Module manager: Dr Bethan Davies
Email: b.l.davies@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
Students are required to have completed one of the following modules, or equivalent: - MODL1060 Language: Structure and Sound - MODL1401 Discourse, Culture and Identity - LING1100 Language: Meaning and Use Students who have not completed MODL1060 Language: Structure and Sound or LING1100 Language: Meaning and Use should be prepared to do some additional reading to familiarise themselves with linguistic concepts built on in this module. Genetti’s How languages work: An introduction to language and linguistics (Cambridge University Press, 2014) is a good starting point.
| LING2370 | Represent. Identity Control |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
What is the relationship between language and society? How can we analyse this using linguistic tools and identify traces of ideologies in texts? This module will build on your knowledge of linguistics by showing how linguistic concepts can be applied to texts in order to expose meanings and assumptions that would otherwise remain hidden. It will demonstrate the crucial role that language plays in reinforcing social norms but also how it can be used to open up critical debates about our assumptions, and can be mobilised towards social change. In preparation for this module, students should have studied linguistic analysis as part of a Level 1 module in linguistics, English Language or modern languages previously. If you are an international student, please be aware that this module will involve analysing texts that implicitly draw on cultural knowledge specific to the UK. In addition, if you are a non-native speaker you should categorise yourself as at least level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This is because of the detailed linguistic analysis that is required on this module. 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.
Through lecture and seminar activities, engagement with online resources, and the completion of coursework assessments, this module aims to:
1. Consolidate understanding of basic principles behind the relationship between language and society 2. Familiarise students with a broader range of analytic concepts in Critical Discourse Analysis
3. Develop skills in applying concepts in Critical Discourse Analysis to texts
4. Develop students’ understanding of the role of text production and consumption in the overall societal impact of texts
5. Scaffold students’ knowledge and skills towards an holistic analysis of a text, balancing the evidence from the text itself alongside an analysis of the text’s social function
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
LO1: Identify a range of linguistic structures in at least one text with a proficient level of accuracy
LO2: Assess how particular linguistic choices can affect the way texts are interpreted
LO3: Evaluate the combination of linguistic choices made by an author in their construction of a text and judge their likely effects on the production of bias in that text
LO4: Assess how the production and consumption of a text can affect its impact on society
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
SL05: Communicate a thorough textual analysis in a largely clear and well-structured format
SL06: Demonstrate understanding of the importance of ethical practice in research by assessing potential bias in your analysis
SL07: Evaluate the impact of societal norms and practices on our understanding of our social context
This module consists of a combination of lectures and practical classes/seminars. Its central theme is language and power and, in particular, how linguists can use their technical knowledge to unpack how these power relationships are constructed in different social contexts. These concepts will be used within a model of Critical Discourse Analysis using a predominantly qualitative approach to data. The first part of the module focuses on the linguistic tools required by the analyst, such as transitivity, modality, implicature, presupposition and naming strategies. Secondly, we look at the production and consumption of texts and the impact that can have on the ‘power behind the text’ as well as the ‘power in the text’. This focuses primarily on the genres of news, politics and advertising as these texts are subject to complex editorial processes, involving the foregrounding and backgrounding of particular information and particular voices in society. Thirdly we consider the management of language and power within interactional institutional contexts. Who has speaking rights in courtrooms and classrooms? Who gets to choose the topics in an interview context? How does the right to ask questions or interrupt another speaker contribute to linguistic control? Finally, the focus shifts to ideologies of language use and language users, considering such issues as ethnicity, class and the standard language debate.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| Practical | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Independent online learning hours | 3 | ||
| Private study hours | 177 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Student progress is monitored through seminar contributions, whole class teaching, and two formative tasks. Flipped learning materials are used so that more contact time can be used for student questions and also discussion of practice examples - often from current texts. Students are encouraged to bring examples of texts to class so that we can look at these together. A formative written task provides the opportunity for students to get feedback on their understanding of concepts and their written communication skills. A formative group presentation task enables students to build on their experience in the formative written task by producing and presenting a group analysis of a text that they have chosen themselves . They will get feedback on their analysis skills, their ability to construct an overall analysis in a coherent and convincing way, and also their multimodal presentation skills.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Critical Discourse Analysis | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 02/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team