School of English
Module manager: Ben Dunn
Email: b.a.dunn@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
ENGL3036
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Speech Acts is for students who are curious about the relationship between text and performance. This workshop-based module draws on key theorists and practitioners to develop understanding of contemporary approaches to generating, presenting, and performing text, and the social, political and historical factors that have informed their development. Speech Acts explores these ideas in practice, supporting students to develop their own area of interest by examining the relationship between this field and their own creative interests. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
- Workshops will support in-depth practical understanding of contemporary approaches to developing, presenting, and performing text
- Selected reading and facilitated discussion will support a critical understanding of the social and political dynamics of text and performance, including how they relate to and affect audiences and the public
- Critical reflection on contemporary practice and practitioners will develop students’ understanding of the field, mapping work undertaken in class on to the wider context of the cultural sector
- Written and practical work will explore the theoretical and aesthetic relationships between text and performance, providing opportunities to develop a specific area of inquiry and expertise within this field
- The practical assessment and regular scratch performances will provide opportunities to develop and refine practical skills
On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate practical understanding of a range of methods for developing and presenting text as performance
2. Articulate relationships between practice and theory, engaging with key debates in the field of text and performance
3. Reflect critically on creative practice and related outcomes for audiences and/or the public
4. Analyse the relationship between text and performance, selecting appropriate strategies and techniques depending on audience and outcome
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
5. Apply and develop practical strategies for working with text and performance
6. Design and realise encounters between text, performance and the public
7. Reflect on their own learning and development
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Time | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Practical | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Seminar | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Private study hours | 162 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 38 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Students will receive ongoing feedback on their learning and engagement with practical and theoretical material during workshops.. This will be provided through discussion with the tutor, and through tutor- and peer- feedback on students’ engagement with and response to creative prompts and tasks.
Students will be encouraged to submit samples of their portfolio for written feedback. This will support ongoing reflection on learning and development, and provide opportunities for feedback on the understanding and application of critical and theoretical concepts in advance of the final submission.
Students will also receive feedback during the process of developing their final practical piece for assessment. Tutor and tutor-supported student feedback will help students understand how effectively they are realising their ideas, and offer constructive advice for how to develop and improve their work. Finally, the module will conclude with a reflection session, providing an opportunity for students to gather feedback on their performance, reflect on their progress throughout the module, and consider the skills and knowledge they have developed.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Presentation | 70 |
| Coursework | Reflective log | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Please note that while this module engages with practice as a teaching tool, and students can choose to perform as part of their practical assessment, it is not a requirement that students perform in assessed work. This module explores a range of ways of engaging with, developing and presenting text, and there are options to demonstrate practical, creative and critical understanding of the relationship between text and performance without taking on a role as a performer. A re-sit for Coursework 1 is available in the same format. Should a student require a resit for Coursework 2 (the Reflective Log) because they have not been able to attend weeks 1-9, they will be required to submit an equivalent number of reflections in the same format, based on their own learning throughout the module.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 10/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team