The LNG 1003 Introduction to Language module lasts two semesters and introduces you to the phenomenon of variation and change in the English language. It also provides you with the foundation for analytical work as you continue to study language in your second and third years.  It gives you an opportunity to develop some new skills in, and tools for, describing language and the many varieties of English.  The module is taught in lectures and seminars and there is opportunity for group discussion and reflection at all points throughout the year. Seminars are good opportunities to get to know each other in the first year, your tutor and your classmates.

Some people will come to Edge Hill never having studied language before.  You might well assume that language study is all about grammar. While this forms some part of the course, this module considers other levels of language, such as phonology and phonetics, and word meaning.  In addition, the module examines the stylistic functions of language and explores the complex attitudes to and beliefs about particular varieties of English which native speakers hold.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module you will be able to:

• Deploy basic analytical and descriptive skills with regard to English lexis, grammatical structures and sound systems;
• Challenge your own and others’ subjective judgements about language and language use;
• Outline the historical development of English including standardisation processes.

Reading List

• Bauer, L. & Trudgill, P (eds) (1998) Language myths. Penguin.
• Bloomer, A., Griffiths, P. & Merrison, A. J. (2005) Introducing language in use, Routledge.
• Crystal, D. (1989 and all later editions) Rediscover grammar.  Longman. *Important text*
• Culpeper, J. (2005) History of English. Routledge.
• Holmes, J. (2000) An introduction to sociolinguistics.  Longman.
• Mcintyre, D. (2009) History of English: a resource book for students.  Routledge
• Trudgill, P. (2004) Dialects. Routledge.
• Winkler, E. G. (2007) Understanding language.  Continuum.
• Wright, L. & Hope, J. (eds) (1996) Stylistics: A Practical Coursebook. London: Routledge

This module lasts two semesters and is intended for those students who are already taking the module LNG 1003 Introduction to Language.  It will allow you to explore some fundamental questions about the nature of language.  What is language?  Are humans the only species to use language? How do humans learn language?  Why doesn’t everyone speak with the same accent?  What happens when people use more than one language?  What happens when speakers of a language, such as English, come into contact with speakers of another language?  In addition, the module will allow you to develop a greater understanding of the structure of the English Language by investigating aspects of grammar and pronunciation in some depth.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module you will be able to:

• Display analytical and descriptive skills with regard to English grammatical structures and sound systems;
• Describe formal features of a range of geographical and social varieties of English;
• Outline key concepts in the acquisition and use of human language;
• Demonstrate basic awareness of the parameters of linguistic variation.

Reading List

• Aitchison, J. (1992) The Articulate Mammal. Hutchinson.
• Ashby, P. (1995) Speech sounds.  Routledge.
• Clark, U. (2007) Studying Language: English in Action (Perspectives on the English Language). Palgrave.
• Crystal, D. (1986) Listen to your child. Penguin.
• Crystal, D. (1989) Rediscover Grammar.  Longman.
• Fasold, R. W. & Connor-Linton, J. (2006) An Introduction to Language and Linguistics. Cambridge University Press.
• Hughes, A., Trudgill. P. and Watt, D. (2005) English accents and dialects. an introduction to social and regional varieties of English in the British Isles., 4th edition. London: Hodder Arnold.
• Pinker, S. (2000) The language instinct: how the mind creates language. Perennial Classics.
• Stockwell, P. (2007) Sociolinguistics: a resource book for students. Routledge.
• Todd, L. (1990) International English usage Routledge
• Todd, L. (1990) Pidgins and creoles. Routledge.
• Trudgill, P. (1994). Dialects. Routledge. 
• Trudgill, P. (2000) Sociolinguistics: an introduction to language and society. Penguin
• Trudgill, P. and Hannah, J. (2002) International English: a guide to varieties of standard English. Arnold.
• Wei, L. (ed) (2000) The bilingualism reader. Routledge.

