69469 - English Language and Culture III (Second Language)

Learning outcomes

Students will use authentic media texts in order to develop their critical media literacy skills, which is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms. Media convey a tremendous amount of linguistic information about discourse patterns and grammatical structures as well as messages about social interaction and values in particular communities. Students that are media-literate can not only develop useful skills of communication and inquiry, but also an enhanced understanding of some of the many social and cultural practices which can affect their access to the target language community. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to critically interpret and effectively appropriate digital media in intercultural communication settings, both individually and in group settings. They will be able to express themselves orally and in writing using English vocabulary and grammar appropriate to the type of text being responded to or composed.

Course contents

The main focus of the course will be on media interpretation and analysis, in which students will be challenged to examine more closely both the verbal and nonverbal messages that are presented about culture and society. Students will be presented with a range of English-language digital media (TV, film, internet, etc.) and asked to discuss issues surrounding topics such as language use and representation (e.g. compare and contrast the role of female nonnative speakers in British, Australian, and U.S. cinema). Students will also be asked to critically consider how Italy and Italian-Americans are presented, re-worked, and disseminated in English-language media. Assessment will be made through an in-class quiz, a written essay, and a final video project on a topic of the student’s choice from course.

Readings/Bibliography

There will be a mixture of media materials and printouts used. All material will be made available on the university e-learning site.

Teaching methods

The teaching for this module will consist of digital media screenings, short lectures, and practical computing lab sessions. There will be occasional supplementary readings to be completed prior to classes (available on the e-learning platform). Students will be provided with extensive opportunities to practice speaking, listening, and writing across these settings. Assignments and activities will be carried out both in class and at home.

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed on their ability to critically interpret, analyze, and produce media texts in response to prompts provided during both of the sections. They will address both linguistic factors and the quality of analysis presented by the student. Marks will be allocated as follows:

10%: An in-class written quiz discussing a video on a topic covered in the course. Students will have the opportunity to take a practice quiz the week before and receive feedback prior to sitting the quiz.

40%: A written analysis of how a major recent English-language news story was covered across a range of media platforms. Students will compare and contrast the type of language used, visual elements, etc.

50%:, Students will produce a video discussing a topic of their choice from any of the lectures during the course. Students must submit this topic for approval to Prof. Westman prior to submitting. Some class-time will be allotted to demonstrating filming techniques and links to online resources.

All coursework must be properly cited using Harvard-style referencing and links provided to any online media materials used.

Students are required to attend a minimum of 70% of total classes.

Teaching tools

TV and Film screenings, Computer Lab, other Digital Media, Printouts (all materials will be made available on the e-learning site).

Office hours

See the website of Peter John Westman