Discourse and Interaction

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

No prerequisites. Students not enrolled in the Master of Applied Linguistics require coordinator permission.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject investigates the nature of spoken discourse and major approaches to analysing and understanding it; written discourse will also be touched on for comparative purposes. Students will develop their skills in the collection and transcription of spoken language data and in designing research projects in discourse analysis relevant to applied linguistics. A variety of discourse types and genres will be studied, with a focus on dialogic interaction. Theories and approaches covered will include pragmatics, conversation analysis, and critical discourse analysis.

On successful completion of this subject, students should:

• be able to demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding of major concepts and approaches to the analysis of language from pragmatic and discourse perspectives;
• be able to identify and describe discourse features in spoken texts using appropriate terminology and techniques;
• have developed skills in the collection and transcription of spoken discourse;
• show an awareness of a range of issues in the study of discourse in applied linguistics.

• 2 practical homework assignments (totalling 2000 words) regularly spaced through the semester [40%]
• A research report of 30000 words on a discourse analysis project due during the examination period [60%]

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• develop their analytical skills and critical thinking through completion and discussion of a range of analytical exercises;
• improve their ability to think in theoretical terms through developing and critically evaluating arguments and relating these to evidence;
• develop their skills in communicating knowledge and critical opinion clearly and persuasively.