Cross-Discipli. Disc. Analysis

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course offers preparation for students interested in undertaking cross-disciplinary research that draws on theories and methods of discourse analysis. Such research offers exciting opportunities to examine discourse phenomena as they emerge in a wide range of professional contexts including technology, medicine, education, law, and business; to investigate the role of language in the relationship between ideology and practice; and to apply knowledge of language and social interaction to address important societal problems. The course will involve all key phases of cross-disciplinary collaboration, from making the case for discourse analysis in diverse professional contexts, developing appropriate research questions and project design, collecting and analyzing language data, to reporting research findings to different audiences. Throughout the semester, we will discuss the challenges and rewards of bringing discourse analysis into cross-disciplinary projects, drawing on the experiences of guest lecturers, my own research, and the emerging experiences of students in the course. Students will be expected to apply their learnings from the course to projects tailored to their interest areas and experience levels. Students will collect and analyze data relevant to their areas of interest, with the aim of producing a final project that they will be able to use to further their exploration of cross-disciplinary research (e.g. professional portfolio, conference presentation, etc.).