2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ENGL3216 Language of the Media

20 creditsClass Size: 30

School of English

Module manager: Dr Fiona Douglas
Email: F.M.Douglas@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2008/09

Pre-requisite qualifications

Students wishing to take this module must have passed an introduction to language study in the School of English or another department (such modules include 'Language, Text and Context', 'Foundations of Language Study', 'Language Methodologies and Research Methods', a Level 1 module in Linguistics and Phonetics, or similar modules in other departments in Modern Languages). If you do not meet this requirement, but do have an A in English language A-level, and you wish to do this module, you should consult the module tutor, as should any student who is uncertain whether they meet the pre-requisite requirements.

This module is not approved as an Elective

Objectives

This module will enable you to analyse and evaluate the language of the media in its many guises. It will consider the ways in which language is used by key media outlets such as the press, advertising, TV and radio broadcasts, and also in specific types of media text such as the news report, the interview or talk show; the feature article, the news story or the editorial; advertisements aimed at men vs. women etc. Also under examination will be the increasingly interactive new technologies media such as the internet. We will look at a range of salient issues such as the role of the media as an authority in society, the consensual relationship that exists between the media and its target audience, the representation of women, and the strategies adopted in the reporting of tragic events.

The module will have a strong emphasis on the linguistic analysis of real media texts.

Learning outcomes
Students will have developed:
the ability to use written and oral communication effectively;
the capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse;
the ability to manage quantities of complex information in a structured and systematic way;
the capacity for independent thought and judgement;
critical reasoning;
research skills, including the retrieval of information, the organisation of material and the evaluation of its importance;
IT skills;
efficient time management and organisation skills;
the ability to learn independently.

Skills outcomes
Skills for effective communication, oral and written.
Capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse.
Ability to acquire quantities of complex information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way.
Capacity for independent thought and judgement.
Critical reasoning.
Research skills, including information retrieval skills, the organisation of material, and the evaluation of its importance.
IT skills.
Time management and organisational skills.
Independent learning.Skills for effective communication, oral and written.
Capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of discourse.
Ability to acquire quantities of complex information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way.
Capacity for independent thought and judgement.
Critical reasoning.
Research skills, including information retrieval skills, the organisation of material, and the evaluation of its importance.
IT skills.
Time management and organisational skills.
Independent learning.

Syllabus

We live in the media age. Each day we are bombarded by messages from our newspapers, magazines, radios and TV sets. Today's media fulfils many diverse functions: it informs and educates us, often it seeks to persuade us, it entertains us, and at the end of a hard day it may even relax us. But how often do we actually stop to question the effects or methods of this constant media stream?

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Meetings	5	1.00	5.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			185.00
Total Contact hours			15.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Teaching will be through weekly seminars (10 x 1 hour) plus up to 5 additional hours (content to be determined by the module tutor). The 5 additional hours may include lectures, plenary sessions, film showings, or the return of unassessed/assessed essays.

Private Study: Reading, Seminar preparation, assignment preparation.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Seminar contribution

1st assessed assignment (Week 7).

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	1700 words	33.30
Assignment	2750 words	66.70
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 24/04/2008

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