1. Art and Diseño

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
P.O. Box 23409
Tel: 255-22-2668820/2668992-Ext.2115
Dar Es Salaam
Fax: 255-22-2668759
http://www.out.ac.tz
Direct Line: 022 - 2667255
E-Mail: [email protected]
OLL 231: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015
Course Title: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Date of Official
Course Code
Approval:
OLL 231
Academic Year:
2014/2015
Course Description
The general goal of this course is to introduce students to the discipline called Discourse Analysis, as a
field of study. The course is designed to help the students understand the intricate relationship between
the linguistic and paralinguistic content of human behaviour. They will learn about how the discipline
originated and the different theories and methods of Discourse Analysis. They will be taken through the
major topics in Discourse Analysis, especially that which have to do with spoken discourse, such as
Ethnomethodology and Conversational Analysis. Examine approaches to analyzing written discourse,
Information and Thematic Structures, thematic progression in text and cohesion and coherence in written
texts. It will also focus on utterance meaning and therefore, look at some basic Pragmatic principles,
such as Presupposition, Implicature, Entailment, Speech Acts, Cooperative principle and Politeness
Principle. Lastly, It will deal with recent approaches to Discourse Analysis, how discourse functions in
some specific human endeavour and how it is related to other disciplines.
Keywords:
Discourse
Analysis:
major
concepts
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and
kinds,
Ethnomethodology,
Conversational Analysis, Linguistic Anthropology, Information Structure/ Thematic
Structure, Thematic progression, The Birmingham School Approach, Text Linguistics,
Grammatical Cohesion, Lexical Cohesion, Pragmatics, Speech Acts, Cooperative
Principles, Politeness Principles, Critical Discourse Analysis, Discourse in Use, Discourse
and Other Disciplines.
Dr. Hanna J.M. Simpassa
Course Leader
Course Tutors
External
To be Identified by the Department
Examiner
Dr. Hanna J.M Simpassa
TWO UNITS
Course Value
Type
Level
Credit/Units
Learning Hours
CORE
2
2
45 lecture hrs.
Assessment Marking Scheme
Assessment Marking Criteria
Assignment Submission
Compensatable
Delivery
Mode
To be provided by the Course Instructor
The assessment will be based on Tutor marked Test done
January/February and a Final Examination done in June/July.
Portfolio Assessment by Instructor(s) during face to face
sessions.
NILL
OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING
2
Other Requirements
The main course-book: Malcom Coulthard, (1975). Discourse Analysis
Additional Comments
In Distance learning the study units replace the classroom lectures. Students read the lectures instead
of listening to the lecturer.
Course Aims:
The course aims at:
(i)
Introducing students to the study of discourse;
(ii)
Familiarizing students with the major concepts in Discourse Analysis;
(iii)
Helping students understand the relationship between discourse and the social world;
(iv)
Exposing the students to the basic principles that guide human conversation;
(v)
Showing how cultural and general norms for human behaviour help to shape discourse.
Learning Outcomes )
Knowledge & Understanding
On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
.
(a) Define the major concepts used in Discourse Analysis;
(b) Describe the different kinds and theories of Discourse Analysis
(c) Demonstrate an understanding of the basic Pragmatic principles of Discourse Analysis.
(d) Examine the approaches to analyzing written and spoken discourse.
(e) Show how discourse is used to enact and resist power.
Generic Cognitive & Intellectual Skills
On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to demonstrate:

ability to Explain how Discourse Analysis originated;
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
ability to describe the relationship between discourse and the social world;

ability to discuss the basic principles that guide human conversation,

ability to Examine the different approaches used to analyse discourse.
Practical knowledge /Professional Skills
On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to demonstrate:
Ability to Analyse discourse using the different frameworks of DA, such as the Birmingham School;
Approach, The Prague School Approach, Text Linguistics, Pragmatics and Critical Discourse Analysis.
Key Transferable Skills
Practice analysing various types of discourse critically using the frameworks learned in this course
Indicative Content
1. Discourse Analysis: An Introduction
2. Major Concepts in Discourse Analysis
3. Kinds of Discourse
4. Ethnomethodology
5. Conversational Analysis
6. Linguistic Anthropology
7. Information Structure/Thematic Structure
8. Thematic Progression
9. The Birmingham School Approach
10. Text Linguistics
11. Grammatical Cohesion
12. Lexical Cohesion
13. Pragmatics: An Introduction
14. Speech Acts
15. Grice’s Cooperative Principles
16. Politeness Principles
17. Critical Discourse Analysis
18. Discourse in Use (Discourse and the Media)
19. Discourse in Use (Discourse and Society)
20. Discourse and Other Disciplines
Learning Strategy: Reading the lecture notes and answering within lecture exercises, consulting
some reading materials cited in the bibliography for a deeper understanding of the topics; consulting
the course instructor for clarification of any difficult areas.
Assessment Strategy: Checking on student portfolio, tests and exams
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Assessment Criteria
One Timed test =
30%;
One examination = 70%
TOTAL
100%
A
EXCELLENT
70% - 100%
B+
VERY GOOD
60% - 69%
B
GOOD
50% - 59%
C
SATISFACTORY
40% - 49%
D
MARGINAL FAIL
35% - 39%
E
ABSOLUTE FAIL
0% - 34%
Indicative Resources labs, specialist equipment, indicative reading
Basic Readings
Austin, J.L. (1962). How to do Things with Words. Cambridge, Mass: Harvad University Press.
Brazil, D. (1977). The communicative Value of Intonation in English. Cambridge: CUP.
Bloor, T. and Bloor, M. (1995). The Functional Analysis of English, A Halidayan Approach.
London: Arnold.
Brown, G. and Yule G. (1983). Discourse Analysis. Cambridge: CUP.
Duranti, A. (1997). Linguistic Anthropology. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Duranti, A. (1988). “Ethnography of Speaking: Toward a Linguistic of praxis” In F.J. Newmeyer
ed. (1988). Linguistics: The Cambridge survey, Vol. IV. Language: The Socio-Cultural context.
Cambridge UP.
Johnstone, Barbara (2002). Discourse Analysis. Blackwell Publishers
Halliday, M.A.K. (1976). Cohesion in English. London:Longman.
Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R.. & Hassan, R. (1985). Language. Context and Text: aspects of
language in social- semiotic perspective. Oxford: OUP.
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Halliday, M.A.K. (1985). Spoken and Written language. Victoria: Deakin University
Leech, G. N. (1983). Principles of Pragmatics. Longman.
Poore,S.(2000). Ethnomethodology. In A. Giddens, J.H. Turner, (eds) Social theory today.
Cambridge: Polity Press 224-72.
Psathas, George (1995). Coverasational Analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Romaine, Suzanne. (1994). Language in Society: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. London:
Blackwell.
Sacks, H. (1992). Lectures on conversation. 2vols. Edited by Gail Jefferson with introductions by
Emmanuael A. Schegloff. Oxford: Basil Blackell.
Saville-Troike, M.O. the Ethnography of Communication: An Introduction. Blackwell.
Sinclair, J and Coulthard, M. (1975). Towards an Analysis of Discourse, The English used by
Teachers and Pupils. Oxford: OUP.
Searle, J. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. New York, Cambridge
University Press.
Taiwo, R. (2003) “Information Structure and Thematic Structure.” In Lekan Oyeleye and Moji
Olateju (eds). Readings in Language and Literature. Ile- Ife OAU Press (87-101).
Ten have, Paul (1999). Doing Conversational Analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Yule G. (1996) . Pragmatics. OUP.
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