013990 Discourse and Genre

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Description

This subject focuses on how language is used to shape meaning, identities, relationships, and the world around us. ‘Discourse’ refers to language in use and language that is beyond the level of sentences and grammar. ‘Genres’ are relatively stable and recognisable ways of organising texts and doing things with language. In this subject students look at different ways of doing discourse analysis (such as critical discourse analysis, conversation analysis, and multimodal discourse analysis) and at different ways in which discourse and genre may be socially organised in institutional terms (e.g. education, health, law, religion) and in social terms (e.g. class, gender, race, ethnicity, disability). Students focus on the analysis of real texts (written, spoken, visual, media) and what this tells us about broader social relations and ideology in society. Students are encouraged to develop analysis of discourses and genres in their own workplace or other domains of social life and to apply these skills to pedagogical contexts.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

• Graduates are able to engage, critique and apply a broad range of complex ideas relevant to TESOL, literacy and/or numeracy practice. (2.1)
• Graduates have strong communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts. (6.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject addresses the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Professional Readiness
1.2 Graduates have the necessary skills and knowledge to teach in a range of contexts, both local and international.

2. Critical and Creative Inquiry
2.1 Graduates have the knowledge base on which to generate, synthesise and critique complex ideas.

6. Effective Communication
6.1. Graduates have strong communication and interpersonal skills to mediate complex knowledge and skills for a variety of audiences.

Teaching and learning strategies

The teaching and learning in this subject will include asynchronous and synchronous activities. Students will engage with learning materials such as lectures, readings, and other activities in their own time, before attending the weekly tutorials. The tutorials will involve applying ideas and methods of analysing discourse and genre, so it will be essential for students to complete the asynchronous activities prior to class. All students will have access to online technologies through which they will engage in a range of modes, including audio/visual and written. Online resources will help students prepare for classes, activities and assignments, as well as consolidate knowledge gained through readings and tasks. Discussions and activities will draw on students’ use and knowledge of languages as a resource in the subject.

Content (topics)

Unit 1 - Understanding discourse and genre

Introduction to discourse analysis, and issues of language, power and ideology in critical and historical perspective

Introduction to both textual and social theories and perspectives of discourse and genre

Identification of a range of genres and introduction to methods of interpreting and analysing genres, including their textual features and social context of production

Unit 2 - Types of discourse(s), types of genre(s)

Identifying discourse and genre within/about social categories (such as class, race, ethnicity, gender and disability)

Identifying discourse and genre within institutions (such as education, health, law, and religion)

Unit 3 - Doing discourse analysis

Identifying and analysing a range of discourses and associated genres, using a variety of approaches including conversation analysis, multimodal analysis, and critical discourse analysis

Developing reflective and critical language awareness through the use of discourse analysis

Investigating pedagogical techniques for analysis of discourse and genre in language learning settings

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Discourse analysis of a single discourse

Assessment task 2: Discourse analysis comparing two discourses

Required texts

Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse analysis: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Bloomsbury.

This is an e-Book and is freely available from the UTS Library

References

Refer to the Canvas site and the Reading List for subject readings.