This module lasts for two semesters and is intended for those students who are already taking LNG 1003, LNG 1004 and ENG 1000.  In each semester, the module will have a different focus.  In the first semester you will explore the formal features of both spoken and written discourse. You will encounter various concepts and ideas, such as communicative competence, style shifting, code switching, pragmatics, descriptivism and prescriptivism and discourse analysis. In the second semester you will investigate the methodology of linguistic research and you will have the opportunity to carry out your own small-scale linguistic research project

We know that this module will enable you, as a specialist English Language student, to deepen and broaden your subject knowledge and skills.  We hope that it will also increase your interest in and enjoyment of the study of English language

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module you will be able to:

• Identify discursive practices in relation to spoken language use;
• Explore a range of written genres from a linguistic standpoint;
• Apply appropriate methodologies in planning and conduct of variationist language research.

Reading List

• Cameron, D.  (2001)  Working with spoken discourse. Sage Publications.
• Lillis, T and McKinney, C. (2003) Analysing language in context. Open University Press.
• Meyerhof, M. (2006) Introduction to sociolinguistics. Routledge.
• Milroy, J. & Milroy, L. (eds.) (1993) Real English: the grammar of English dialects in the British Isles. London: Longman.
• Milroy, L. and Gordon, M. (2003) Sociolinguistics: method and interpretation. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. (Language in Society 34)
• Nofsinger, R. E. (1991) Everyday conversation. Sage Publications. 
• Parker, I 1999 Critical textwork. Open University Press.
• Pople, I. 1998 An introduction to text and discourse analysis. Stanley Thornes.
• Stilwell Peccie, J. (1999) Pragmatics. Routledge.
• Trudgill, P. (1990) The dialects of England. Blackwell.
• Wells, J.C. (1982) Accents of English (3 vols) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Woods, N. (2006) Describing discourse, Hodder Arnold.
• Wray, A. et al (2006). Projects in linguistics. Arnold. 

This module introduces first-year single and major honours English Language and English Literature students to degree-level study of their subjects.

Through a structured programme of generic and subject-related tasks, you will develop the knowledge and understanding of academic conventions that are needed for successful study. The module encourages you to acquire and consolidate key skills in critical thinking, the development of argument, written and verbal communication, referencing and bibliographical skills, appropriate research skills, time management, IT skills, and (where relevant) numeracy skills associated with the interpretation of linguistic data presented in graphs, charts and statistical format.

Additionally, we will reflect on academic and personal development through the use of integrated Personal Development Planning. This approach will prepare you for the requirements of Language and Literature study at second and third-year level, ensuring youhave sufficient practice and experience of the demands of degree-level study to cope successfully. As well as providing a solid foundation for academic study and helping you move towards autonomous learning, the more general aspects of the Personal Development Plan will equip you with transferable skills and abilities that will be invaluable to future employment prospects. 

Assessment

• Academic essay (2000 words approx.) on a topic negotiated with tutor (25%)
• Group oral presentation with bibliography and handouts (2000 word equivalent) on an agreed topic (25%)
• E-portfolio (PDP) (25%)
• Portfolio of programme –specific tasks (25%)

Essential Reading (for purchase)

Please note that there is no advanced primary reading list for this module.

For further details, contact: Dr. Rob Spence, spencro@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module builds on and extends the language work done in LNG1000, the Language Foundation Course, by exploring earlier stages in the development of English, and the growth of English as a world language. We look at the contributions made to the language by Scandinavian and French invaders and at the nature of Old, Middle and Early Modern English.

Key subject skills are developed, such as close reading and analysis of texts, and the module provides a linguistic context for earlier literature, such as Medieval and Elizabethan.

Indicative Bibliography

• Baugh A.C. and Cable T (2002) History of the English Language 5th ed. (though any edition would be useful) Routledge;
• Crystal D. (1988) The English Language, Penguin;
• Culpepper J. (2005) History of English, Routledge;
• Fenell B. (2001) A History of English, Blackwell;
• Freeborn D. (1998) From Old English to Standard English: A coursebook in Language Variation across time, Macmillan 2nd ed;
• Graddol, D., Leith R & Swann J. (1996) English: History, Diversity and Change, Routledge;
• Vermont History of the English Language (HEL) website;
• Chaucer metapage.

For further details, contact: Ms Joy Bowes, bowesj@edgehill.ac.uk.

The module examines the relationship between language use and extra-linguistic features such as age, gender, occupation, education and geography. We analyze how groups and individuals accommodate to each other and focus on appropriate techniques and methodologies for acquiring accurate sociolinguistic data.

