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English: Structure and Practice

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Course Type Course Code No. Of Credits
Foundation Elective SOL2EN309 4

Semester and Year Offered: 

Course Coordinator and Team: Krishna K Dixit

Email of course coordinator: krishnakdixit[at]aud[dot]ac[dot]in

Pre-requisites: None

Course Objectives

Aim: This course will introduce students to the structure, the diverse forms and uses of English. It will enable students to understand and analyse the constitutive elements of the spoken and written forms of English and the language of literary texts. It will equip them with the necessary skills and tools required in the systematic study of language and literature. The basic literary stylistic concepts such as metre and rhythm, genre, narrative structure, interpretation and point of view will be studied in conjunction with the theory of language.

Course Outcomes: On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of key concepts in linguistic study
  2. Demonstrate logical reasoning by applying linguistic concepts to engage in analysis of data from a variety of languages; evaluate evidence to form logical arguments to support one’s linguistic analysis
  3. Articulate their understanding of deep interconnectedness between theory of language and theory of literature and identify the underlying features of both written and spoken forms of English language
  4. Exhibit research skills by planning, executing and reporting a short linguistic project to inquire by asking relevant/appropriate questions, problematising, synthesising and articulating problem, formulating hypothesis and drawing conclusion from the data
  5. Think reflectively on one’s own socio-linguistic experiences and demonstrate sensitivity in analysing socio-politico and cultural factors in the use of language in society thereby exhibiting knowledge of multiple cultures and global values

Brief description of modules/ Main modules:

Module 1: Phonetics

  • International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
  • Diphthongs, Monophthongs
  • Homophones and Homographs
  • Accent and Intonation

Module 2: Phonology

  • Phoneme, Minimal Pair and Allophones
  • Segmental and Suprasegmental Phonology

Module 3: Morphology

  • Morphemes, Lexemes and allomorphs
  • Morphological Process
  • Word Formation

Module 4: Syntax

  • Syntactic Categories
  • Syntactic Process
  • Syntactic Analysis

Module 5: Semantics and Pragmatics

  • Semantic Theories
  • Levels of Meaning: lexical and grammatical meaning
  • Presupposition, Entailment and Implicature
  • Speech Act Theory

Module 6: Web of English

  • Language, Dialect, Pidgin, Creole, Slang
  • Code Switching and Lingua Franca
  • British English and Indian English
  • American English and African American English

Module 7: Stylistics

  • Elements of Style
  • Metre and Rhythm, Genre
  • Narrative Structure, Interpretation
  • Points of View
  • Narrative Theory

Reading List:

  • Aitchison, Jean.Linguistics.London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2003.Print.
  • Blum, Susan. Making Sense of Language: Readings from Culture and Communication. Oxford: OUP, 2012.Print.
  • Carr, Philip. English Phonetics and Phonology.2nd ed.U.K: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.Print.
  • Dhamija, Pushya Vibhooti and J.Sethi. A Course in Phonetics and Spoken English.2nd ed. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall, 2006.Print
  • Fasold, Ralph, and Jeffrey Conner-Linton. An Introduction to Language and Linguistics. Cambridge: CUP, 2006. Print.
  • Gordon, W.Terrence, and Susan Willmarth. Linguistics for Beginners. New York: For Beginners LLC, 2008.Print.
  • Hudson, Richard. Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: CUP, 1996.Print.
  • Meyerhoff, Miriam. Introducing Sociolinguistics. London & New York: Routledge, 2006.Print.
  • Odden, David. Introducing Phonology. Cambridge: CUP, 2005.Print.
  • Poldauf, Ivan. English Word Stress. Oxford: Pergamon press, 1984.Print.
  • Rahman, Tariq. A General Introduction to Linguistics. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, 2010.Print.
  • Wardhaugh, Ronald. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. U.K.: Blackwell Publishers, 2006. Print.
  • Yule, George. The Study of Language.4th ed. Cambridge: CUP, 2010. Print.

Assessment Details with weights:

S. Noh Assessmenth Date/period in which Assessment will take placeh Weightageh
1 Project submission and presentation Throughout the semester 30%
2 Mid-semester exam Mid October 30%
3 Term paper End of November 40%
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