analysis, including Ethnomethodology and Conversational Analysis. The course also examines written discourse analysis, covering information and thematic structures, thematic progression, cohesion, and coherence. Additionally, students will learn about Pragmatics principles, recent approaches to Discourse Analysis, and its applications in various fields.

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208h
Study Time
13
Weeks
16h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
Discourse AnalysisPragmaticsEthnomethodologyConversation AnalysisText Linguistics

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
📚
Math Level
No Math
🔬
Learning Type
Hands-on Practice

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Discourse Analysis

2

Ethnomethodology

3

Conversational Analysis

4

Text Linguistics

5

Pragmatics

6

Critical Discourse Analysis

Total Topics6 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

tutor-marked assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

final examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Media Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Communication Specialist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Linguistic Researcher

Apply your skills in this growing field

Content Creator

Apply your skills in this growing field

Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

MediaEducationLinguisticsCommunicationResearch

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

MODULE ONE: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: INTRODUCTORY ASPECTS

4h

Unit 1: Discourse Analysis: An Introduction

4 study hours
  • •Define discourse and discourse analysis.
  • •Explain the origin of discourse analysis.
  • •Identify the earliest practices in discourse analysis.
Week
2

MODULE ONE: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: INTRODUCTORY ASPECTS

4h

Unit 2: Some Major Concepts in Discourse Analysis

4 study hours
  • •Define text and context.
  • •Explain the role of context in constructing a text.
  • •Differentiate between speech and writing.
Week
3

MODULE ONE: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: INTRODUCTORY ASPECTS

4h

Unit 3: Kinds of Discourse

4 study hours
  • •Identify different kinds of discourse.
  • •Explain the peculiarities of each type of discourse.
  • •Discuss how spoken discourse differs from written discourse.
Week
4

MODULE TWO APPROCAHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

4h

Unit 1: Ethnomethodology

4 study hours
  • •Explain ethnomethodology.
  • •Describe how language functions in the social world.
  • •Describe how to conduct research using ethnomethodological approach.
Week
5

MODULE TWO APPROCAHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

4h

Unit 2: Conversational Analysis

4 study hours
  • •Define terms used in conversational analysis.
  • •Identify how conversationalists allocate and take turns in discourse.
  • •Explain insertion sequences and adjacency pairs.
Week
6

MODULE TWO APPROCAHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

4h

Unit 3: Linguistic Anthropology

4 study hours
  • •Explain linguistic anthropology.
  • •Define speech community.
  • •Use ethnography of speaking to describe a speech situation.
Week
7

MODULE THREE: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS I

4h

Unit 1: Information Structure / Thematic Structure

4 study hours
  • •Explain information structure and thematic structure.
  • •Differentiate between Given/New and Theme/Rheme.
  • •Analyze texts for information structure and thematic structure.
Week
8

MODULE THREE: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS I

4h

Unit 2: Thematic Progression

4 study hours
  • •Explain thematic progression.
  • •Illustrate different thematic progression patterns.
  • •Identify thematic progression patterns in a text.
Week
9

MODULE THREE: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS I

4h

Unit 3: The Birmingham School Approach

4 study hours
  • •Explain the Birmingham School Approach to Discourse Analysis.
  • •Use the Birmingham School Approach to analyze instances of discourse.
  • •Differentiate between units of discourse.
Week
10

MODULE FOUR: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS II

4h

Unit 1: Text Linguistics

4 study hours
  • •Define text.
  • •Explain sentence connection.
  • •Discuss cohesion and coherence in written texts.
  • •Identify coherent texts and resources used for coherence.
Week
11

MODULE FOUR: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS II

4h

Unit 2: Grammatical Cohesion

4 study hours
  • •Define grammatical cohesion.
  • •Analyze a text and identify elements that signal grammatical cohesion.
  • •Differentiate between substitution, ellipsis, and identification.
Week
12

MODULE FOUR: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS II

4h

Unit 3: Lexical Cohesion

4 study hours
  • •Explain lexical cohesion.
  • •Differentiate between grammatical and lexical cohesion.
  • •Analyze a text to identify and explain lexical cohesive devices.
Week
13

MODULE FIVE: APPROACHES TO DISCOURSE ANALYSIS III

4h

Unit 1: Pragmatics: An Introduction

4 study hours
  • •Explain pragmatics.
  • •Identify basic principles of pragmatics in conversation.
  • •Show how utterances can be explained with reference to context.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create concept maps linking key discourse analysis theories (Units 2-6)

2

Practice identifying cohesive devices in sample texts (Units 11-13)

3

Review speech act classifications and felicity conditions (Units 14-15)

4

Study Grice's maxims and politeness principles with examples (Units 16-17)

5

Analyze media articles for ideological perspectives (Units 18-20)

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