The module aims to provide you with an understanding of:

• the major social factors that govern language use and language variation;
• the ways in which sociolinguists identify and investigate variation in language use in a systematic way using a range of analytic techniques;
• the reasons for the move from rural dialectology to urban dialectology;
• the methods of investigating phonological and grammatical variation;
• the linguistic links between the individual and the speech community;
• the linguistic expression of social status and group solidarity in explaining factor in linguistic variation and change;
• the sociolinguistic competence of adolescents.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

Course Textbook: Coupland, N, & Jaworksi, A. eds (1998) Sociolinguistics: A Reader and Coursebook. Macmillan

For further details, contact: Dr Clive Grey, greyc@edgehill.ac.uk.

The module focuses on the language of the Elizabethan period, and specifically on the language used by Shakespeare in his plays.

Topics covered will include Shakespeare's creative use of language; rhetoric; forms of address; representation of colloquial language and the Inkhorn debate as a source of humour, as well as a close study of the grammar of the period.

The module is particularly relevant for intending secondary teachers of English, but is also a useful basis for more literary approaches to Shakespeare.

Indicative Bibliography

• Adamson, Hunter, Magnusson, Thompson and Wales (eds) 2001 Reading Shakespeare's Dramatic Language Thomson Learning
• Barber, C (1997) Early Modern English Deutsch
• Blake, N (1989) The Language of Shakespeare Macmillan
• Gorlach, M (1991) Introduction to Early Modern English CUP
• Hughes, G (1991) Swearing, a social history of foul language, oaths and profanity Blackwell
• Hussey, S (1992) The Literary Language of Shakespeare Longman
• McDonald R. (2001) Shakespeare and the Arts of Language Oxford
• Salmon, V and Burness, E (1987) A Reader in the Language of Shakespearean Drama Benjamins

For further details, contact: Ms Joy Bowes, bowesj@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module examines young children's acquisition and development of their first language and mainly focuses on children acquiring the English Language. The module considers the main stages that children go through in the acquisition of various aspects of language, such as syntax, semantics, lexis, phonetics and phonology. It also investigates the main theories of child language acquisition and encourages students to evaluate the extent to which various theories account for the 'facts' of child language acquisition. In addition, the module touches on some aspects of disordered and delayed language acquisition.

Illustrative bibliography

• Aitchison, J. 1989 The articulate mammal, Unwin Hyman.
• Crystal, D. 1986 Listen to your child, Penguin.
• Foster-Cohen, S.H. 1999 An introduction to child language development. Longman
• McLean, J. & Snyder-McLean, L. 1999 How children learn language, Singular Publishing Group Inc.
• Menyuk, P. 1988 Language development, Scott, Forsemen & Co.
• Pinker, S. 1994 The language instinct, Penguin.

For further details, contact: Dr Deborah Chirrey, chirreyd@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module takes a linguistic approach to the examination of both written and spoken discourse. It explores how language is structured above the level of the sentence and considers how meaning in discourse is created and shared between addressor and addressee. Furthermore, it explores how discourse, whether spoken or written, is used to communicate for a particular purpose in a particular context. In addition, the module investigates how linguistic knowledge and social factors interact, so that students can appreciate the role of discourse both in public life and in social processes in general.

Illustrative Reading

• Cameron, D. 2001. Working with spoken discourse, Sage Publications.
• Nofsinger, R. E. 1991 Everyday Conversation, Sage Publications.
• Wood, L.A. & Kroger, R.O. 2000. Doing discourse analysis, Sage Publications.

For further details, contact: Dr Deborah Chirrey: chirreyd@edgehill.ac.uk.

The module is designed to complement modules on LNG2100 History of the Language and LNG2102 Shakespeare by focusing on the language of the period 1100-1450. An exploration of the main features of Middle English and the language of important writers of the period such as Chaucer and Gower and Langland is complemented by a study of the main changes in sounds and grammar and vocabulary during the period of rapid linguistic change preceding Modern English.

For further details, contact: Dr Clive Grey, greyc@edgehill.ac.uk.

The module will advance your understanding and knowledge of consonant and vowel sounds. You will learn more about basic ideas and concepts in phonology, such as the phoneme and the allophone. You will also examine aspects of the suprasegmental features of speech, such as intonation. Lastly, you will have the opportunity to see how phoneticians and phonologists approach the description of local, national and global varieties of English accents.

