SUBJECT OUTLINE

Subject Name:    Language and Power

Subject Description

Language and Power is designed to help those with a language/literacy background to develop an understanding of the significance of a critical perspective on issues of language and power, and for those already with a strong view of the political nature of social life to develop an understanding of the significance of language and literacy. Central to the subject is an understanding of the interrelationships between power and language. No previous knowledge in the area is assumed, although the subject will attempt to build on knowledge of different areas that participants bring to the subject. The focus of the subject is on broad political and theoretical issues relevant to the concepts of language, power,  literacy, and pedagogy. A further aim is to introduce perspectives and techniques for developing critical literacy and discourse analysis skills, and for taking up the pedagogical challenge posed by issues of language and power.

Subject Objectives/Outcomes

At the completion of the subject participants are expected to have well developed understandings of:

1.    The connections between language and power across a number of contexts
2.    Tools for the analysis of language and its interrelationships with power
3.    Critical theory and concepts such as discourse and ideology
4.    A range of techniques for analysing texts from a critical perspective
5.    The diversity of possible pedagogical responses to issues of language and power
Subject Content
Language and power
Critical theory, discourse, ideology
Sociolinguistics and language policy
Critical language awareness
Critical discourse analysis
Critical literacy
Critical pedagogy

Learning Experiences

Students will typically experience the learning in this subject through the following processes and/or content that will be covered: For students studying in weekly mode, the subject will be based around 2-hour weekly seminars, where there will be a mixture of lecturing, group work, small tasks and discussion. Students will be expected to have read the assigned readings for each week, and to be ready to discuss different issues. Students in the weekly class will have access to materials, readings and so forth through UTS Online. For students studying the subject by distance, there will be readings, activities and discussions designed to encourage interaction among participants.

Weekly class schedule:

Below is the schedule we intend to follow this semester. Distance students do not of course need to follow this schedule so closely, though it is generally a good idea to try to keep to this outline.
( The red is regarded to my Assessment 2 )

Teaching Week    Topic
1            Introduction: Language and Power
1- Janks, H., 2010, Language and Power in H.Janks, Literacy and Power, Routledge: New York, pp.35-60.

2-Janks, H. 2010, Language. Power and Pedagogies, in Hornberger, N. and McKay, S., Sociolinguistics and Language Education, Multilingual Matters: Bristol, pp. 40-62. (available through the UTS library – closed reserve).
2           Unit 2: The Politics of language:
3-Joseph, J.  2006 How politics permeates language  (and vice versa). Chapter 1 language and Politics Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/16536/013104_josephhow.pdf

4-Barker, X, 2012, English Language as Bully in the Republic of Nauru, in Rapatahana, V. and Bunce, P. (eds), English Language as Hydra – Its Impacts on Non-English Language Cultures, Multilingual Matters: Bristol, pp. 18-36
https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/34531/3           Unit 3: language, power and medical contexts
5-Crawford, A.  1999, ‘We can’t all understand the whites’ language’: An analysis of monolingual health services in a multilingual society’, International Journal of the Sociology of Language, vol. 136, pp. 27-45.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/7195/013369_crawfordunderstand.pdf

4            Unit 4: language, power and the legal system
6-Eades, D 2006. Lexical struggle in court: Aboriginal Australians versus the state. Journal of Sociolinguistics 10(2) 153-180.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/16634/013104_eadeslexical.pdf

5           Unit 5: Language ideologies.
7-Robbins, J 2001. God is nothing but talk: modernity, language, and prayer in a Papua New Guinea Society. American Anthropologist 103(4) 901-912.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/16633/013104_robbinsgod.pdf

8-McGroarty, M., 2010, Language and Ideologies, in Hornberger, N. and McKay, S., Sociolinguistics and Language Education, Multilingual Matters: Bristol, pp. 3 -39.
6            Unit 6: Language and gender
9-Cameron, D 2005 Language, gender and sexuality: Current issues and new directions. Applied Linguistics, 26(4), 482-502
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/12969/013369_cameronlanguage.pdf

Assignment 1

7
Unit 7: Language and resistance
9-Pollard, V. 2003 Sound and power: The language of the Rastafari. In  S Makoni, G. Smitherman, A Ball & A Spears (Eds) Black linguistics: Language, society, and politics in Africa and the Americas. London: Routledge.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/10336/013369_pollardsound.pdf

10-Kumaravadivelu, B., Dangerous liaison : globalization, empire and TESOL (ch1), In Edge, J. (ed), (Re-)locating TESOL in an age of empire
https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/34595/

