Working with spoken discourse

This course focuses on ‘spoken discourse’ by means of a joint research project with the University of Antwerp (UA) on attitudes towards good/attractive and bad/unattractive language, and how we account for such attitudes in discourse. After some introductory classes, students from both universities will meet up to have a series of focus group conversations which will then be analysed under the supervision of Jürgen Jaspers (ULB) and Astrid De Wit (UA). Students will acquaint themselves with various approaches for analysing and interpreting group conversations, moving from a micro- to a macro-perspective. We will address, among other things, transcribing spoken discourse, membership categorisation in discourse, discourse markers, the patterns of speaking events, as well as attitudes towards English as a lingua franca and attitudes towards Dutch and French in a Belgian context. All sessions will be organised separately (and in parallel) for ULB and UA students, so that students can follow classes at their home campus. The focus group conversations will take place at UA. A closing event for presenting the findings of the research project will be organised at ULB.

This course sets out to familiarise students with a series of methodological approaches which will allow them to analyse and interpret various kinds of oral discourse. The course also invites students to improve their theoretical knowledge (in sociolinguistics, pragmatics), to elaborate and sharpen their sense of criticism towards widespread linguistic attitudes, and to acquire the skills to set up focus group interviews and to analyse them. The course equally intends to bring students into contact with students in languages and literatures from a Dutch-medium university.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

A very good knowledge of English (B2/C1)

Seminars and interactive lectures which requires students' active participation. Students will be requested to have read the relevant articles/chapters for each corresponding class. Since this course is based on a joint research project with the University of Antwerp, some classes will be taught, at ULB, by professor De Wit.
 

Contribution to the teaching profile

The course invites students to broaden their understanding of the characteristics of spoken discourse and of the various methodologies with which it can be analysed. At the end of the course students will have improved their knowledge of sociolinguistics and pragmatics, and should normally be able to organise and analyse a focus group interview. They will also be able to reflect critically on widespread linguistic attitudes in Belgium and to prepare a scientific portfolio on the basis of their analyses.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

A series of articles and chapters will be made available on l'UV.

Course notes

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

jurgen.jaspers@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Portfolio
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• Group work

Portfolio

Oral examination

Oral presentation

Group work

Students will collaborate in group on a project portfolio which consists of different components. At the end of the project, they will present their main findings in group, but each student will also be individually questioned about the portfolio. The final grade (out of 20) will be based on the group portfolio, but the individual oral feedback will weigh in on the eventual individual grade of each student, thus reflecting their understanding of the group project. Students failing the overall course in the first assessment period (June) re-work their portfolio individually in the re-sit period (August).

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

Portfolio (based on the group work): 70%
Presentation: 10%
Oral exam: 20%

Language(s) of evaluation

• english