The module aims to provide you with a theoretical knowledge of phonetics and phonology, as well as practical skill in producing and describing speech sounds. So, there are lead lectures that introduce you to important material, as well as workshops in which you get to talk about and try out the sounds and the analytical techniques you have heard about.

Illustrative Bibliography

If you are considering this module, you may find it useful to consult:

• Ashby, P. 1995 Speech Sounds, London and New York, Routledge;
• Carr, P. 1999 English Phonetics and Phonology, Oxford, Blackwell;
• Catford, J. C. 1988 A Practical Introduction to Phonetics, Oxford, Clarendon Press;
• Clark, J. and Yallop, C. 1990 An introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, Oxford, Basil Blackwell.

For further details, contact: Dr Deborah Chirrey, chirreyd@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module builds on and extends the grammar work done in LNG 1000. We look in more detail at the Noun Group, the Verb Group and Sentence Structure, concentrating on the Complex Sentence.

We also look more generally at usage in English, concentrating on areas where usage is divided, for example, do you say 'I haven't any money' or 'I don't have any money'? We look at how and why the usage is divided, and whether there seems to be change in usage. After completing this course you should be more confident in your understanding of English Grammar, how it works and how to talk about it. This is a useful preparatory course for LNG 3111 Literary Stylistics in Year 3, and also very helpful for anyone likely to become a teacher of English at any level.

Specimen Reading List

• Crystal, D (1996) Rediscover Grammar, Longman
• Leech, G (1991) A to Z of English Grammar, Longman
• Greenbaum, S & Quirk, R (1990) A Students' Grammar of the English Language, Longman

For further details, contact: Ms Joy Bowes, bowesj@edgehill.ac.uk.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide an overview of the origin and current distribution of regional varieties of English in Britain, the materials available for study and their relationship to Standard English.
• To review of historical approaches to the study of dialect, dialect dictionary production, county-wide dialect studies, the large national dialect surveys, e.g. the Survey of English Dialects, the Linguistic Survey of Scotland, the Linguistic Atlas of New England.
• To review fieldwork techniques for acquiring spontaneous natural speech.
• To assess the linguistic features, particularly grammatical and lexical features, of non-standard varieties of English.
• To review the spread of English as a first language around the world, and a review of some non-English varieties of the language, e.g. Canadian, American, Australian, South African, Anglo-Irish and Scots.
• To consider the influence of varieties of English as a first language on each other.

NB: It is extremely useful to have followed the LNG2000 History of the Language module before doing this module.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

• McArthur, T. (2002). The Oxford Guide To World English, Oxford UP.

For further details, contact: Dr Clive Grey, greyc@edgehill.ac.uk.

Firstly, this is not a module about computing, or how to use a computer, but how to use a computer to find out more about language usage in texts, mainly written, but increasingly spoken texts. The title offers a way of introducing a topic to people doing English degrees who want to see how their IT skills could be applied to the analysis of texts, so the module is called 'Computers and Language Research' rather than Stylometrics or Computational Linguistics.

You will acquire a basic understanding of, and familiarity with, a range of techniques available for analyzing and manipulating text by computer. This is a practical course for people with basic keyboard skills and a basic understanding of how personal computers operate. It is not an introductory IT course as such, but a module designed to show how useful computers can be for demonstrating various stylistic features of language, either over time or across linguistic registers.

You will have the opportunity to look at:

• the relationship between a linguistic and a literary approach to style
• the automatic detection of differences between different texts
• the production of concordances and index of words in texts
• the implications for our understanding of texts given statistical data
• the notion of authorship as an objective reality

Essential Reading (for purchase)

This is a hands-on practical course that does not involve extensive reading or the purchase of a course textbook.

NB: Given the practical nature of the module delivery there is a maximum number of 15 places on the module.

For further details, contact: Dr Clive Grey, greyc@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module discusses a number of issues which centre on the word as a meaningful unit (morphology), the nature of meaning and the different kinds of meaning (lexical semantics) and the ways in which these issues are represented in dictionaries (lexicology). It also includes discussion of English etymology and of the strange political-linguistic phenomenon that is Basic English.

