Course Synopses

CSS 100 - 8       Communication Skills

The aims of the course are to improve students’ reading efficiency (reading with a purpose), speaking, understanding and writing in English. With regard to study skills, the students are assisted to take notes from lectures and from text books, by selecting relevant facts/ideas and thereafter presenting them in organised sentences and paragraphs. They are assisted to tackle comprehension passages and to write, in academic style, various types of essays: arguments, factual accounts, reports, and to read Tables and graphs and so on. Alongside the improvement of different study skills, the course is also concerned with improving accuracy in the use of language: analysis of sentences, correct grammar, vocabulary and spelling. in short, the course is designed to enable students to tackle most of the problems they will face when communicating effectively in English.

CSS 101 - 6       Communication Skills (Science)

The aims and content of the course are similar to those described for CSS100-8 as is possible given the shorter time available for CSS101-6. in addition, the material used by the CSS101-6 students will be different from that used by the CSS100-8 students as it is based on the language, skills and topics relevant to the sciences.

CSS 298 - 3      Language and Study Skills

This course is designed for those students who failed to pass CSS 100 or CSS 101 at the end of Year 1. It is of a remedial nature, concentrating on the instruction of those skills which individual students appear to be lacking. Students, at the end of the 1st Semester (Year 2) can show that they have mastered the relevant CSS 100 or CSS 101 skills by satisfactorily completing a number of assignments together with an End-of-Semester examination.

CSS 299 - 3      Language and Study Skills (Part II)

This course is designed for those students who failed to pass E298.

English Literature Courses

E102 - 3           Literature and Society

A study of the ways in which imaginative literature explores the socio-political issues of society. The course will aim to expose students to writings from various parts of the world, and different historical epochs, to try and determine the relationship that exists between literature and the society which produces it. in addition, at each stage in the course possible definitions of the concept "literature" will be examined, and the cline between 'literary" and "non-literary" texts will be discussed.

E202 - 8           Practical Theatre

This course introduces students to the practical nature of theatre performance. in the first semester an overview is provided of the physical facilities and human skills involved in achieving a theatrical performance (stage, backstage, technical equipment, stage manager, actor, designer, etc). in the second semester students are introduced to the dynamics of transforming a dramatic text (studied in E204) into live performance. Evaluation will be by: (i) practical course work exercises and assignments), (ii) participation in one or more of the roles studied in the first semester; (iii) a written examination.

E203 - 4           Introduction to Fiction

An introduction to the basic techniques of criticism of prose fiction. The course will begin with the introduction of the basic aspects of prose: Setting, Characterisation, Symbolism, etc. The course will also introduce students to critical methods and their ideological implications, e.g. Marxist, Formalist, etc. Texts will vary from year to year.

E204 - 4           Introduction to Drama

An introduction to the study of drama. The first part of the course focuses on the distinctive features of drama as a genre, on the nature and format of the dramatic text, and on the primary function of the text as an instrument enabling performance. During the second part of the course, students are introduced to representative dramatic texts from Africa and elsewhere, interpreting these both as drama-as- literature and in the context of an understanding of their possibilities in performance. Texts will vary from year to year, but will include whichever Shakespeare play text is currently prescribed by the COSC.

E205 - 4           Introduction to Poetry

An introduction to the basic elements of poetry criticism. The elementary aspects of style in poetry will form the base of the course. Poetry from different parts of the world will be studied to expose students to differences in tradition and ideological leanings. A major element in this course is an emphasis on orature, and especially on traditional and contemporary African oral poetry. Texts will vary from year to year.

E301 - 2           British Literature

A study of early development of British drama and poetry and an introduction to the English novel. The scope of the course ranges from the 14th through the 16th to the 18th centuries.

E302 - 4           Theory and Criticism of Literature

This course is directed towards a thorough grasp of the historical and theoretical relationship between modern critical theory and the western tradition of thought about literature. Emphasis is placed on a detailed examination of two cardinal aspects:

various theoretical traditions that deal with the nature and function of literature, and historical, judicial and recreative aspects of practical criticism.

E303 - 4           African Fiction

The course is an in-depth study of the rise, development, form and content of African fiction written or translated into English. Comparisons, in terms of themes and style, between African fiction and the fiction of other parts of the world will be made.