8
Unit 8: Language and power: From Marx to Bourdie
11-Holborow, M 1999 In the beginning was society: Marx, Volosinov and Vygotsky on language. Chapter 2,  The politics of English: A Marxist view of language. London: Sage.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/10334/013369_holborowbeginning.pdf

24
Non-teaching week
1      Non-teaching week

9
Unit 9  Critical language awareness
12-Reagan, T. 2006 The explanatory power of critical language studies: Linguistics with an attitude. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies: An International Journal 3(1) 1-22.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/12968/013369_reaganexplanatory.pdf
13-Phillipson, R. & Skutnabb-Kangas, T., Linguistic human rights and English in Europe, World Englishes,
https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/34596/

14-Hough, D.A. & Skutnabb-Kangas, T., Beyond good intentions – combating linguistic genocide in education, AlterNative : an international journal of indigenous peoples
https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/34594/

10         Unit 10: Critical Discourse analysis (1)

15-Janks, H.  1997, ‘Critical discourse analysis as a research tool’, Discourse: Studies In The Cultural Politics Of Education, vol. 18, issue 3, pp. 329-342.
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/7225/013369_jankscritical.pdf

16-Fairclough, N (2003) Texts, social events and social practices. Chapter 2 In Analysing discourse: Textual analysis for social research. London: Routledge
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/12972/013369_faircloughtexts.pdf

11          Unit 10b Critical Discourse analysis (2)
17-Van Leeuwen, T. (2009) ‘Critical Discourse Analysis’ in J. Renkema, ed Discourse, of Course – An overview of research in discourse studies. Amsterdam: John Benjamins: 277-292   401.41 RENE
http://find.lib.uts.edu.au/search.do?R=OPAC_DRR_29351

18-Van Leeuwen, T. (2000) ‘Visual Racism’, in M. Reisigl and R. Wodak, eds. The Semiotics of Racism – Approaches in Critical Discourse Analysis: Vienna, Passagen Verlag.
http://find.lib.uts.edu.au/search.do?R=OPAC_DRR_29354

12          Units 11 & 12: Critical pedagogy, critical literacy and Critical multiculturalism

19-Pennycook, A (2004) Critical moments in a TESOL praxicum. In B Norton, & K Toohey (Eds) Critical pedagogies and language learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/22404/013104_pennycookcritical.pdf

20-Lin, A., 2012, Critical Practice in English Language Education in Hong Kong: Challenges and Possibilities in Sung, K. and Pederson, R. (eds), Critical ELT Practices in Asia: Key Issues, Practices and Possibilities, Sense Publications: The Netherlands, pp. 71-83.
https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/drr/33194/

21-Morgan, B and V Ramanathan (2005) Critical literacies and language education: Global and local perspectives. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 25, 151-169
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/16609/013104_morgancritical.pdf

22-Kubota Ryuko (2004) The politics of cultural difference in second language education. Critical inquiry in Language Studies 1(1) 21-39
http://drr.lib.uts.edu.au/file/22336/013104_kubotapolitics.pdf

Assessment Tasks and Attendance Requirements

Assessment task    Brief Task Descriptor    Subject Objectives Being Assessed
1     Essay: Language and power
1500 – 2000 words    Application of concepts of language and power to contexts with which you are familiar.
2     Long essay:  (several choices)
3000 words     In depth study of language and power or critical pedagogical responses

Assessment Tasks

There are two assessed assignments for this subject
Assignment 1
The first assignment is an essay of about 1500-2 000 words aimed either at relating concepts of language and power to contexts with which you are familiar, or at providing an overview of central issues in the beginning part of the subject.

Option 1: This is aimed at relating understandings of language and power to an everyday language event. Take a context with which you are familiar, preferably something from your everyday experience (though you might also use other media such as television if you prefer) and discuss ways in which language and power operate in that context. Issues such as institutional power and other relations of social power (class, gender and so on) will be important. Joseph’s different frameworks of the politics of language may help. You should try to relate your discussion of this context with the readings from the beginning of the class. Thus you might look at an everyday incident at home, in your workplace, or in another institution, and reflect, using the readings from the first part of the course, on ways in which language and power operate together. You will be expected to draw parallels between the context under discussion and several but not necessarily all of the readings from the first module.

Option 2. Summarize key themes from the first seven weeks of the class, and try to show different ways in which we can go about looking at questions of language and power. You should clearly deal with the readings from the first seven weeks of the subject, and discussion of some further reading may be useful here. You may want to focus on a particular institution – education, law, or medicine, or a particular relation of social power – class, gender or race – or you may prefer to give an overview of several issues.