For further details, contact: Dr Anthony Grant, granta@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module focuses on the roles played by language in facilitating - or obstructing - access to learning. We begin by examining educational language policy in the UK, in relation to the teaching of English and of the other languages of Britain. As the module progresses, regular reading of the educational press will help you to keep abreast of current developments nationally in policy and practice. In the earlier part of the module our focus over several weeks will be on spoken language - teacher talk and talk among learners. There will be opportunities to analyse the use of spoken language in a number of different classroom contexts, including the context of our own LNG 3000 lectures and seminars.

In the later part of the module we turn our attention to literacy - how reading and writing are learned, and how they are used as tools for learning. Throughout the module we will consider theories about how learning is accomplished and about how teaching can best support that learning. You will be expected to apply these theories in reflecting critically on your personal experience as learners.

For further details, contact: Dr Jo Shoba, shobajo@edgehill.ac.uk.

The LNG3001 module tries to identify and explore some of the following key issues:

• what is the relation between language and gender, and between gender and sex and sexuality?
• how is gender articulated through language across languages?
• sexism built into the language: does English actually encode the dominance of men in society in the past?
• are gender differences in language more accurately described as power differences?
• is there a distinctive male version of English?
• what happens when two people of the same gender talk, as opposed to two people of opposite genders?
• what theoretical approaches are best suited to exploring gendered language use?

Much of the work of the module forms a very important basis for work in the newer area of work into language and sexuality explored for example in the LNG3003 Communicating Sexuality module in semester 2.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

Main Course Textbooks - you must have access to one of the two major texts:

• Cameron, D (ed.) (1998) The Feminist Critique of Language. Routledge.
• Coates, J. (ed.) (1998) Language and Gender: A Reader. Blackwell.

For further details, contact:

• Dr Clive Grey, greyc@edgehill.ac.uk
• Dr Deborah Chirrey, chirreyd@edgehill.ac.uk

This module will allow you to examine the roles played by English and other languages in the contemporary global linguistic ecology. You will be encouraged to problematise different definitions of the concept of development, as it is applied to many poor countries throughout the world, and to explore the language policies and planning which are associated with different societal aims, both socio-political and economic. We will give particular attention to the role of language(s) in educational programmes and in access to literacy. There will be opportunities for discussion of a range of multilingual contexts throughout the world.

Specimen Reading List

• Crystal. D. 2000 Language Death. Cambridge: CUP.
• Goodman, S. and Graddol, D. (eds.) 1996 Redesigning English: New, Texts, New Identities. London: Routledge/Open University. Chapter 5, by David Graddol 'Global English, global culture?'.
• Graddol, D., Leith, D., and Swann, J. (eds.) 1996 English: History, Diversity and Change. London: Routledge/Open University. Chapter 5, by Dick Leith 'English - colonial to post-colonial'.
• Pennycook, A. 1994 The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language. London: Longman Chapter 3 'English and colonialism - origins of a discourse'.
• Skutnabb-Kangas, T. 2000 Linguistic Genocide in Education. Mahwah, New Jersey : Lawrence Erlbaum
• Skutnabb-Kangas and Phillipson, R. (eds.) 1994 Linguistic Human Rights: Overcoming Linguistic Discrimination. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

For further details, contact: Dr. Jo Shoba, shobajo@edgehill.ac.uk.

Within the last few years there has been a considerable rise in interest in the connection between language and sexuality. This module takes as its basis this new material and challenges descriptions of language use simply as being gender-related. The module seeks to address what is known about the linguistic and wider communicative practices of people who do not fall into the categories of typical 'female' or 'male': specifically, but not exclusively, the language of people of alternative sexualities. It addresses issues such as how language is used to marginalise and police sexualities; heterosexuality as the dominant discourse; gay and lesbian codes in English; attempts to recover, reclaim and appropriate homophobic language.

The module does not just look at language per se; it looks at language as communicative practice, so we are as much interested in the use of language as we are in its formal features. Thus the focus of our study may be spoken language or written texts, as well as visual texts, eg images, film and television, or aural texts, eg radio. Similarly, we may consider web sites along side newspaper articles or short stories. The title of the module, communicating sexuality, is designed to reflect this multi-media linguistic focus.