E304 - 4           African Theatre

This course will concern itself with giving students a thorough grasp of African theatre and drama. Emphasis is placed on Southern African theatre. The course will concentrate on the roots and development of African theatre from the historical and sociological perspectives.

The course covers two broad areas of theatre studies in Africa: the traditional and the modern. The traditional deals with the historical and anthropological studies of indigenous forms of theatre, ritual drama, drama and folklore; while the modern concentrates on literary drama - playtexts with traditional background, socio-political plays, and theatre-for-development. Textual analysis of dramatic literature covers South, West, East and North Africa.

E305 - 4           African Poetry

This course offers a survey of twentieth-century African poetry in English and in English translation. Students will be encouraged to carry out a small fieldwork project in Sesotho oral poetry ( or poetry in a language of their choice ). The course will emphasise the variety of African written poetry and will include one regional or historical case-study, such as the development of negritude poetry of the liberation wars in Angola and Mozambique. Students will also read one extended text, such as p'Bitek's Song of Lawino, Soyinka's Ogun Abibiman or Brutus' Letters to Martha.

E306 - 4           Creative Writing I (Fiction)

Practical instruction in the writing of short fiction. Students learn how to conceive a story from a single idea and develop it into a finished product. They learn the various techniques of narrative, plot, dialogue, description and theme and how skilfully to weave these elements of fiction into a coherent story.

E401 - 2           European Fiction (E301)

This course examines major representative European works from the nineteenth century to the present. A close reading of the texts will be the basis for examining the changes in intellectual and literary milieu of the periods covered. To this end, emphasis is placed on aesthetic, philosophical and critical approaches as well as on the historical contexts of the works studied.

E402 - 2           Critical Theory in the Twentieth Century (E302)

The course begins with a general survey of the major schools and essential issues in contemporary literary theory. Students learn to identify and explain the assumptions contemporary theories make about the nature and role of literature. The course underlines the syncretism of Twentieth Century Critical Theory while comparing and contrasting the Marxist perspectives of Trotsky, Lukacs, Brecht, and Macherey with the critical methods associated with Derrida, Levi-Strauss, Lacan, Saussure, Berry etc. It equally focuses on post-colonial literary theory, especially as this reflects on Africa, with attention is paid to the works of Frantz Fanon, Senghor, Soyinka, Said and Ahmad among others.

E404 - 3           Practical Poetry Analysis (E205)

This course aims to consolidate students' knowledge of the methods and terminology of practical poetry critical analyses of "unseen" texts. The first part of the course demonstrates how the poetic text can be analysed through scrutiny of the following areas: the meaning of words; voice, tone and attitude; the sound of words; rhythm; form; figurative language. in the second part of the course students organise themselves into small groups to carry out practical analyses of given texts from Africa, Europe and the Americas.

E406 - 6           Studies in Shakespeare

The chief focus in this course is on Shakespeare's varied dramaturgy. The study is designed to explore the themes, style and distinguishing features of Shakespeare's tragedies, comedies, history and problem plays. As a way of illuminating Shakespearean studies further, the course includes a study of Shakespeare's sonnets and of the work of some of Shakespeare's contemporaries, such as Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, John Webster and John Donne.

E407 - 6           Women's Writing

African women's writing is examined in context with writing by women from other parts of the world. The course will explore women writers' choices of form and content for the expression of their experiences of the interplay of gender, class and race in their lives. Difference, rather than commonality, will be stressed in comparing the works of such authors as Nadine Gordimer, Bessie Head, Flora Nwapa, Buchi Emecheta, Mariama Ba, Nawal el Saadawi, Beryl Gilroy, Simone Schwarz-Bart, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker.

E409 - 3           Creative Writing III (Playwriting)

An introduction to playwriting, which will cover topics such as the writing of stage plays and the creation of scenarios for improvised drama, as well as offering training in the writing of radio drama and scripting for video. The focus of the course will be developing the students' abilities to contribute to the emerging commercial and educational play markets in Southern Africa and the international market for drama which reflects the Southern Africa experience.

E410 - 3           English Poetry (E305)

A study of the major poets from the period 1800 to the present day, with special emphasis on themes, style and influences that determine the content of some of the poetry.

