Advanced English Stylistics
- Education
- 800 level
- 3 credit units
- 188 pages
- 22 units
This course provides an in-depth exploration of advanced English stylistics. It examines various schools of thought, including Prague, Neo-Firthian, and Chomskyan perspectives. The course covers different approaches to stylistics such as pragmatic, corpus, feminist, and forensic stylistics. Students will learn to apply graphological, phonological, syntactic, and semantic tools to analyze literary and non-literary texts. The course aims to enhance critical thinking and analytical skills in interpreting diverse forms of discourse.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Study hours
- 192 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, case study, problem solving
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assessments (TMAs)
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of ENG834, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
ENG834 · UNIT 2: DIALECTICS OF STYLISTICS
Fowler and other stylisticians use the linguistic approach to literature to understand and appreciate literature. Fowler asserted that not everyone can ‘catch’ critical thinking. It is through experience that someone can understand and interpret literary texts, and thus be a literary critic. Not everyone can understand literature when encountering a text for the first time (Carter, 1982).
What you should be able to do
- Explain the key concepts and theories in advanced English stylistics.
- Apply different stylistic approaches to analyze literary and non-literary texts.
- Identify and interpret graphological, phonological, syntactic, and semantic features in texts.
- Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of various stylistic methods.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between language, literature, and society.
What it prepares you for
- Literary Critic
- Editor
- Content Writer
- Linguist
- Forensic Linguist
- Publishing
- Journalism
- Law
- Education
- Media
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: Approaches to Stylistics
Unit 3: Controversies in the Approach
Functional Stylistics requires understanding of Halliday's three principal language functions: ideational, interpersonal, and textual, and their interrelationships.
- Module 3: Tools of Stylistics
Unit 3: The Prague School
The Prague School's discoveries in phonetics and phonology can be challenging due to the technical terminology and the abstract nature of phonological oppositions.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 28 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 1: The Ideology of Style · 2 hours
Read the unit introduction and objectives.. Study the traditional views of style and their limitations.. Analyze definitions of style from various dictionaries and literary critics.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Define 'style in texts'..
- Week 2Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 1: The Ideology of Style · 2 hours
Examine the linguistic approach to style and its objectivity.. Study the role and function of stylistics according to Riffaterre.. Analyze the relationship between linguistics and literary criticism.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.2: Discuss linguistic explication of texts..
- Week 3Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 2: Controversies in Stylistics · 2 hours
Study the dialectics of stylistics and its development as a discipline.. Examine the polemics on stylistics and the arguments raised by Fowler-Bateson.. Critique the views of Vendler and Bateson on linguistic criticism.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Critique the statement on developments in stylistics..
- Week 4Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 2: Controversies in Stylistics · 2 hours
Explore the controversies in the approach to stylistics.. Analyze Fish's critique of Formalist and Functional Stylistics.. Examine Toolan's arguments against Fish's Affective Stylistics.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.2: Explain Vendler's dismissal of Fowler-Bateson theory..
- Week 5Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 3: The Prague School · 2 hours
Study the Prague School of Linguistics and its thematic concerns.. Examine the linguistic focus of the Prague School.. Analyze the Prague School's application of stylistics.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Explain the influence of Ferdinand de Saussure..
- Week 6Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 4: Neo-Firthian School · 2 hours
Study the Neo-Firthian School and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL).. Discuss the theoretical base of Systemic Linguistics.. Define the basic concepts inherent in SFL.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Explain the major critique of Systemic Linguistics..
- Week 7Module 1: Schools and Scopes of Stylistics
Unit 5: The Chomskyan School · 2 hours
Explore the Chomskyan School and Transformational Generative Grammar (TGG).. Determine the linguistic preoccupation of TGG.. Distinguish TGG from other models of linguistic discipline.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Critique the concepts of Deep Structure and Surface Structure in TGG..
- Week 8Module 2: Approaches to Stylistics
Unit 1: Theories and Categories of Stylistics · 2 hours
Discuss the theories of monism, dualism, and pluralism in stylistics.. Identify the core framework of each theory.. Differentiate between text-centered and context-centered stylistics.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Explain the possible impossibility of separating form from content..
- Week 9Module 2: Approaches to Stylistics
Unit 2: Pragmatic Stylistics · 2 hours
Define the concept of pragmatics and its application in stylistics.. Explain the major focus of pragmatic stylistics.. Identify the major pragmatic tools of textual discourse.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Explain the pragmatic approach of elevating the spoken over the textual..
- Week 10Module 2: Approaches to Stylistics
Unit 3: Corpus/Computational Stylistics · 2 hours
Identify the focus of corpus/computational stylistics.. Determine the framework of linguistic data analysis in literature.. Show the essence of corpus annotation in literary discourse.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Explain the proposition that evidence of language is paramount..
- Week 11Module 2: Approaches to Stylistics
Unit 4: Feminist Stylistics · 2 hours
Discuss the focus of feminist stylistics.. Show feminist stylistics as an offshoot of modern linguistics.. Distinguish between feminist stylistics and other types of stylistics.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Discuss the ideology that feminism is a movement aimed at stopping the subjugation of women..
- Week 12Module 2: Approaches to Stylistics
Unit 5: Forensic Stylistics/Stylometry · 2 hours
Explain the basic philosophy behind forensic stylistics.. Discuss the parameters for forensic analysis of literary texts.. Identify the contributions of forensic stylisticians to stylistic studies.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3.1: Forensic stylistics is an investigative linguistic exercise..
- Week 13Final Revision
Final Revision · 4 hours
Review all modules and units.. Work on assignments and TMAs.. Prepare for final examinations..
Preparing for the exam
- Create detailed summaries of each stylistic approach, focusing on key theorists and methodologies.
- Develop a comparative chart outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each school of stylistics (e.g., Prague, Neo-Firthian, Chomskyan).
- Practice applying graphological, phonological, syntactic, and semantic tools to diverse text types (poetry, prose, drama, speeches).
- Focus on understanding and applying key concepts such as foregrounding, deviation, parallelism, and cohesion in textual analysis.
- Review all Tutor-Marked Assessments (TMAs) and assignments, paying close attention to feedback provided by the course coordinator.
- Create concept maps linking key terms and theories across different modules to reinforce understanding of interconnected concepts.
- Practice analyzing sample texts under timed conditions to improve exam performance and time management skills.
Questions students ask about this course
What is ENG834 about?
This course provides an in-depth exploration of advanced English stylistics. It examines various schools of thought, including Prague, Neo-Firthian, and Chomskyan perspectives. The course covers different approaches to stylistics such as pragmatic, corpus, feminist, and forensic stylistics. Students will learn to apply graphological, phonological, syntactic, and semantic tools to analyze literary and non-literary texts. The course aims to enhance critical thinking and analytical skills in interpreting diverse forms of discourse.
How many units does ENG834 have?
ENG834, Advanced English Stylistics, has 22 units across 5 modules, over 188 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is ENG834?
ENG834 carries 3 credit units, at 800 level in Education.
Is ENG834 hard?
ENG834 is rated advanced level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, case study and problem solving work, and it has a practical component.
How long does ENG834 take to study?
About 192 hours of study, spread across its 22 units.
How is ENG834 assessed?
ENG834 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assessments (TMAs) and Final Examination.
What can I do with ENG834?
Literary Critic, Editor, Content Writer, Linguist and Forensic Linguist.