| Homepage | Schedule | Readings | Handouts/Assignments/Reading Questions (Owlspace) | Tools & Links |
| Course Meetings | MWF 1:00-1:50 | Herring 125 |
|---|
The study of discourse is essentially the study of language in its natural habitat. We use language in a variety of contexts, to fulfill a broad range of communicative and social goals. In this course we will examine how contexts and functions of use influence linguistic form. The course is divided into three broad sections. We will begin by examining the ‘macro-structure’ of discourse: the organization of different kinds (genres) of language, such as conversation, narrative, jokes, and institutional dialogue. We will analyze re-occurring patterns of structure and discuss how they are shaped and motivated by communicative and social functional goals. We will also discuss the role of Discourse Markers in structuring discourse. The next section of the course focuses on how speakers routinely perform social action through discourse, such as disclaimers, offers, refusals, and questions. We will also investigate the social nature of common features of spoken language: ‘reported speech’, dialogicality, framing, and discourse norms. We will analyze how these contribute to discourse structure, and how they reflect, manage, and construct social interaction. We will conclude the course by examining ‘micro-structure’—the role of discourse in motivating and explaining grammar. We will discuss the way in which grammatical structures are functionally brought about by the communicative and social aspects of discourse.
The purpose of this course is threefold. (1) Students will gain a broad overview of the field, and an introduction to relevant literature. (2) Students will gain experience conducting hands-on analysis of spontaneous spoken language, and the ability to use this skill in their own research. (3) Students will gain an understanding of the implications of discourse research for analyzing language, and its consequences for linguistic theory.
This course will be conducted as a seminar, focusing on hands-on analysis of discourse data and discussion of source articles. Students are required to actively lead and participate in data sessions and discussions of the readings.
* Note: Linguistics 300 (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for this class.
* Note: If you require course material in an alternative format or need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact the instructor and the Disability Services Office (111 Allen Center).
| Actively participate in class discussion and data sessions | 10% |
| Précis and discussion points | 15% |
| Lead class discussion on one article from the reading list | 20% |
| Midterm group project and data presentation (recording and transcript) | 25% |
| Final project (term paper) | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
* Note: This course has no homework assignments and no quizzes or exams. There are however a lot of readings, which you are expected to carefully read, thoroughly understand, and be ready to discuss in class.
Participation: Because this is a seminar-style class, your involvement and attention is crucial! Students are required to actively participate in class discussion of readings and data.
Précis and Discussion Points: Each student is required to submit a précis (brief summary), no more than one paragraph in length, for each of the starred articles on the reading list. This précis should be followed by three discussion points (questions, quibbles, observations, etc.). I will hand out an example for both the Eggins & Martin and the Pomerantz & Fehr chapters from the textbook (which don’t require discussants), to model how this should be done. These should be submitted on the Assignments section of the Owlspace course site by noon of the day the reading will be discussed. Since there are 16 articles needingprécis, and this is worth 15% of your course grade, you get one for free; i.e. you can skip one article if you want. Each précis-and-discussion-points is worth 1% of your course grade; they will be graded on a check-mark basis—simply turning them in will give you full credit. (Late submissions are not accepted.)
Reading Discussant: Each student will be responsible for leading class discussion for one of the starred articles on the reading list. Discussion should take a little more than half the class period (25-35 minutes), should briefly summarize the main points of the article, address any methodological/practical difficulties raised, and discuss the theoretical implications of the research.
Midterm Project and Presentation: During the first half of the semester, each student will record 45-60 minutes of natural spoken discourse and transcribe approximately six minutes of it. Students will work in pairs to check and reconcile the transcripts. We will pool these recordings and transcripts, and they will form a collective source of class data for researching topics covered during the semester. During the week after the transcripts are due, each student will do a short in-class presentation (around 10 minutes per student); students will summarize their recordings for the class, and will show how some aspect of the recording is relevant to something we have looked at in the course so far.
Final Project (term paper): Each student is expected to submit an original term paper related to the subject matter of this course. The paper should either be a macro-level analysis of a piece of discourse data, a close analysis of a social action pursued through talk, or a micro-level analysis of a grammatical phenomenon as observed in discourse. The data may be from any language, but must be naturally-occurring discourse (any genre, written or spoken). Students should meet with me sometime during the semester to discuss ideas for their projects. The final, written version of the paper is due by December 14 at 5pm (the last day of the final exam period), submitted on the Assignments section of the course Owlspace site.
Cite all sources, and quote any material which is not your own work. Acknowledge the sources of corpora and other discourse data which you are using. The final term paper must consist of original work. Plagiarism is a violation of the Rice Honor code. See the Rice Honor Council web page for details about the Rice Honor Code, plagiarism, and other general information. Feel free to e-mail me or stop by office hours if you have any specific questions on what is or is not acceptable under the honor code in this class, or how best to cite your research sources for the paper.