English in Social Interaction (LING90036)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2017

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Overview

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This subject examines the characteristics of the English language as used in different social and discursive contexts. The subject is delivered through a ‘blended learning’ approach, with a mixture of online and intensive on-campus teaching modes, and extensive resources, including video interviews with prominent experts in the field and texts drawn from a range of contexts of use. Participants will gain a detailed understanding of the content knowledge, metalanguage, and analytical approaches to oral and written English discourse, required to effectively teach the English Language components of the F-10 National and Victorian Curricula and VCE English Language in Victoria. Links are made between the requirements of the F-10 and VCE English Language curricula, classroom practice and teaching resources, and current Linguistic and Applied Linguistic research and scholarship on the sociolinguistics and discourse analysis of the English Language. Topics include: properties of spoken and written English; social and stylistic variation in English; formal and informal language; genre and text types; non-verbal signals in oral language use; context dependence of language use; the structure of conversation; the structure of stories; persuasive texts and critical discourse analysis; choice of lexis and referring expressions and the cohesion and coherence of texts.

Intended learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this subject should have:

  • developed an advanced understanding of sociolinguistics and discourse analysis of English as required to teach the English Language components of the F-10 or VCE English Language curricula;
  • acquired a comprehensive understanding of and ability to use the metalanguage and terminology needed to effectively teach the F-10 or VCE English Language curricula;
  • built on their existing knowledge to gain additional expertise in the analysis of texts and identification of specific types of sociolinguistic and discursive phenomena;
  • the ability to critically evaluate English Language teaching resources in the light of evidence from research and scholarship; and
  • developed their skills in construction and preparation of classroom materials for the teaching of English Language.

Generic skills

Students who complete this subject should be able to:

• direct their own learning and continue to develop their professional practice;
• understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of evidence from research and scholarship;
• critically evaluate oral and written material relevant to their teaching practice;
• undertake analysis and problem solving tasks;
• demonstrate their ability, as skilled communicators, to effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of change; and
• work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation.

Last updated: 3 November 2022