In choosing either option 1 or option 2, you may choose whatever balance you prefer (that is to say, you can see these two options as opposite ends of a continuum). You may choose to analyse a context in depth with reference to a small range of readings, a balance of half and half, or an overview of the readings that nevertheless also draws connections to a particular context. For both options, a widening of the discussion through further reading will be useful though not required.

NB. You will be provided with some materials in class if you wish to analyse one of two recent public and /or political events.
Assignment 2
There are several options for this longer essay of 3000 words.
Option 1. An analysis of the operation of power through language, typically, though not limited to, a form of critical discourse analysis (including a variety of media). Using a particular text or texts (broadly understood), conduct a form of critical text analysis. Show how the text is constructed, what the implications are for particular choices of words, how the reader is positioned and so on. Remember that text can be understood in many ways and might include spoken language, visual text, language and images together and so on. The ‘ways into text’ model may be helpful here. You should also try to relate this analysis to core readings so that issues of language and power and/or critical literacies are incorporated into the discussion. Reading outside the subject readings is encouraged.

Option 2 Discuss the issues in weeks 8 – 12 to do with critical  and educational responses to language and power.  The assignment should answer questions such as: How might we as educators, parents, workers, develop responses to the issues of language and power discussed in the first module? Why does the notion of critical always need to be related to questions of power? How are pedagogical responses such as critical literacy, critical pedagogy, critical multiculturalism and so on related to questions of language and power? What are the advantages and difficulties of critical approaches to education? It will of course be useful to orient this essay towards contexts of practice with which you are familiar. Be careful, however, not to just describe practice: This essay needs to discuss critical education in the context of language and power. Reading outside the subject readings is expected.

Option 3. The third possibility is to pull together major themes in the subject as a whole. You might, for example, explore issues around language, power and cultural capital; or discourse, gender and sexuality;  or new forms of media/ critical literacies young people currently need to negotiate their worlds; or some other appropriate concern  established in consultation with your lecturer. You are encouraged to develop your own interest here, though please make sure you discuss this with the subject lecturer. Reading outside the subject readings is necessary.
Assessment Criteria
Students will be assessed on the extent to which they demonstrate achievement of the subject outcomes and related content they select from the subject content list above.

Assignments will be awarded grades according to criteria below:
HD    High Distinction: work of superior quality on all facets of the assignment. This grade will also be given to recognise particular originality or creativity in your assignment.
D    Distinction: work of very good quality on all facets of the assignment, demonstrating a sound grasp of content together with efficient organisation and selectivity.
C    Credit: work of good quality showing clear understanding and indications of additional effort in all facets of the assignment.
P    Pass: work showing basic requirements on most facets of the assignment.
R    Resubmit: this grade will only be awarded under extenuating circumstances. A resubmission will not be recommended for inadequate or unscholarly work.
Z    Fail

Text and/or Required References
UTS Coursework Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual that may be downloaded at: http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/coursewkassess.html

Recommended and further readings
Baynham, M. 1995, Literacy Practices: Investigating Literacy In Social Contexts, Longman, London.
Cameron, D and  Kulick,  D., (2003) Language and Sexuality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cope. B, & Kalantzis, M.  (eds) 2000, Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and the design of social futures, Routledge, London.
Fairclough, N. 1989, Language and Power, Longman, London.
Fairclough, N. 1992, Discourse And Social Change, Polity Press, Cambridge.
Fairclough, N. 1995, Media Discourse, Edward Arnold, London.
Fairclough, N (2003) Analysing discourse: Textual analysis for social research. London: Routledge
Gee, J. P., Hull, G. & Lankshear, C. 1996, The New Work Order: Behind The Language Of The New Capitalism, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Hall, JK and W Eggington (Eds) 2000 The sociopolitics of English language teaching. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Holborow, M 1999 The politics of English: A Marxist view of language. London: Sage.
Hornberger, N. and McKay, S., 2010, Sociolinguistics and Language Education, Multilingual Matters: Bristol,
Hull, G. 1997, Changing Work: Changing workers: critical perspectives on language, literacy and skills, SUNY, Albany, NY.
Johnston, B 2003 Values in English language teaching. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Joseph, J  2006 language and Politics Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Kress. G. 2003 Literacy in the new media age. London: Routledge
Lankshear, C. 1997 Changing Literacies, Open University Press, Buckingham.
Lee, A. 1996, Gender, Literacy, Curriculum: Rewriting School Geography, Falmer Press, London.
Luke, A. & Gilbert, P. (eds) 1993,  Literacy In Contexts, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Makoni, S G. Smitherman, A Ball & A Spears (Eds) 2003 Black linguistics: Language, society, and politics in Africa and the Americas. London: Routledge.
Norton, B and K Toohey (Eds)  2004 Critical pedagogies and language learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Pennycook, A. 2001, Critical Applied Linguistics: A Critical Introduction, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ.
Rapatahana, V. and Bunce, P. (eds), 2012, English Language as Hydra – Its Impacts on Non-English Language Cultures, Multilingual Matters: Bristol
Schirato, T. & Yell, S. 1996, Communication And Cultural Literacy: An Introduction, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Street, B. 1996, Social Literacies: Critical Approaches To Literacy In Development, Longman, Ethnography And Education,  London:.
Sung, K. and Pederson, R. (eds), Critical ELT Practices in Asia: Key Issues, Practices andPossiblities, Sense Publications: The Netherlands,
Van Leeuwen, T. (2005) Introducing Social Semiotics. London: Routledge
Van Leeuwen, T. (2009) Discourse and Practice – New Tools for Critical Discourse Analysis. New York: Oxford University Press:
Walton. C. 1996, Critical Social Literacies, Northern Territory University Press, Darwin.

