Mastering Language Use and Usage - 2nd semester
Code
722171243
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Línguas, Culturas e Literaturas Modernas, Secção de Estudos Ingleses e Norte-Americanos
Credits
10
Teacher in charge
Jeffrey Scott Childs (UAberta)
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
English
Objectives
1. To develop the capacity to research, reflect on and describe the linguistic systems of English;
2. To enable critical exploration of the relationship between meaning and grammatical structure;
3. To understand the systematic differences between spoken and written varieties of interaction;
4. To develop awareness of pragmatics and its implications for modelling the language;
5. To appraise the value of realistic communication in language learning;
6. To understand how rhetoric permeates all forms of communication and sense-making;
7. To perform rhetorical analyses of texts across a broad range of types, registers and modalities.
Prerequisites
Subject matter
- What grammars are and what grammars do
- Time, tense, aspect and attitude
- Variety of speech and writing
- The situation of rhetoric
- From theories of figuration to the practice of figures
- The performative dimension of texts
- The practice of rhetoric
Bibliography
Carter R. & McCarthy M. (2006). Cambridge grammar of English: a comprehensive guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dancygier, B. & Sweetser, E. (2014). Figurative Language. Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (2003). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Larsen-Freeman D. (2001). Teaching language: From grammar to grammaring. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
O´Halloran, K. A. & Coffin C. (eds.) (2005). Getting started: Describing the grammar of speech and writing. Milton Keynes, U.K.: The Open University.
Perelman, C. (1979). The new rhetoric and the humanities: Essays on rhetoric and its applications. Boston: Reidel Publishing Company.
Teaching method
The teaching-learning process to be developed in S3 takes place in a virtual environment (e-learning, with recourse to the Moodle platform) and will be conducted in three separate teaching modules: 1) Knowing how the language operates 2) Communication in language education; and 3) Rhetoric in practice.
The learning methods used combine individual study with collaborative work. Students are required to carry out individual reading and research work and to develop a critical reflection on the course materials. Collaborative work is to be conducted in discussion forums, in which students are expected to participate
by present the conclusions of their reflection on the course material, debating specific questions or topics, and presenting and discussing their own course work and that developed by their classmates.
Evaluation method
Assessment is continuous, and based on the quality and pertinence of forum discussions and on the works (individual and group) presented for discussion and evaluation.