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ENG836Arts3 Unitsintermediate

Semiotics

This course introduces postgraduate students to the field of Semiotics, exploring how messages are encoded and decoded through signs. It covers the origins, development, and subfields of semiotics, including literary, cultural, pictorial, and biosemiotics. Students will learn about key theorists like Saussure, Peirce, Barthes, and Eco, and methods of semiotic investigation such as paradigmatic and syntagmatic analysis. The course also examines semiotic modes like proxemics and kinesics, emphasizing practical application through seminal papers.

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78h
Study Time
13
Weeks
6h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
SemioticsSignsCommunicationMeaningCodes

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

Definition of Semiotics

2

Historical Development of Semiotics

3

Theories of Semiotics

4

Subfields of Semiotics

5

Methods of Semiotic Investigation

6

Proxemics and Kinesics

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

seminar papers

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

Communication Specialist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Media Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Marketing Researcher

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Cultural Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Literary Critic

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

MediaAdvertisingEducationCultural StudiesLinguistics

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: The Development of Semiotics

6h

Unit 1: Definition of Semiotics

6 study hours
  • •Define semiotics and its related terms.
  • •Identify the two related sources of the term.
  • •Explain the basic principles and scope of semiotics.
Week
2

Module 1: The Development of Semiotics

6h

Unit 2: Historical Development of Semiotics

6 study hours
  • •Trace the origin of semiotics from Ancient times to the modern period.
  • •Discuss the roles played by some scholars.
  • •Discuss the different stages of the development of semiotics.
  • •Distinguish between different perspectives of semiotics from Ancient era to date.
Week
3

Module 1: The Development of Semiotics

6h

Unit 3: Semiotic Assumptions and Terminologies

6 study hours
  • •Explain the various aspects of sign.
  • •Define, classify, and exemplify the semiotic codes.
  • •Differentiate between semiotic level and orders of signification.
  • •Define and illustrate the four semiotics rhetorical tropes.
Week
4

Module 1: The Development of Semiotics

6h

Unit 4: Doing Semiotics

6 study hours
  • •Explain the processes involved in semiotic analysis.
  • •Investigate texts using semiotic procedures.
  • •Apply semiotic analysis to cartoons, advertisements, and poems.
Week
5

Module 2: Theories of Semiotics

6h

Unit 1: Ferdinand de Saussure and Semiotics (1906)

6 study hours
  • •Identify the influence of linguistics knowledge on Saussure's semiotics.
  • •Distinguish Saussure's sign theory from any other theory.
  • •Differentiate between paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes.
Week
6

Module 2: Theories of Semiotics

6h

Unit 2: Charles Sanders Peirce and Semiotics (1890)

6 study hours
  • •Differentiate between Peirce's semiotics theory from any other theory.
  • •Identify and explain the dimensions of Peirce's notion of sign.
  • •Differentiate between the three classes of sign as observed by Peirce.
Week
7

Module 2: Theories of Semiotics

6h

Unit 3: Roland Barthes and Semiotics (1950s)

6 study hours
  • •Discuss Barthes' ideology.
  • •Differentiate between the various levels of meaning.
  • •Distinguish between Barthes' semiotic theory and the other semiotic theories.
  • •Identify and discuss Barthes' contributions to modern semiotics.
Week
8

Module 2: Theories of Semiotics

6h

Unit 4: Umberto Eco (Interpretative Semiotics)

6 study hours
  • •Discuss Umberto Eco's semiotic theory.
  • •Explain the role of sign in Eco's semiotics theory.
  • •Discuss the fallacious assumptions identified by Eco.
  • •Distinguish Eco's semiotic principles from those of his predecessors.
Week
9

Module 3: Subfields (Branches) of Semiotics

6h

Unit 1: Literary Semiotics

6 study hours
  • •Differentiate literary semiotics from other subfields of semiotics.
  • •Identify the various subfields of literary semiotics.
  • •Explain the devices of literary semiotics.
  • •Explain how to deconstruct signification in literary semiotics.
Week
10

Module 3: Subfields (Branches) of Semiotics

6h

Unit 2: Cultural Semiotics

6 study hours
  • •Identify the various subfields of cultural semiotics.
  • •Differentiate cultural semiotics from other subfields of semiotics.
  • •Explain how to explore signification in cultural semiotics.
  • •Identify the similarity/dissimilarity between cultural semiotics and literary semiotics.
Week
11

Module 3: Subfields (Branches) of Semiotics

6h

Unit 3: Pictorial Semiotics

6 study hours
  • •Explain what pictorial semiotics is all about.
  • •Identify and explain the major models of pictorial semiotics.
  • •Explain how to explore signification in pictorial semiotics.
Week
12

Module 3: Subfields (Branches) of Semiotics

6h

Unit 4: Biosemiotics

6 study hours
  • •Identify more subfields of semiotics.
  • •Distinguished between the various subfields of Biosemiotics.
  • •Define Biosemiotics.
  • •Identify the aspects of sign processes that are of interest to Biosemiotics.
Week
13

Module 4: Methods of Semiotics Investigation (Analysis)

6h

Unit Four: Seminal Paper 1 - General Semiotic Investigation

6 study hours
  • •Apply semiotic theories to analyze chosen texts.
  • •Discuss construction and deconstruction of meaning in the text.
  • •Synthesize knowledge from previous units to perform a comprehensive semiotic investigation.

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 a timeline of key figures and their contributions to semiotics (Units 1-2)

2

Develop examples for each semiotic theory (Module 2)

3

Practice applying paradigmatic and syntagmatic analysis to sample texts (Units 1-2, Module 4)

4

Review the different types of signs and codes (Module 3)

5

Focus on understanding the relationships between signifier and signified (Units 1-4, Module 2)

6

Prepare a comparative table of the semiotic theories of Saussure, Peirce, Barthes and Eco (Module 2)

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