Journals that may be of interest
Critical Discourse Studies
Critical Inquiry in Language Studies
Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education
Discourse and Society
Gender and Education
Journal  of Language and Politics
Journal of Language, identity and Education
Language and Education
Language in Society
Literacy  and Numeracy  Studies
Social Semiotics
Text

UTS Coursework Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual that may be downloaded at: http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/coursewkassess.html
Attendance Requirements
?    Full attendance at, and participation in, all lecture sessions.
?    Completion of all set assignments.  Failure to submit and pass any assignment may result in failure of the subject.
?    Assignments must be word-processed so that they are neat, clear and legible and demonstrate a satisfactory standard of literacy (that is, standard spelling and correct grammar).  As well the Harvard (UTS) referencing conventions must be used.  Please refer to the Harvard (UTS) Referencing System for further guidelines.
?    Assignments must be submitted on time.  Where illnss or misadventure beyond a student’s control has a short term effect on the student’s preparation for, or capacity to submit/complete, an assessment task by or on the due date:
•    Students should notify the lecturer/tutor of their reason for extension by email on or before the due date of the assessment item.
•    Lecturer/tutor can grant an extension of time up to one week and will notify the student by return email of the new due date.
•    The student should attach a copy of the email received from their lecturer/tutor to their assessment item.
?    Copies of all assignments must be kept by the students.
?    Assignments may not be submitted by fax or email except by special arrangement with the lecturer.
?    The UTS: Education assignment cover sheet (doc, 39kB)must be used on all assignments.

Assessment Criteria
Students will be assessed on the extent to which they demonstrate achievement of the subject outcomes and related content they select from the subject content list above.
Assignments will be awarded grades according to criteria below:
HD    High Distinction: work of superior quality on all facets of the assignment. This grade will also be given to recognise particular originality or creativity in your assignment.
D    Distinction: work of very good quality on all facets of the assignment, demonstrating a sound grasp of content together with efficient organisation and selectivity.
C    Credit: work of good quality showing clear understanding and indications of additional effort in all facets of the assignment.
P    Pass: work showing basic requirements on most facets of the assignment.
R    Resubmit: this grade will only be awarded under extenuating circumstances. A resubmission will not be recommended for inadequate or unscholarly work.
Z    Fail

Preparing your assessment tasks
Student study guides
These guides outline the FASS procedures, guidelines and expectations for the writing and submission of assessment tasks.
•    FASS student study guide (PDF, 1.7MB)
•    Guide to the writing and presentation of essays (PDF, 1MB)
•    Ethics Guidelines for FASS coursework students (PDF, 1.5MB)
Assignment writing
Editing checklist
The editing checklist (doc, 50kb) can be used by:
•    staff
who can modify the checklist to suit their particular assignment needs.
•    students
who can use it to help improve their writing skills – it may help in checking in-text referencing and paragraphing etc.
The editing checklist uses the American Psychological Association style guide (5th edition). If required, this can easily be changed to the Harvard (UTS) Referencing System.
Referencing
All Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences students, except UTS: Education students at Kuring-gai campus, should use the Harvard (UTS) Referencing System.
Assessment task support
If you need support in preparing your assessment tasks, you may utilise the following services:
HELPS
Higher Education Language and Presentation Support (HELPS), is dedicated to provide English language and academic literacy support to UTS undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students.
Library Study Skills
UTS Library Study Skills contains a variety of resources to help you study more efficiently and find tools to assist your research.