E411 - 6            Special Studies in Literature

This course is accessible by students who have gained an average credit of at least 65% in their courses in literature in English in their 3rd year. It is especially recommended to students planning to undertake postgraduate work, as it is intended as a bridging course to further literary studies. The course involves scholarly research and seminar presentations. The specific topic will change periodically. Such topics may, for example, include: a single author, a theme, period, a genre, a critical approach, a critical issue in the study of literature, the interrelationships between the arts, the interaction of culture and historical forces, etc. Assessment of this course is by: a brief research proposal; a class presentation based on any aspect of the student's research; a one hour test on research methodology; a paper of 15,000 words (approximately 50 pages) which takes the place of a final examination.

E413 - 2           The Sociology of Literature

The course examines the nature and function of literature in society. The first part of the course takes over from EL414 and describes the linguistic situation in post-colonial Africa; questions of multilingualism and the status of English vis-a-vis indigenous languages, as well as the economic, political and social implications of this situation, as they relate to literature, are addressed, including a discussion of possible alternatives. The second part of the course is theoretical, and looks more specifically at Marxist Literary Theory, with a special emphasis on how it has 'socialised' literary criticism. The last part of the course looks at selected texts and the ways in which they use English to reflect African experiences. Texts will vary from year to year.

E414 - 3           Literatures of the African Diaspora

A study of the Black literatures of North America, the Caribbean, and Britain. The Black experience as defined by these literatures will form the initial basis of comparison. Issues of racial, economic and political integration/exclusion will form the basic paradigms of analysis. A comparison with African literatures and cultures will also feature prominently. Texts will vary from year to year

E415 - 3           A Survey of Southern African Literature

A study of representative writings from Southern African countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Angola and Malawi. The course primarily sets out to underscore the symbiotic link between the region's literature and its history as well as its socio-political structures.

E418 - 3           Creative Writing II (Poetry) (E306)

This is an advanced writing course of poetry conducted on the workshop rather than the lecture format. Students are expected to produce a specified number of pages of the work planned for the course. To learn about technique in practice they criticise their own writing and analyse sample works of selected poets.

E419 - 3           Practical Shakespeare

Students registered for this course study three of Shakespeare’s major plays, with the emphasis on (i) approaches to teaching Shakespeare in the classroom, and (ii) practical questions relating to the performance of Shakespeare, both in the classroom (as a pedagogic tool) and in other contexts.

E501 - 8           Research-based dissertation

Both the dissertation topic and appropriate choice of supervisor(s) will be negotiated between the individual student and lecturers allocated to the Honours programme during the early part of the first semester. The dissertation will be research-based and may focus on any of the following: literary historiography; textual analysis/criticism; literary/critical/cultural theory; fieldwork-generated data; any other appropriate area within the field of literary studies. Final choice of topic will be dependent on available resources (for example, library holdings) and the expertise of available staff.

E502 - 3           Critical Approaches and Research Methodology

The course has two interrelated aims:

To build on introductory surveys of critical perspectives and critical theory that students will be assumed to have encountered at undergraduate level, and to help students to define their own preferred approaches in analyzing/theorizing literary texts and literary production;

to introduce students to aspects of research methodology appropriate to the writing of an Honours dissertation.

A series of assignments will be given during the course, which will be presented and critiqued during seminar sessions. Assessment will be based on these assignments, including library-search tasks and presentation of the dissertation proposal (CWA = 80% of total grade) and on a final examination (20 %).

Note: attendance of lectures and seminars on the course is compulsory: this requirement must be satisfied as a precondition for qualification and for acceptance of the dissertation proposal.

E503 - 6           Author, School, Movement: in-depth study

After consultation with teaching staff assigned to this course, students will be invited to undertake a closely focused study of either: an individual author; or a recognized or proposed school or movement in literary history (for example, the African novel of cultural nationalism; the British Romantic poets; South African workshop theatre).

It will be possible for students to elect for close study the relationship between individual authors (for example, Shakespeare and Plaatje; Achebe and his followers) or between schools/movements. Whatever the chosen topic, however, the intention of the course will be to explore the advantages of undertaking an in-depth study of a relatively closely focused body of work.

E504 - 6           Southern African Literature

A study of Southern African literature arts, linking the region’s literature with its history as well as with its social and political structures. With the demise of colonialism and the dismantling of apartheid, the region has witnessed new and critical development in areas of political and cultural transformation (for example, the Southern African Renaissance debate), economic development, the challenges of globalisation, social mobility, cultural cross-fertilisation, religious and press freedom and others. The central goal of the course lies in the need to establish how the literature of the region mirrors both these recent areas of experience and those of the past.

