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2011/2 Provisional Module Catalogue - UNDER CONSTRUCTION & SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 Module Code: LIN3002 Module Title: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
Module Provider: Language & Translation Studies Short Name: LIN3002
Level: HE3 Module Co-ordinator: DIPPOLD D Dr (Lang & Trans)
Number of credits: 15 Number of ECTS credits: 7.5
 
Module Availability
Semester 2
Assessment Pattern
Unit(s) of Assessment (SITS MAB)
Weighting Towards Module Mark( %)
60-min in-class test (mid-semester)
40%
300-word proposal (10%) + 2000-word essay (50%)
60%
Qualifying Condition(s) 
A weighted aggregate of 40% is required to pass the module.
Module Overview
This is a Level 3 module for students across LTS’ offerings of degree programmes. It is taught in English in Autumn or Spring semester, three contact hours per week. Attendance is compulsory.
Prerequisites/Co-requisites
Successful completion of HE 2 or equivalent.
Module Aims
The module is intended for students who have gathered hands-on experience of professional communication during their placement year and in other work contexts. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the main issues concerning communication in both written and oral genres in professional settings as well as the theoretical and methodological approaches used to study such issues. This will equip them with the skills to reflect critically on professional communication events in a variety of contexts.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to
  • use terminology for the analysis of spoken and written professional communication genres and analyse episodes of professional communication
  • explain how language in professional contexts is affected by institutional constraints, the genres in which it occurs as well as the transactional and the relational goals of speakers
  • recognize how various issues can influence professional communication in oral and written genres (identity, gender, intercultural cross-cultural contexts, computer-mediated settings)
  • select appropriate research methods and apply them to spoken or written data from a professional communication context   
  • analyse spoken or written data from a professional communication context
  • plan a research essay on an issue of professional communication with due consideration for ethical aspects
  • summarize the results of a research project on professional communication and communicate them in writing
  • reflect critically on instances on professional communication in a variety of settings
Module Content
The following areas are indicative of topics to be covered: 
  • Introduction to professional communication
  • Spoken and written genres in the workplace
  • Transactional and relational goals in professional communication
  • Face and politeness in professional communication
  • Intercultural and cross-cultural issues
  • Professional communication in a foreign language
  • Identity and professional communication (power, corporate identity, leadership, gender)
  • Computer-mediated communication
  • Training and consulting for professional communication
  • Professional communication research: Methods and perspectives
Methods of Teaching/Learning
The course will be taught in two hours per week and are expected to engage in independent study outside class, reading the research literature and investigating data. Lecture- and seminar-style teaching will be mixed throughout class time. Students will work in pairs and groups to explore oral and written data, relating patterns in these data to the theoretical approaches introduced in class.
Selected Texts/Journals
Essential Reading
Koester, A. (2006). Investigating Workplace Discourse. London and New York: Routledge
Bargiela-Chiappini, F. et. al. (2007). Business Discourse. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
 
Background Reading
Antos, G. & Ventola, E. (Ed.) (2008). Handbook of Interpersonal Communication. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Bhatia, V. (1993). Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings. London: Longman
Brown, P. & Levinson, S. (1987). Politeness: Some Universals in Language Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  
Cameron, D. (2000). Good to Talk? Living and Working in a Communication Culture. London: Sage.. London: Sage.
Cameron, D. (2001). Working with Spoken Discourse. London: Sage Publications.
Clyne, M. (1994). Inter-Cultural Communication at Work. Cultural Values in Discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Connor, U. & Upton, T. (eds.) (2004). Discourse in the Professions: Perspectives From Corpus Linguistics. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Coupland, J. (ed.) (1994). Small Talk. Essex: Pearson Education.
Drew, P. & Heritage, J. (eds.) (1992). Talk at Work: Interaction in Institutional Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eckert, P. & McConnell-Ginet, S. (2003). Language and Gender. Cambridge: CUP.
Geluykens, R. & Kraft, B. (eds.) (2008). Institutional Discourse in Cross-Cultural Contexts. München: Lincom Europa.
Goddard, A. & Mean, M. (2009). Language & Gender. London: Routledge.
Goddard, A. (1998). The Language of Advertising. London: Routledge.
Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books.
Gumperz, J. (ed.) (1982). Language and Social Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gunnarson, B. (2009). Professional Discourse. London: Continuum.
Hartley, P. & Bruckmann, C. (2002). Business Communication. London: Routledge.
Holmes, J. (1995). Women, Men and Politeness. London: Longman.
Holmes, J. (2006). Gendered Talk at Work: Constructing Gender Identity Through Workplace Discourse. Malden: Blackwell.
Holmes, J. & Stubbe, M. (2003). Power and Politeness in the Workplace. London: Longman.
Hunston, S. (Ed.) (1998). Language at Work. Clevedon: Multiligual Matters.
Hutchby, I. (2001). Conversation and Technology: From the Telephone to the Internet. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Koester, A. (2004). The Language of Work. London: Routledge.
Pan, Y. et al. (2002). Professional Communication in International Settings. Oxford: Blackwell. Oxford: Blackwell.
Poncini, G. (2004). Discursive Strategies in Multicultural Business Meetings. Bern: Peter Lang.
Richards, K. (2006). Language and Professional Identity. New York: Palgrave.
Sarangi, S. & Roberts, C. (eds.) (1999). Talk, Work and Institutional Order: Discourse in Medial, Mediation and Management Settings. Berlin: de Gruyter.. Berlin: de Gruyter.
Stubbe, M. et. al. (2003). Multiple Discourse Analyses of a Workplace Interaction. Discourse Studies, 5(3), 351-388.
 
Data
Published data in scholarly monographs and journal articles
Students’ data gathered during / after placement year
Corpora (British National Corpus, language-specific corpora)
Last Updated
14.4.11