Module
4 Coursework: Investigating Language The
material presented here has been adapted from Pamela
Lynch’s
original.
INVESTIGATING LANGUAGE
So what do I have to do?
This is your introduction to academic research! This might
sound more intimidating than in fact it is. Essentially,
investigating language means you collect data which interests
you. Then you use your analytical skills, and the knowledge
of language gained so far to examine the data.
The
written work you do is carefully structured and you are
given clear
headings to organise your work. Some guidance
about what you should write in each section will be given
in class and via the links on the left hand side of this
page. Once you have decided
on your
topic
and
collected the data, you can easily write at least half the
investigation without too much trouble – it’s
the Analysis section which will take the time. That section
along with the Conclusion is the really important part of
the investigation. The length of the investigation should
be between 2000 and 4000 words, excluding the data and any
appendices.
You
will be given plenty of opportunities to discuss your work
with your tutor and we will expect you to keep a written
record of you research in your log book. Make the most
of those opportunities. It’s
a foolish student who forgets to bring all the relevant
material
to a class
scheduled
for
the Investigation Module.
The
key to successful completion of your investigation is working
steadily, and consulting your tutor regularly. Don’t
leave things till the last minute and rush the work. This
is worth 15% of the A level qualification – don’t
throw the marks away.
Deadline Dates
1.
Your Investigation Proposal Form must be completed and
submitted
to your tutor by 7th
July 2006
2.
By the first day of the Autumn Term (6th
September 2006) you
must have collected all of your data in preparation for
your
first
tutorial.
3.
Title, Methodology and Introduction is to be completed
by - 2nd
October 2006
4.
A complete draft investigation is to be completed
by - 30th
October 2006
5.
Your investigation may be returned to you after this for
minor amendments where necessary. The final deadline
for the submission of your investigation is - 8th
December
2006
These
dates must be adhered to. Any late submission is at the
discretion of Mr Marshall and should be accompanied
by a doctor’s
note.
COLLECTING DATA FOR INVESTIGATION
What do I investigate and where do I find my data?
Here are some ideas to help you decide on the topic for
your investigation. You need to choose a topic which really
interests you and for which you can see a sharp focus for
the investigation.
If you are choosing spoken data, you should record the whole
text of a TV or radio programme, or at least 40 minutes of
a conversation. But you only need to transcribe around 8-10
minutes in total (not necessarily continuous speech; you
could select 2 or 3 sections which you feel are interesting
and transcribe those for analysis).
If you are recording from the TV using a video recorder,
you are advised to transfer the recording onto an audio tape
for transcribing. If you try to transcribe from the video
you may damage it when you have to stop and start the video
machine so frequently. There are electronic ways of recording
the sound from a video but if you are not technologically
minded, wait until the house is quiet, play the video tape
and use an audio tape recorder to record the sound in the
ordinary way. Remember to keep your recording. You will be
required to submit it with your investigation.
| Source |
Data |
Focus
for Analysis
(Always
consider the audience and purpose of written texts) |
| HOME |
|
|
| Old
magazines(19th and 20th century) |
Adverts,
Problem pages, Feature articles. |
Comparison
with modern mag; look at the lang change issues; constructions
of masculinity or femininity. |
| Old
Comics |
Comic
strips from ‘The Beano’ etc. |
Comparison
with current children’s comics, & as above. |
| Letters |
Formal
and informal letters; old postcards, or letters from
friends or family, correspondence with a foreign pen-friend |
Look
at the variety within the genre; compare old and modern
texts; what problems does your French pen-friend have
with English? |
| Your
writing |
Diaries,
old school exercise books from primary school and secondary
school. |
How
did your writing skills progress? Spelling?Other interesting
features of lexis, grammar etc? |
| School
reports |
A
grandparent’s report, your reports, younger/older
sisters’ and brothers’ reports. |
Compare
the old and the new/primary school with secondary school |
| Family
records and celebrations |
The
texts connected with a wedding (invitations, replies,
cards, order of service booklet, thank you letters,
speeches, the script for the video), baptism, funeral,
18th birthday party, grandparents’ golden wedding. |
Look
at levels of formality, grammar, lexis etc. |
| Family
talk |
Transcription
of recordings of conversations - talk with friends/family
members. Transcriptions of the talk of one particular
family member in different situations. |
Gender
differences? Consider the theories of Zimmerman and
West or other linguists. Are their theories borne out?