E505 - 6           Literature and Theatre in the Classroom

This course examines the problems and opportunities posed by the teaching of literature and theatre in the secondary school system, and The various ways in which literature and theatre can be utilized to develop pedagogical skills across a broad range of disciplines. The first part of the course offers an introductory survey of techniques in the teaching of literature and theatre and their broader usefulness in enhancing pedagogical skills. The second part of the course concentrates on the use of printed text and video extracts, in order to draw attention to ways in which a teacher/facilitator might develop the classroom responses of students of different background and orientation. The bulk of illustrative support will be drawn from the verbal arts of Lesotho and South Africa, but with attention given to specific areas in the current Lesotho schools’ syllabi.

E506 - 6           Postcolonial Theories and Literatures

This course examines postcolonial strategies in the literatures of previously colonized peoples and the kind of critical initiatives that have accompanied these. The course will be divided into three basic components:

An examination of the colonial enterprise and the kinds of cultural and pseudo-scientific theoretical underpinnings, especially in the realm of literature, which laid the grounds for the colonial mission. Key authors to be scrutinized here include Edward Said, Michel Foucault, E M Forster and Joseph Conrad.

A study of the decolonisation process and the theoretical and literary projects that organized the movement of nationalism and nation-building, with special reference to the work of Frantz Fanon, Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o.

An examination of ‘post-independence’ literatures, of the theoretical trends that underlie postcolonial states and their literatures, and of the interface between postcolonial theory and postmodernism. Key texts here include the writings of Anthony Appiah, Ben Okri and Gareth Griffiths.

E507 - 6           Commonwealth Literatures

A comparative study of the diverse literatures produced by former British colonies on the African continent, India, the Caribbean and erstwhile dominion states such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The central thrust of the course rests on a critical exploration of similarities and differences among these countries, in terms of their colonial conquest and occupation, their varied responses to these imperialist experiences and the literary features that distinguish the experience of one commonwealth country from another. The commonwealth has produced a multiplicity of authors whose work records these sensibilities, but the course is designed to focus on representative writers such as Derek Walcott, V S Naipaul, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Alex La Guma, Nadine Gordimer, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Katherine Mansfield, Patrick White and Tsitsi Dangarembwa. The course is designed to expose students to the discourses of a shared imperialist culture and to the various literatures of other parts of the world.

English Language and Linguistics Courses

EL202 - 4         Language Skills for Literature Students

This course will be a brief introduction to basic English grammar together with some practical work on advanced English Language Comprehension and Continuous writing.

EL203 - 6         Introduction to English Grammar

This course will cover the following topics: the nature of language; English word formation processes (Morphology). It will also deal with the grammar of the English Language: the sentence; the clause; the noun phrase, the verb phrase; the adjective phrase; the adverbial phrase; the prepositional phrase. Emphasis will be placed on the structure and function of these grammatical components.

EL204 - 8         Advanced Reading and Writing Skills

This course has two main aims:

to enable students to develop flexible reading styles which allow them to select reading strategies appropriate to their reading purposes. Students will develop their academic reading skills and extend their reading skills to other genres and purposes;

to enable students to develop skills in applying writing processes, styles, structures and conventions to the creation of written products appropriate to the students' purposes and target genre(s). Students will develop their academic writing skills and learn to produce some of the types of writing associated with business and journalism.

EL205 - 4         Introduction to Linguistics

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts, fields of research and approaches of linguistics. After an introductory discussion of the nature of language and linguistics, the course will consider animal languages and the general properties of human language and discuss the major sub-disciplines of modern linguistics: Phonetics/Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, Socio-linguistics, Psycholinguistics and Historical Linguistics. To conclude, this course will trace the development of linguistics from the earliest of times to modern 20th century linguistics schools.

EL303 - 6         Discourse Analysis (EL202 or EL203, EL204 and EL205)

This course is a general introduction to the study of discourse. It will focus on the basic principles and practice of analyzing spoken and written texts. The course will consider such issues as turn-taking, turn-allocation techniques, topic initiation and control, interruptions, repair mechanisms and participant orientation. It will also examine conversation as discourse units: Transaction, Exchange structure, moves and acts. Cohesion and Coherence in written texts will also be considered.