Illustrative Bibliography

If you are considering this module you may wish to look at:

• Cameron, D. & Kulick, D 2003 Language and sexuality. Cambridge
• Campbell-Kibler, K. et al. (eds) (2002) Language and Sexuality. Chicago University Press
• Leap, W. L. (ed) (1995) Beyond the Lavender Lexicon: Authenticity, Imagination and Appropriation in Lesbian and Gay Languages. Gordon and Breach
• Livia, A & Hall K. (eds), (1997) Queerly Phrased: Language, Gender, and Sexuality. Oxford UP

For further details, contact:

• Dr Deborah Chirrey: chirreyd@edgehill.ac.uk
• Dr Clive Grey: greyc@edgehill.ac.uk

LanLanguage contact is one of the most dynamic and controversial fields in modern linguistic thought. This module examines the effects of contact-induced language change upon English over the past millennium or more. It also looks at the effect that English has had on other languages, both those which are spoken in predominantly ‘anglophone’ (English language-dominant) areas and those which are used in non-anglophone areas.

Ancient and modern contact effects will be examined using a wide range of language material, and drawing attention, through English oriented examples, to some of the most disputed questions in the study of creolistics and mixed languages.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

A Reading Pack containing the required readings for each week's seminar will be on sale at the beginning of the module.

For further details, contact: Dr Anthony Grant, granta@edgehill.ac.uk.

In this module we investigate bilingualism as a socially and culturally contextualised phenomenon. We begin by identifying processes involved in the acquisition of more than one language in the contexts of both the family and of a range of formal educational settings. At the level of individual language use we tackle theories surrounding conversational code-switching. At the level of communities and societies we consider different models for the functional distribution of languages and attempts to 'plan' language. Our focus will be on bilingualism world-wide, but we will also give some attention to language diversity and use of languages other than English in the UK.

Specimen Reading List

• Baker, C. 2001 (3nd edition) Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters. *
• Baker, C. and Prys Jones, S. 1998 Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.
• Garc�a, O. and Baker, C. (eds.) 1995 Policy and Practice in Bilingual Education: Extending the Foundations. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.
• Gumperz, J. 1982 Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: CUP.
• Li Wei (ed.) 2000 The Bilingualism Reader. London: Routledge.
• Myers-Scotton, C. 2005 Multiple Voices: An Introduction to Bilingualism. Oxford: Blackwell. *
• Romaine, S. 1995 (2nd edition) Bilingualism. Oxford: Blackwell. *
• Zentella, A.C. 1997 Growing up Bilingual. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

* These texts are essential reading.

For further details, contact: Dr Jo Shoba, shobajo@edgehill.ac.uk.

The course focuses on how writers of prose and poetry achieve effects through language choices.

It is intended for all students of English, whether their primary interest is language or literature, though students who have studied LNG 2107, Modern English Structure and Usage, may find this increases their confidence in identifying linguistic features. The Language Foundation Course, LNG 1000, should, however, be a perfectly satisfactory basis for this further study.

The module looks at the language of poetry, focusing on deviation from 'normal' language in vocabulary and structure, and at methods of 'foregrounding' in prose writing. It offers a good opportunity to focus in detail on the language of short stretches of text, from the seventeenth century to the present.

Indicative Bibliography

• Fowler, R 1988 Linguistic Criticism, Opus
• Leech, G N 1984 A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry, Longman
• Leech, G N and Short, M 1986 Style in Fiction, Longman
• Mills, S 1995 Feminist Stylistics, Routledge
• Short, M 1996 Exploring the Language of Poems Plays and Prose, Longman
• Simpson, P. 2004 Stylistics, A Resource Book for Students, Routledge
• Wales, K 2001 A Dictionary of Stylistics, Longman
• Wright, L And Hope, J 1996 Stylistics, A Practical Coursebook, Routledge

For further details, contact: Ms Joy Bowes, bowesj@edgehill.ac.uk.

This module runs through two semesters (30 credits). It introduces students to theory and method associated with linguistic ethnography through study of significant research in this field. Students go on to design and conduct a small-scale research project based on ethnographic microanalysis of communicative events within a community or institution.

For further details, contact: Dr Jo Shoba, shobajo@edgehill.ac.uk.

This course introduces you to the principles and practice of good English language teaching. Issues dealt with during the module include the history of language teaching and learning, communicative language teaching, testing and placing students into the appropriate level, individual learner differences, grammatical terminology and the difference between overt and covert grammar teaching, materials evaluation and development and planning ESOL programmes and lessons.

