ENGL 345 Methods of Discourse Analysis: Understanding Text

Students are introduced to the study of discourse, which is the study of language in use or what people do with language and how they do it. Practiced by scholars from a range of disciplines, discourse analysis is used to approach a variety of questions, such as how people negotiate power in everyday conversation, how racism or sexism might be communicated in institutional documents, or how news media privileges certain groups through lexical and grammatical choices. Using a variety of tools, students learn how to analyze specific instances of written and spoken communication. Through this analysis, students come to understand the relationship between language and politics, values, and beliefs; how identities are constructed in language; and the way we shape our world through the words we use. Such analysis can help students be attentive to these issues in their own oral and written communication. Theoretical principles informing the practice of discourse analysis and an overview of the various disciplinary approaches to discourse analysis are also briefly covered.

Repeatable: N
Formerly 52-3806
EN
Prerequisites ENGL 112 Writing and Rhetoric II or ENGL 112H Writing and Rhetoric II: Honors or ENGL 122 International Writing and Rhetoric II
Minimum Credits 3 Maximum Credits 3