Language and media (level 6)

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
• Convenor: to be confirmed
• Prerequisite: Approaches to Language
• Assessment: a 2500-3000-word essay (100%)

This module focuses on the language used in the news as well as new and social media. Drawing on core sociolinguistic theory and methodology, a range of different media types will be studied, across a range of national, international, monolingual and multilingual contexts.

The overarching aim of the module is to introduce you to the theories, methods and contexts involved in understanding media language from a linguistic perspective. The objective is for you to become more critically aware of the language in how you consume, produce and use media and to apply this awareness in practice.

This module will provide you with an understanding of the importance of media language according to core linguistic theory (eg literature from sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, ethnography of communication, critical discourse analysis). You will critically engage with core sociolinguistic concepts and readings, as well as being introduced to ongoing research in the field, drawing on different modalities (eg television, print media, Internet), methodologies (eg corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, ethnography), and contexts (UK and international).

A cross-cultural focus is consistent throughout the module.

Indicative module content

• News production and the news community
• Using 'standard language' and the 'prescriptive imperative'
• The sociolinguistics of audience design
• Language and news values
• The uses of social media and new media
• Multilingualism in/and the media
• Cross-cultural and cross-linguistic media studies

By the end of this module, you will be able to better understand the language used in media production and consumption (eg engagement and participation).