New Special Topics Course for the Fall 2016 Semester
APLING 697 Critical Discourse Analysis (on campus)
The purpose of this course is to consider language and discourse in relation to society, in general, and education, in particular. Discourses are historical, ideological, as well as forms of social action. The role of language in social life is of paramount concern to researchers in the social sciences and in education. This course aims at introducing students to theories and methods of discourse analysis, and more specifically, Critical Discourse Analysis. Students will become familiar with the methods used in conversation analysis, discourse analysis, and critical discourse analysis and their theoretical underpinnings. Towards this end, we will consider postmodern and critical theories in order to develop a theoretical framework that will enable students to understand and situate the formation of different discourses in conducting their research.
Students taking this course will:
• familiarize themselves with the many different ways that theorists and educators approach the topic of discourse
• understand the various theoretical traditions of discourse analysis
• develop skills for applying the techniques of discourse analysis to the study of texts, and to discuss ways that discourse theory can be used to teach language
• work with various types of discourse including official texts, media texts, classroom interactions, interviews, online interactions
• draw on post-structuralist, postmodern and critical theories to understand how linguistic features of texts constitute and are constituted by social, cultural, and situational relations, processes and contexts
• gain a working knowledge of critical discourse analysis (CDA) as interpretative and explanatory as well as a tool for social action
• engage in critical discourse analysis on texts of their interest
• see themselves as active participants in social change
Comments
Hi Gabrielle, thank you for your interest in my course! Please send me an email at panagiota.gounari@umb.edu and we can discuss your options.
have a great semester!
Hello, Dr. Gounari, thanks for your reply and your interest. I just emailed you and would be elated to receive the syllabus and readings. I would also be very happy to investigate independent study. Thanks for your reply and suggestions. Have a lovely day, everyone, and enjoy the CDA and discussing how better to use language to facilitate social justice everyday. I am more enthused every time I interact with the staff in this program and classes haven't even begun for me yet! <3
Shannon, thank you for your interest in this course! I will be happy to share the syllabus and readings with you. If you are interested in getting involved in a research project on CDA you can always submit an Independent Study proposal.
Have a great semester!
I'm happy that everyone has a chance to talk and network; I didn't mean to suggest that anything was lacking. If you do offer it online, I'll be happy to attend, though. :-)
This is the first time we're offering the course :-) We plan on offering it again (after this initial run) online as well :-)
I am disappointed to miss this opportunity to connect in person but my location precludes me from making the commute; I'm in Northern Illinois, an entirely online student, and while I would relish the chance to meet everyone attending in person and discuss various approaches to discourse, pedagogy, and sociolinguistic issues, I'm afraid I can't make it. I hope everyone has a lovely time and thank you so much, Dr. Gounari, for organizing and leading the New Special Topics Course. Fruitful conversation and great new connections to you all! I hope we will all connect online soon.