Delivered at:: School of Foreign Languages

Course type:: Compulsory course

When:: 2 year, 1-4 module

Instructors

Kosycheva, Marina A.

Lutkova, Elena

Marina, Olga

Смирнова Анна Георгиевна

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course aims to introduce students to the basics of text studies and text analysis in different functional styles. The practical goal of the course is to develop students’ skills to undertake detailed, language-focused, contextually sensitive analyses of a wide range of texts – spoken, written and multimodal. In addition, the students can enrich the knowledge about academic and non-academic texts comprehension, learn to compress and interpret them in different formats (e.g. plot summary, essay, abstract, literature review, project). Another objective of the course is to give students an overview on different linguistic units which comprise the text and enhance already obtained linguistic and academic competences in order to facilitate the academic texts creation.

Learning Objectives

to formulate and illustrate the basic concepts in text linguistics
to be able to meet the requirements needed in academic works
to conduct in-depth analysis of various texts in different genres (e.g. plot summary, essay, abstract, literature review, project)
to identify the structural units of any text
to able to give the summary of the academic and non-academic texts
to interpret texts of different functional genres in written and spoken form
to argue your opinion and knowledge when analyzing text
to apply practical skills in text compression for the purpose of creating academic abstracts, executive summaries, elements of academic literature review and plot summaries
to effectively deliver academic presentations that are connected to the course topics

Expected Learning Outcomes

using academic vocabulary, clichés, functional language
identification of text peculiarities on phonetic / lexical / grammar levels
analysis of the text based on phonetic / lexical / grammar level
compression the gist of the text into the summary
discussion of main parts of literary text analysis (plot, structure, setting, narration, description, character and dialogue)
identification of various parts of formal style writing (report / proposal / formal letter)
recognition of the main components in academic and non-academic texts
preparation of media text analysis in a group
group analysis of linguistic articles on the given topic in the form of presentation
ability to discuss the literary and media texts and their genres peculiarities
ability to conduct the linguistic analysis of the text
preparation of literature review / media text analysis in a group

Course Contents

Introduction to text studies
Graphological and phonological levels of text analysis
Lexical and Semantic levels of text analysis
Grammatical level of text analysis
Literary text analysis: Various genres of literary texts
Literary text analysis: Plot and its structure
Literary text analysis: Setting
Literary text analysis: Forms of author’s style: narration
Literary text analysis: Forms of author’s style: description
Literary text analysis: Forms of author’s style: characteristics and dialogues and the story analysis
Academic texts production: Formal style and the types of academic texts
Academic texts production: Structure and the main components of academic texts
Academic texts production: Literature review
Academic texts production: Article analysis - Identifying niche and gap
Academic texts production: Literature review presentation
Media texts: traditional and digital: Semi-formal styles and the types of media text
Media texts: traditional and digital: Linguistic peculiarities of media texts
Media texts: traditional and digital: Tabloids vs. broadsheet papers: differences in narration
Media texts: Types of text analysis: cognitive and semiotic analysis of the text
Media texts: traditional and digital: Credibility and logical fallacies of media texts
Media texts: traditional and digital: Group project: analyzing media text

Assessment Elements

Quiz
The percentage is calculated from the total number of points scored for the test.
Written work
Module 1-4: Late submissions can be allowed at tutor's discretion, yet with 7 points max and an additional deadline not later than a week after the original one.
Assignment
Discussion
Project

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 2nd module
0.15 * Assignment + 0.25 * Discussion + 0.1 * Project + 0.25 * Quiz + 0.25 * Written work
2023/2024 4th module
0.1 * Assignment + 0.2 * Discussion + 0.2 * Project + 0.2 * Quiz + 0.3 * Written work

Bachelor’s Programme 'Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication'

Research Seminar "Text Analysis and Compression"