Students will be shown how such texts as classroom discourse, courtroom interaction, casual conversation, interviews, political speech, are organised and managed. They will, in addition, learn how to analyse written discourse such as students' essays, journal articles, journalese, legalese, etc.

EL304 - 6         English Phonetics and Phonology (EL202 or EL203, EL204 and EL205)

This course focuses on Segmental and Suprasegmental aspects of spoken English. The pronunciation of English is also given some attention. All these are treated within the fields of Phonetics and Phonology.

EL305 - 4         Psycholinguistics (EL202 or EL203, EL204 and EL205)

This course covers language as a species specific characteristic, and the mental lexicon. It examines the main theories in First Language Acquisition as well as the regular sequence of language acquisition based on phonological, morphological and syntactical development; acquisition of word meaning; determinants of language acquisition; methods of language acquisition research. The course also covers Second Language Acquisition and deals with topics        such as: the theories of second language acquisition; the Optimal Age issue; phonological, morphological and syntactical development; interlanguage variability. It also considers the role of input, the language environment, and learner strategies.

EL311 - 3         Stylistics (EL202 or EL203, EL204, and EL205)

The course examines how speech act theory and discourse analysis can be used to make explicit the internal workings of a text, that is, how speech act theory and pragmatics are applied to the analysis of texts. The central concern of stylistics is the relation between reader, author and text. The aim is to give students confidence in interpreting texts.

EL312 - 3         Semantics of English (EL202 or EL203, EL204, and EL205)

This course introduces students to the problem of meaning in the English Language. It involves an examination of the nature and different kinds of meaning, the relationship between language and thought, and various approaches to the analysis of meaning in English. Referential, Componential, Denotational and Connotational, Sentential and Contextual theories of meaning. The place of semantics in the linguistic description of English will also be dealt with. Linguistics data will be drawn from native English and Southern African Englishes.

EL313 - 3         Genre Analysis (EL202 or EL203, EL204, and EL205)

This course introduces students to systematic and critical interpretation of situational distinct spoken and written specialized genres. It deals with the relations among text, production and reception and points the way to a critical model of text interpretation in which listeners and readers can identify and discuss cases where evidence is given for views. It also shows how listeners and readers can understand the differences between what the words mean, what the writer/speaker means and what the reader/listener understands. As a practical course, analysis will be made of specialized genres such as legalese, officialese, medicalese, journalese, advertisement, political and parliamentary genres, police reports, scientific research reports and articles in journals and newspapers/magazines.

EL314 - 3         Applied Grammar (EL202 or EL203, EL204, and EL205)

This is a practical course, designed specially for Bed students: practical grammatical analyses and exercises and aspects of teaching grammar will feature prominently in this course.

EL402 - 3         English World-Wide (EL303, EL304, and EL305)

This course aims to examine the status of English globally with a view of proving whether, indeed, English is a universal language. The roles and functions that the English language plays, as well as the different varieties of the language in different parts of the world will be looked at.

EL404 - 6         Communication and Pragmatics (EL303, EL304, and EL305)

The course aims at developing further students' techniques of analysing discourse. Pragmatics focuses on how speakers use and understand language in communicative routines; it tries to make explicit the internalised knowledge which language speakers possess, that enables them to understand how utterances are used to establish "shared worlds" between speakers and hearers.

EL411 - 3         Lexicography (EL303, EL304, and EL305)

Lexicography is a course in which the writing and compiling of dictionaries are considered. The history of lexicography will be briefly considered, before moving on to consider the characteristics of a good dictionary, remembering that there are many different types of dictionaries: translating, technical, and general to mention but a few. There is at present much interest in the dictionaries of what Kachru refers to as the "new Englishes" and these will also be considered. A lot of the work done will be practical, with students experimenting with the writing of dictionary entries.

EL412 - 3         Long Essay

This is an extended piece of work based on the student's own research, presenting either new factual material and/or new analysis and interpretation of existing material. The long essay should be 7,000 to 8, 000 words (approximately 32 pages ) in length. The topic of the long essay is chosen by the student in consultation with the staff of the English Language unit and must be selected during the second semester of the third year. The long essay must be presented to the Department by the end of March in the final year.

EL413 - 6         Experimental Research Report Writing

The course will provide students with a guide to the conventions followed by researchers when writing up their work. It will consist of nine sections: The first section will provide an overview of research report writing, and the remaining sections will examine the procedures followed when writing each part of a typical report: introduction (a. establishing a context; b. reviewing previous research; c. progressing to present research), method, materials, results, discussion and abstract. Each section will establish the purpose of the part of the report it deals with. It will then go on to examine the conventions associated with its rhetorical organisation and linguistic forms. Practice activities will be integrated throughout.

