ALM5370

Discourse analysis

(ART)

Keith Allan and Joanne Winter

12 points + Second semester + Distance

Synopsis: Theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of discourses and texts. Analysis of written texts and conversation, especially cohesive factors in texts and stylistic and varietal differences in discourse structure. Conversational structure; narrative structures in different languages; indicators of semantic cohesion; how topics are introduced and terminated; how they are recognised and maintained; the distribution of information in a text (givenness, focus, etc.); the place of knowledge and context in language and understanding and the construction of texts in social contexts.

Assessment: Four short exercises (500 words each): 5% each + Four longer exercises (1000 words each): 10% each + One major assignment (4000 words): 40%