Undergraduate Course: Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language B (LASC10112)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will offer students the opportunity to become more familiar with current research in a particular subdiscipline of Linguistics and English Language. Students will choose one of an array of topics (each linked to a research interest of a member of the department) as their focus for this course. Having become familiar with the basic concepts, they will then go on to develop a better understanding of the main theoretical and/or methodological issues associated with research in that field, by following a set of guided readings and/or practical exercises. This will enable students to be better prepared to undertake research in the discipline. |
| Course description |
This course provides students with the opportunity to become more familiar with theories and/or methods in a particular subdiscipline of Linguistics and English Language. It serves as an 'umbrella' course for a number of seminars, each of which will be run by a member of the LEL academic staff. Students are required to choose one of these seminars. Since these seminars will vary (depending on staff availability and research interests), the precise details of each seminar will be made available via the Honours handbook. Although the topics will vary, the principles behind the course and the means of assessment remain the same in each case. The principles are as follows: to introduce students to key concepts and/or methods in a particular area within the discipline of Linguistics and English Language; to enable students to become familiar with current research in that area; and to prepare students to undertake their own research in that area, should they wish to. The course is not associated with formal lectures, though students will have regular meetings with the academic member of staff leading the seminar. The number of contact hours is lower than with other Honours courses, as a higher proportion of the work for the seminar (compared to a standard Honours course) will involve independent study on the part of the student. It is envisaged that the course should provide useful preparation for dissertation work in the subdiscipline, but students are equally encouraged to take this course at any stage of their Honours study, and to select a seminar topic that does not relate to their anticipated or current dissertation topic.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
LEL2A: Linguistic Theory and the Structure of English (LASC08017)
Students MUST have passed:
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
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Other requirements | Students on MA Cognitive Science wishing to take this course but do not have the relevant pre requisite should contact the course organiser. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Students should have taken courses on linguistics up to second year level.
PTs enrolling Visiting Students: please ask students to email lelinfo@ed.ac.uk so they can be provided with further information on how to submit their seminar preferences. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 12,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
184 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Annotated bibliography or other short assignment of 1500 words worth 30%
Essay or Assignment of 2500 words worth 70%
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| Feedback |
Given the small size of each seminar group, formative feedback will be provided on a regular basis by the seminar leader. This will relate to the student's contribution to the seminar discussion, and to any other formative feedback that the individual seminar leader proposes. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of key theories and methods in a subdiscipline of Linguistics and English Language.
- Undertake independent research in the subdiscipline.
- Critique existing research (including, where relevant, methodologies) in the subdiscipline.
- Synthesise the findings of a range of material relating to a particular topic within the subdiscipline.
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Reading List
| Each seminar leader will provide a list of core reading that will form the basis of group discussion, but a main part of the overall objective of the course is to enable students to discover their own material which is of relevance to the topic under discussion. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Graduate attributes and skills provided by the course include: a capacity for problem solving and analytical thinking, a capacity to evaluate information thoroughly, and a capacity to identify assumptions and appraise critically the methods and reasoning of researchers in the field. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Christopher Cummins
Tel: (0131 6)50 6858
Email: ccummins@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susan Hermiston
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: Susan.Hermiston@ed.ac.uk |
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