EL414 - 2         Sociology of Language (EL303, EL304, and EL305 or LED 325)

The course will begin with a definition of the area covered by Sociology of Language, concentrating on "who speaks what language to whom and when and to what end". This will include a look at the basic language varieties and the fundamental language situations. These terms will then be used to consider the language situation in Africa, including the language problems of the continent. The final topic of the course will deal with language planning, considering language as a unifying and divisive force.

EL415 - 3         Language and Gender

This course will examine the linguistic representation of men and women, feminine and masculine speech and interaction, gender and language acquisition. The social implications and suggestions for non-sexist language use will also be discussed. This is a practical course, that is, the focus will be on the analysis of a variety of linguistic evidence.

EL416 - 3         Bi-Multilingualism and National Development (EL303, EL304, and EL305)

This course introduces students to the problem of bi/multi-lingualism. It deals with such issues as the notion of bilingualism, its origin, types and extent of bilingualism as well as the consequences of bilingualism. Other issues of concern include diglossia, code choice, code-switching, interference, language shift/death. It will also consider formulation of a language policy, language policies and educational objectives and language policy and social attitudes. Emphasis will be on Lesotho and other SADC countries.

EL501 - 4         Advanced English Phonetics

An introduction to the principles of general phonetics; a detailed study of the features of Received Pronunciation; identification of the characteristics of educated Southern African pronunciation. Application of Transformation-Generative Approach and the Traditional Descriptive Approach of Segmental and Supra-Segmental English Phonology will also be dealt with.

EL502 - 4         Grammatical Theories and the Structure of English

A review of grammatical theories and models of grammatical analysis e.g. traditional structural, transformational-generative, systemic functional, etc. A detailed study of the structure and functions of the sentence, the clause, the noun, verb, adjective, adverb, prepositional phrases (Adjuncts).

EL503 - 3         Morphology of Modern-Day English

A detailed study of word-formation processes in general and specifically in English. After a look at the various morphological processes and the most influential approaches to morphology, the productive word formation process as will be discussed in some detail, in terms of their structure and in terms of their socio-pragmatic functions (productivity, textual functions, lexicology).

EL504 - 3         Advanced Semantics

A study of meaning in English. A detailed study of lexical semantics and structural semantics; the notions of reference, connotation, semantic field, componential analysis, synonymy, antonymy, etc. applied to English, including lexical variation in Southern African forms of English; the notion of Semiology; meaning change.

EL505 - 3         Advanced Stylistics

Theoretical issues in linguistic stylistics. Application of text linguistics to texts. Literary texts and pragmatics. Discourse analysis and literary texts.

EL506 - 3         Advanced Discourse Analysis

The nature of spoken and written discourse. The relationship between linguistic form and discourse function. The role of contextual features in the creation and interpretation of discourse. Cohesion and Coherence in discourse. Topic and information structure. The notion of theme and rheme (given and new). Speech Acts.

EL507 - 3         Sociolinguistics

An introduction to the field of macrolinguistics. Issues in Bilingualism and multilingualism: compound and coordinate bilingualism, language interlarding, diglossia, language planning and standardization. Development of dialects, pidgins and creoles. Language situation in Lesotho and the role of English in a bilingual society. Variation theory: overview of recent quantitative studies in language variation, inherent variability and social heterogeneity. Recent development in micro-sociolinguistics.

EL508 - 3         Advanced Psycholinguistics

Acquisition vs Learning. Input in first and second language acquisition. Language acquisition and communicative choice. Socio-cultural variables in language acquisition. An interactional approach to language acquisition. Learnability. Strategies of first and second language acquisition.

EL510 - 3         Research Methodology

The nature and functions of research. Basic research methods with reference to individual disciplines. Identification and definition of research problems. Statement of the problem. Definition and formulation of hypothesis. Research design (proposal): title; purpose and problems, survey of literature; Data collection; library sources; field data collection, mapping, audio/video recording, interviewing, sampling procedures. Pilot projects. Writing research reports; thesis and dissertation.

