Introductory description

The module aims to introduce students to concepts related to language and power. Students will develop the ability to analyse and reflect critically on their own and others’ use of language and to relate linguistic use to various theoretical imaginings of power. You will investigate possible distributions of power through language in real life data and critically evaluate key concepts, models and research findings associated with language, and power. You will have the opportunity to design your own small scale research project focusing on a topic related to language use and power that you are really interested in.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• What happens when people talk - Key notions relevant to this module
• Introduction to the concept of power
• Theories of power across time and schools of philosophical thought
• Power in conversation
• Powerful talk in context – political discourse
• Language analysis for determination of origin
• Spelling and society – language as gatekeeper
• Language in court – giving evidence as a non-standard speaker
• Corpus analysis of language – an introduction to media discourse.
• Hate speech - a history.
• Language, sex and gender.
• Language and ethnicity.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: • Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relationship between Language, Gender and Power.• Understand the affordances and limitations of the main frameworks for analyzing language and gender and apply in analysing relevant data. • Engage critically with current• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relationship between Language and Power

Indicative reading list

Crowley, T. (2005). Standard English and the Politics of Language. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
De Fina, A., Schiffrin, D. & Bamberg. M. (eds) (2006). Discourse and identity.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Holmes, J. & Stubbe, M. (2003). Power and politeness in the workplace: A sociolinguistic analysis of talk at work. Pearson: London.
Jonhson, S, 2005. Spelling Trouble: Language, Ideology and the Reform of German Orthography. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Mac Ghiolla Chriost, D., (2015). Language, identity and conflict. London: Taylor and Francis.
Mooney. A. and B. Evans (2018). Language, Society and Power, 5th edition. London: Routledge.
Patrick, P., M. Schmid, K. Zwaan, (2019) Language Analysis for Determination of Origin. Cham: Axel Springer Verlag.
Schiffrin, D. Tannen D., & Hamilton, H. (Eds). (2001). The handbook of discourse analysis. Oxford: Blackwell.
Simpson, P. and A. Mayr (2009). Language and Power. London: Taylor and Francis.
Sebba, M, (2009). Spelling and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Research element

All assessment includes original research project. This involves the design as well as carrying out projects on core areas of module and programme overall.

Interdisciplinary

The module is designed to provide the students with a critical understanding of dominant traditions and methodologies associated with the study of language as it is linked to power and society. The study of societal structures and power structures has a long history in social sciences and the students use their linguistic training to find points of connections with other disciplines as well as their own distinctive ways of reading phenomena in general and data in particular.

International

The study of ‘power’ has different histories in different traditions. The module encourages and empowers the students to look into these trajectories and critically question the role of'society' and the possible instantiations of ‘power' in relation to different societal, professional and linguistic contexts. The assessment involves students working in groups with academic and ideally non-academic stakeholders which (will) allow for a global and lobal outlook to be built into the module’s work.

Subject specific skills

Carry out analyses of discourse data using both quantitative and qualitative methods;
Demonstrate skills in Conversation Analysis, Corpus Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis in Language and Power;
Understand and explain key concepts, models and research findings in Language and Power;
Demonstrate responsiveness to the central role of language in the creation of meaning and a sensitivity to the affective Power of discourse.
Critically discuss the relationship between Language and Power in different professional and everyday contexts;
Critically evaluate key concepts, models and research findings associated with Language and Power.

Transferable skills

Work effectively with others in group tasks;
Plan and manage time in projects;
Find, evaluate and use previous research at a level appropriate for a final year module.
Use a range of tools and resources effectively in the preparation of course work.
Use appropriate quantitative and qualitative analytic methods to analyse research data on Language, Society and Power;
Analyse research data on Language, Society and Power using relevant concepts and frameworks