ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND ESP
Academic Year 2022/2023 - Teacher: MARCO VENUTIExpected Learning Outcomes
1) Knowledge and understanding:
Understanding complex (written and spoken) texts in authentic communicative contexts (news and social media)
Understanding the communicative function of texts in specific, domains.
Knowing the relevant analytical frameworks for the three modules.
2) Applying knowledge and understanding:
Being able to identify, analyse and interpret linguistic and semiotic resources which are relevant to specific contexts and domains (news and social media).
and to use the appropriate tools and statistical measures which better fit with the necessary quantitative analyses.
3) Making judgements:
Being able to identify, analyse and interpret textual data within a complex context, and to use the most appropriate and effective research approach, motivating necessary choices.
4) Communication skills:
Being able to explain and support the various stages of the analysis and its findings in a structured and clear way, making use of an appropriate register and style.
5) Learning skills:
Starting from the knowledge, understanding, and competence developed in the module, being able to continue the graduate programme in a largely self-directed and autonomous way.
Course Structure
Required Prerequisites
A C1 competence in English. Basic notions in English Linguistics and Discourse Analysis Linguistica inglese e di Analisi del Discorso.
Basic computer skills
Detailed Course Content
The module is divided into three sub-modules:
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (Prof. Halliday): This sub-module offers an introduction to CDA for a critical reading and interpretation of various authentic texts
The Language of Social Media (Prof. Venuti): This sub-module focuses on the language of social media from a variety of perspectives.
Textbook Information
Course Planning
Subjects | Text References | |
---|---|---|
1 | Introduction to CDA | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 1 |
2 | The analysis of semiotic choices | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 2 |
3 | Representing speech and speakers | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 3 |
4 | Representing people | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 4 |
5 | Representing action | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 5 |
6 | Nominalisation and presupposition | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 6 |
7 | Rhetoric and metaphor | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 7 |
8 | Truth, modality and hedging | Machin and Mayr 2012, How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis, Chapter 8 |
9 | War Metaphors in Political Communication on Covid-19 | Castro Seixas 2021 |
10 | Muslims in social media discourse | Törnberg and Törnberg 2016 |
11 | What is social media? | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 1 |
12 | Linguistics and social media | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 2 |
13 | Research and social media | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 3 |
14 | Internet research ethics | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 4 |
15 | Qualitative approaches to Discourse analysis | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 5 |
16 | Ethnographic approaches to Discourse analysis | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 6 |
17 | Language practices in social media | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 7 |
18 | Collecting Social media data | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 8 |
19 | Social media and quantitatve analysis | Page, Barton, Unger, Zappavigna 2014 Researching Language and Social Media, chapter 9 |
20 | The representation of gendered social actors on Redddit | Krendel, McGlashan, & Koller 2022 |
21 | Digital ethnography in the study of language, gender, and sexuality | Varis 2021 |
22 | Doing gender and sexuality intersectionally in multimodal social media practices | Leppänen and Tapionkaski 2021 |
Learning Assessment
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
What is the function of the representational strategies of Social Actors?
What is the role of transitivity in CDA?
What is Discourse?
CMC, Intertnet 2.0, Digital media, Social media: similarities and differences.
What is a digital ethnograpy?
What is the relationship of identity and intersectionality in social media practices?