The module is delivered via a combination of tutor-led presentations and student-centred, practical seminars.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

• Harmer, J. (2001) The practice of English language teaching. 3rd edition, Pearson Education Ltd.

or

• Johnson. K. (2001) An introduction to foreign language learning and teaching, Longman.

or

• Littlewood, W. (1981) Communicative Language Teaching. CUP

For further details, contact: Ms Kath Morgan, kath@kathortony.freeserve.co.uk.

Forensic linguistics concerns the application of linguistic science in the legal process, on analogy with forensic science and forensic medicine. The law is overwhelmingly a linguistic institution. Laws are coded in language; legal processes, such as court cases, take place overwhelmingly though language; legal contracts, such as those between us and our partners or employers, are overwhelmingly language documents. Thus, both the law and the language of the law permeate our lives. This module investigates the interface between language and the law.

For further details, contact: Dr Deborah Chirrey: chirreyd@edgehill.ac.uk.

What are the features of English which make it similar to other languages, how does it differ from other languages, and which features of English make it difficult for non-native speakers to learn? What features of other languages do English-speakers find difficult to learn? This module looks at the science of TYPOLOGY, the structural classification of languages, and illustrates the range of phonological, morphological and syntactic features in the world's languages, ranging from French and German, via Chinese and Arabic, to Esperanto and Klingon.

For further details, contact: Dr Anthony Grant, granta@edgehill.ac.uk.

The relationship between language and identity is more complex than what many sociolinguistic studies have insinuated and often it has been approached in a rather simplistic way. Regional and social non-standard varieties are usually the target of prejudiced and intransigent attitudes. However, for many social groups particular linguistic varieties or discursive styles have an important symbolic value: they are a means of claiming membership in a particular community.

This module will explore a variety of past and present approaches to the study of language and identity. It will examine how individual, social and institutional identities are constructed and their intrinsic relation to language and other socio-cultural phenomena. Placing a strong emphasis on the symbolic social value of language variation, the aim of the module will be to demonstrate the importance of promoting more tolerant attitudes to language variation in society and reducing linguistic prejudices: a perspective that will be essential for those intending to develop a career in educational contexts.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

Students will need to buy a course reader which will include the main articles we will be discussing in class.

For further details, contact: Ms Lourdes Burbano-Elizondo, burbanol@edgehill.ac.uk

The course thus seeks to provide people with a general overview of problems of cultural conflict in Europe, and an opportunity for specific analysis of the concept of the nation state in Europe as reflected in linguistic disputes and conflicts. It also seeks to develop an awareness of what ethnicity means for different people in Europe and how they respond to threats to identity, and to instil an awareness of how language is a source of cultural conflict, how it can be identified and how it might be resolved.

The module aims to:

• provide a basic introduction to definitions of key terms such as ethnicity, nationalism, nationhood and language planning;
• give an overview of the history of ethnic and linguistic conflict in Europe;
• address EC policy of language, in terms of formulation and interpretation;
• survey how states and elites marginalize or integrate minorities;

The module offers the opportunity for a more in-depth series of sessions concentrating on the sociolinguistic history of the British Isles, France, Spain, Belgium and Eastern Europe, focussing, e.g. on the situation of the Catalans and Basques. Sessions will also allow for developing individual research topics on other countries where possible.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

A reading pack is available from the English office containing the major texts for discussion.

For further details, contact: Dr Clive Grey, greyc@edgehill.ac.uk.

This 30 credit module, which runs over two semesters and which counts for � of the Level 3 marks, will provide the opportunity for you to study any topic of your choice in depth and to enable you to develop your own ideas through individual research on this topic. The topic may be a particular interest of yours from outside Edge Hill and one that you feel confident in tackling, or it may arise from a desire to study in more depth an issue or topic that you have encountered elsewhere in the degree programme. When you have decided upon your topic you will be directed to a supervisor who has specialist knowledge of your chosen field, and with whom you will meet regularly.

It is expected that you will be prepared to engage with your topic at a high level of intellectual sophistication, and the module aims to foster a considerable degree of independent learning and motivation of a kind which is looked upon favourably by future employers.

Essential Reading (for purchase)

There is no essential reading for this module, but suggested guides are provided in the Module Handbook.

For further details, contact: Dr Anthony Grant, granta@edgehill.ac.uk.