Power issues in the family? Does your mother speak
to daughters and sons in the same ways?Accent and dialect
issues. A comparison of two regional accents. Do your
grandparents or other family members use a particular
regional accent or dialect? How does their pronunciation
differ from yours? |
| Consumerism–adverts
in the home |
Junk
mail, ads on internet sites, transcription of TV ads,
radio ads. |
|
| HOBBIES,
LEISURE & POPULAR CULTURE |
|
|
| Sports |
Transcription
of Radio/TV commentaries; Sports event programmes;
Transcription of training session given by coach. |
Comparison
of radio and TV commentaries, or radio/TV and newspaper
reports. Analysis of coach’s teaching language. |
| TV/Radio
Comedy |
Transcription |
Analysis
of the humour – though you need to use humour
based on language. |
| Information
and Communication Technology |
E-mail,
text messages, chat room text, and other Interactive
Written Discourse texts |
Features
of both speech and writing modes; use of slang, emoticons,
clipped words and other short versions of words etc. |
| Magazines |
Articles,
editorials, adverts, problem pages. |
Choose
a small number of articles to explore the style used
for particular audience; comparison of articles/ads
in magazines with different audiences – gender/age. |
| Films/TV
Drama |
Screenplay
or transcription. |
Examination
of the stylistic features of the scripted text. Representation
of spontaneous speech. |
| Theatre
Programmes |
Adverts,
information about actors and playwright. |
Features
of the genre, play on words in ads. |
| Cooking |
Recipes,
transcriptions of cookery programmes. |
Comparison
of TV chefs’ styles; comparison of old and new
recipe book formats - Mrs Beaton and Nigella Lawson? |
| Restaurants |
Menus |
Elaborate
pre- and post-modification. Influence of immediate
social setting. |
| Radio
Phone-in programmes |
Transcription
of the interaction. |
Openings
and closings. Gender differences? Naming terms. |
| PART
TIME WORK |
|
|
| Training
material |
Transcription
of training videos, employees’ handbook. |
The
corporate image – eg McDonald’s. Script
for employees? Opening and closing of interactions.
Jargon? Prompts for additional purchase? |
| Customer
Interaction |
Transcription
of recordings |
Politeness
features. Patterns in the exchanges. As above. |
| The
language of the staff room |
Transcription
of recording of spontaneous speech, notes of greetings
and farewells. |
Gender/power
issues. |
| The
language of the supermarket |
Notices,
signs, euphemisms. |
Language
to persuade. |
| SPECIAL
INTERESTS |
|
|
| The
Language of Politics |
Transcriptions
of political speeches, Party Manifestos, Transcription
of TV/Radio interviews with politician(s) |
Language
to persuade, memorable phrases (sound-bites), keeping
hold of the turn/interrupting. |
| The
Language of Prospectuses |
School,
College or University prospectuses |
Gender
issues. Comparison of old and new. |
| Religious
Language |
Prayers
and hymns, any religious text, or transcription of
a religious sermon/TV/radio programme. |
|
| The
Language of the Scout Movement |
Publications – old
and new, transcriptions of meetings. |
|
| Holidays/Family
living abroad |
Newspapers,
transcriptions of TV programmes from another English
speaking country – or where there is entertainment
and news material for the British living abroad. |
Global
English. Look at variations in English and the other
cultural differences. |
This
is not the definitive list of topics and data. The best
projects are ones that you are interested in. If none of
the above grab your fancy then think of one for yourself
or explore the links on the right of this page and then
discuss
your ideas with your tutor.
|
