Investigating Language in Action

Course Coordinator: Dr Vanliza Chow, B(phil), MA, PhD (University of Birmingham)

Course Developer: The Open University, UK, Course Team

Aims
This course aims to:

• Develop students' understanding of language-related problems in various professional and cultural contexts;
• Explore how the English language is taught in different regional contexts;
• Examine how English is used from a range of different perspectives: functional, critical and ethnographic;
• Explore the relevance of research in the field of applied language studies to contemporary issues in both global and local contexts;
• Develop students' ability to critically reflect on the connection between theories and practical applications in the fields of education and English language teaching.

Contents
The course covers the following topics:

• Theories for investigating language in action;
• Describing English;
• English in the world;
• Systemic Functional Linguistics;
• Critical Discourse Analysis;
• Ethnography

Learning support
This course involves 600 study hours. There are ten two-hour tutorials, three three-hour day schools (which take place at weekends) and two 'surgeries' for individual consultation.

Assessment
There are five assignments, including a project, and a three-hour examination. Except for some designated assignments, students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Set book(s)
Coffin, C, Donohue, J and North, S. P (2009) Exploring English Grammar: From formal to functional, London: Routledge.