Communication as Critical Inquiry

obligatory courses

The course in Communication as Critical Inquiry draws on students’ acquaintance with Critical Discourse Analysis (specifically Module 12) and other qualitative critical research orientations and interpretive traditions in order to give students opportunities to apply their knowledge and analytic skills in practice of critical reading, reviewing and writing.

Methods of instruction/ forms of classroom activity

In class activities:

presentations and handouts prepared by the instructor;

discussions related to presentations about assigned reading;

planning, drafting and peer-review of critical essays.

Course content

1. Textual and contextual properties of political discourse including propaganda and PR

2. Persuasion techniques in promotional discourse (PR, advertising, marketing, promotorials, sponsored articles)

3. The rhetoric of legal texts (policy papers and policy strategies, think-tank documents, public debate genres)

4. Business and economic reports – self-presentation strategies, investment advice

5. Literary and artistic output – canons and avant-gardes

6. Textual and narrative properties of current affairs and social issue coverage – challenging the notion of journalistic objectivity

7. The pitfalls of digital journalism and news production – corporate, independent, alternative media

8. Research implications for Critical Media Literacy

Reading list

A. obligatory reading (to get a credit):

A.1. used in class

Durant, Allan and Marina Lambrou. 2009. Language and Media. London: Routledge.

Blommaert, Jan. 2005. Discourse: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Janks, Hilary. 2010. Literacy and Power. London: Routledge.

A.2. used for self-study

A range of materials from Internet news sites and thematic blogs related to specific topics

B. supplementary reading

Freire, Paulo. 1974. Education for Critical Consciousness. Trans. by David Goulet, London: Sheed and Ward

Kress, Gunther. 2003. Literacy in the Digital Age. London: Routledge.

Knowledge

Students:

1. have basic knowledge about the significance of the study of language and communication within the discipline of philology, about their research subjects as well as their methodological specificity (K_W02)

2. have a systematic detailed knowledge of current research in linguistics, discourse analysis, social communication, media studies, as well as other related disciplines and their research orientations (K_W09)

3. know the formal properties and application of various genres and conventional practices in public communication (K_W16)

Skills

Students can:

4. apply the terminology, theoretical frameworks, research paradigms and methodological approaches of linguistics and discouse studies (including those of semiotics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, stylistics and rhetoric), as well as communication studies and media studies (K_U04)

5. identify and describe a range of linguistic and generic features of texts used in public communication, conduct a critical analysis/interpretation of texts in English, with the aid of typical philological methods, and delimit their potential meanings, social impact and cultural significance (K_U06)

6. comprehend spoken and written texts in English to identify the general point/attitude and to find specific information in authentic public communications (K_U14)

Social competences

Students:

7. shape their opinions in relation to the gained general and detailed knowledge gained in the course(K_K03)

8. approach public communications in an analytic and critical way(K_K07)

Forms of evaluation of effects (see below for types of effects)

class participation including individual oral presentations about assigned reading (40%) – 1,2,6,7,8

three critical essays (60%) – 3,4,5,6,8

ECTS points in relation to student’s duties

1 ECTS – 30 h of class participation

1 ECTS – 15h of consultations and 15 h of preparation of presentations about assigned reading

1 ECTS – 30 h of writing of three critical essays