EIL1020

English as an International Language: Form and Structure ( 6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Lorraine Bullock

Offered:
Caulfield Second semester 2006 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2006 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2006 (OCL)

Synopsis: Through the study of selected texts students will have opportunity to examine some of the unique grammatical, syntactical and semantic features of the English language. The focus of this unit is to increase the student's knowledge of the functional aspects of English with special attention being paid to the forms and structures of the language of the academic discourse community. Students will examine how the construction of information can be viewed through a situational perspective that offers an extended access to English text for the multilingual speaker.

Objectives: At the completion of this unit it is expected that students, as multilingual speakers, will be able to: 1. Form a general understanding of the historical and cultural development of English through a multilingual perspective. 2. Demonstrate how English language structures convey meaning in text. 3. Consider the usefulness of a genre-based approach to meaning within English text. 4. Identify the cultural basis in the patterns of language choice in a range of functional genres applicable to their own language experience. 5. Explore the concept of choice through an examination of the social contexts that influence the language selection and the significance of this for multilingual speakers. 6. Understand some of the complexity of language use in relation to its function and cultural specificity. 7. Work with a variety of registers and genres through the perspective of the multilingual speaker. 8. Identify the cultural influences in their language of instruction through an increased understanding of its systems of meaning. 9. Explain how the texts with which they interact have been formed to carry out the functions of this discourse community.

Assessment: Written (1500 words): 35%; Examinations (3 hours): 40%; Seminar participation: 5%; Seminar paper: 20%.

Contact Hours: 4 hours (1 x lecture and 2 x seminars) per week

Prerequisites: Faculty of Arts second language entry criteria