Master 2023/2024

Research Seminar "Modern Linguistics: Schools and Trends - 1"

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Compulsory course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)

Area of studies: Linguistics

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

Where: School of Foreign Languages

When: 2 year, 1 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Online hours: 20

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Mariia Tsygunova

Master’s programme: Иностранные языки и межкультурная коммуникация

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 20

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Photodiscourse: a research seminar. This section of the research seminar explores photography as a type of discourse. Students will first learn about the historical highlights of photography and the basics of composition that will become the framework for further understanding and analysis of photographs as a type of discourse. This course implies that students work with photographs both from public domain and from their own archives. The final paper is a project dedicated to topic inspired by their major.

Learning Objectives

• Mastering the historical peculiarities of photography and its basic principles of composition.
• Developing skills in analysing photographs as a type of discourse.
• Acquiring experience working with photographs from public access and personal archives of students.
• Developing critical thinking skills and the ability to formulate research questions.
• Creating a project dedicated to a topic related to the student's major, which will allow for the development of research and scientific writing skills.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to formulate the historical context and technical aspects of photography, enabling to appreciate and analyse photographs as a form of visual communication.
• Students will be able to critically analyse photographs, identifying the intended message, audience, and cultural context.
• Students will implement research skills, including the ability to formulate research questions and gather and analyse data from various sources.
• Students will gain practical experience working with photographs from public access and personal archives, implementing skills in archival research and preservation.
• Students will produce a research project related to their major, demonstrating their ability to apply critical thinking and scientific writing skills to a specific topic in the field of photography and discourse.

Course Contents

• Photography: Historical Highlights
• The Basics of Composition
• Introduction to Photographs as Discourse
• Visual Storytelling through Photographs
• Photographs and Art
• The Power of Images in Society
• Photographs and Identity
• Photographs and Memory
• Photography and Technology

Assessment Elements

• In-class participation
  The whole module is taken into consideration. Assessed in the following way. Attendance + active participation = 1. Attendance + lack of / no participation = 0,4. N/A = 0. For instance, if the module has 24 classes in total, there are 24 points max. If a student attends and actively participates in 14 classes, just attends 7 classes with no participation and skips 3 classes: 1) 14 * 1 + 7 * 0,4 + 3 * 0 = 16,8 points out of 24 points max; 2) 16,8 * 10 / 24 = 7 out of 10 is the "In-class participation" grade. Students who were absent can be allowed to "retake" this section if they can provide a sick note. They will have to complete an in-class task of tutor's choice. However, 0,4 points is max in this case and the deadline for submissions is set by a tutor, at least one week before the exam period.
• Productive
  The whole module is taken into consideration. This part includes all assignments: possible home tasks, quizzes, etc. Students who were absent can be allowed to "retake" this section if they can provide a sick note. The deadline for such submissions is set by a tutor, at least one week before the exam period. 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.
• Final project
  Final project defence takes place before the general exam period. This project will cover a linguistically, culturally or socially relevant topic related to our sections and major.
• Written paper
  Students will be offered a list of topics to write their papers about. The paper is a written analysis of a photograph.

Interim Assessment

• 2023/2024 1st module
  0.2 * Final project + 0.3 * In-class participation + 0.3 * Productive + 0.2 * Written paper

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• On photography, Sontag, S., 1979
• Photography : the concise guide, Warren, B., 2012

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Peres, M. R. (2007). The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography (Vol. 4th ed). Amsterdam: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=196202