EL511 - 7         Research Project

With the guidance of the supervisor, a student will select a suitable research topic on an aspect of English language or linguistics. A student is expected to submit a dissertation of a minimum of 12,000 words and a maximum of 15,000 words.

EL601 - 3         Research Methods in English Language and Linguistics

The course examines the following topics:

Use of library sources, including accessing on interlibrary loan and the use of computer catalogue and accessing facilities.

The preparation of a research proposal and its mechanisms, the choice of a topic and its feasibility, literature survey, compilation of bibliography, structure and content of the research proposal.

The preparation of a dissertation: data collection and storage, data analysis, structure of the dissertation, the style of critical discourse, proofreading, end notes, bibliography.

Introduction to fieldwork, including data collection and interviewing techniques, audio and video recordings, observation method and note-taking.

Theatre and Drama Courses

ETS 326 - 8      Acting Voice and Speech

This course requires students to perform scripted drama. They will study how to work in ensemble, improve their acting and verbal skills and learn that effective theatrical communication is a synthesis of bodily motion and speech- the visual and the auditory. Evaluation will be by (i) course work, (ii) attendance at rehearsals, (iii) participation in a full-length play performance, and (iv) an essay on the role of each student in the performance.

ETS 327 - 2      Fundamentals of Directing

This course focuses on both theoretical and practical approaches to directing for the stage and the electronic media. It emphasizes the director’s role in analyzing a production text, and the application of composition, picturization, movement, etc., to effectively convey ideas, emotions, images, etc., by actors to the audience. Evaluation of the course will be by: (i) participation in a practical group/individual directing project, (ii) course work, (iii) a written examination.

ETS 329 - 2      Choreography, Dance and Mime

This course is designed to introduce the student to the theory, analysis and practice of basic choreographic, dance and mime techniques. It will synthesize the student’s skill in dramatic movement and interpretation of traditional and modern dance forms in relation to the structure of drama. It will enable the student to study the use of the body in dance and mime to augment the storyline of drama and of character portrayal to heighten a theatrical performance. Evaluation of the course will be by (i) course work, (ii) participation/performance in a group or solo, (ii) choreography of at least one dance, (iv) a written examination.

ETS 336 - 4      Theatre Arts Studies

This course aims to give the student an appreciable insight into technical areas of specialization in the practice of theatre not covered directly in other Year Three courses, including theatre and stage management techniques, costume and make-up, masks and puppetry, and technical theatre (lighting, scenic design and sound control). Evaluation is by (i) course work, (ii) practical application/participation in exercises set throughout the course, (iii) written examination.

ETS 425 - 6      Theatre for Development

This course is designed to enable the student to explore, from a participatory perspective, the objectives and benefits of using the elements of theatre to encourage self-awareness, self-expression and development. The student will study the theories and practice of practitioners of development-through-play, and will work with a selected community or group in the use of theatre to confront societal and educational problems. Evaluation will be by (i) course work, namely, a submitted essay detailing the students reflections on participation in a group project, and (ii) a written examination.

ETS 426 - 3      Analysis and Interpretation of Playscripts

This course offers an in-depth study of selected playtexts by leading authors, and video recordings of plays in performance, representing different styles of dramatic writing and production. The student will be asked to identify, understand and appreciate the thematic and aesthetic values of playscripts in order to articulate ideas for performance. This course represents the theoretical component of E436: Play Production. Evaluation of the course will be by coursework and a written examination.

ETS 427 - 2      Seminar in Theatre Studies

This course is designed to engage the final year student in intensive study and to provide a general overview of the various areas of theatre studies. Each student will present two seminar papers, of 12-5 typed pages each, on approved topics, and written under supervision.

ETS 435 - 6      World Theatre History

This course surveys selected historical developments from the multicultural origins of drama to the modern theatre. Representative dramatists, forms, styles and practices are examined and their significance explored. Texts will vary from year to year, but will include coverage of theatre from 500 BC to the present, and of the development of theatre in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Scenes will be performed in class, but public production is not part of the course requirement.

ETS 436 - 3      Play Production (ETS 336)

This course represents the practical component of E426: Analysis and Interpretation of Playscripts. The course involves every student in a production (for stage, radio or TV) as directors, actors, designers, technical directors, stage and house managers, etc. Evaluation of the course will (i) take into account each student’s satisfactory attendance at rehearsals, participation and contribution, and (ii) be fully complemented by an essay on the nature and experience of the student’s involvement.