LING936 Context, Use and Analysis of the English Language: A Global

Perspective

Unit Guide

1a. Teaching Staff

Convenor: John Knox
http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/about/staff/knox_john/index.html
Office: C5A501
Tel.: (612) 9850-8729
Email: john.knox@mq.edu.au
Fax: (612) 9850-9352

2. ACADEMIC CONTENTS

2a. Unit Description

This unit provides a broad exploration of different situations of language use and language
learning, including the international spread of English in changing contexts. It also considers
the nature, form and function of English and analytical tools needed for language teachers.

2b. Unit Goals

You should gain an understanding of the pedagogical, social, cultural, political, and
ideological implications of the global spread of English, as well as the ability to use the tools
of systemic functional linguistics to analyse English.

2c. Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, you should (be able to):
• understand how and why English has come to be an international ‘lingua franca’;
• appreciate the changing spread of English language use among native and non-native
speakers now and in the future;
• recognize the ways in which the global use of the English language has given rise to
new varieties;
• understand some of the social and technological factors that are giving rise to new
forms and functions of English;
• recognize that decisions about which variety of English is taught raise political as well
as pedagogical issues;
• recognize that there is a range of critical perspectives and debates about the political,
social and ideological nature of the globalization of English and English language
teaching;
• recognize some of the linguistic opportunities and constraints posed by the global
spread of English;
• appreciate that there are different approaches to analysing discourse;
• understand how texts are analysed within a systemic functional framework;
• comprehend the relationships between context, text and grammar;

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 • understand how language is structured as whole texts, or genres;
• recognize the relationships, similarities and differences between spoken and written
language;
• develop linguistic tools for analysing spoken, written and visual texts;
• understand how clauses are analysed within a systemic functional framework;
• use the knowledge you have gained in Parts 3 and 4 of the unit to analyse language at
both text and clause level;
• recognize ways of using the tools of systemic functional grammar in English language
teaching contexts.

In addition to the discipline-based learning objectives, academic programs at Macquarie seek

to develop students’ generic skills, that is, skills that are generally applicable to study and
workplace requirements, in a range of areas. The generic skills outcomes of this Unit are:
• foundation skills of literacy, numeracy and information technology;
• self-awareness and interpersonal skills, such as the capacity for self-management,
collaboration and leadership;
• communication skills for effective presentation and cultural understanding;
• critical analysis skills to evaluate, synthesise and judge;
• problem-solving skills to apply and adapt knowledge to the real world; and
• creative thinking skills to imagine, invent and discover.

3. DELIVERY AND RESOURCES

3a. Teaching and Learning Strategies

The learning and teaching strategies used in this unit are the use of materials presented in f2f
lectures and on the web, engagement with the literature in the form of set and optional
readings, and small- and large-group discussions in lectures and online discussions. These
vary between f2f and distance modes.
It is expected that students in this unit will, read, complete tasks (including assessed and non-
assessed tasks), and participate in interaction with their peers and with the teaching staff on
the unit in the fora mentioned above.

3b. Unit Schedule

A guide to the unit content is presented below. Individuals will vary in their progression
through the unit content.
Week Unit content Assignments
1-2 Part 1 English in the world: change and variety
3-5 Part 2 The globalisation of English: opportunities and constraints for users online discussion 1
and learners
6 Part 3 Analysing English: a text perspective
Mid-Semester Break assignment 1 due
7-9 Part 3 Analysing English: a text perspective online discussion 2
10-13 Part 4 Analysing English: a clause perspective online discussion 3
End of Term assignment 1 due

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3c. Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials
Burns, A. and Coffin, C. (eds) 2001. Analysing English in a Global Context: A
Reader. London: Routledge.
Butt, D., Fahey, R., Feez, S., Spinks, S. and Yallop, C. 2000. Using Functional
Grammar: An Explorer’s Guide. Sydney: NCELTR.
Supplementary readings are available on e-Reserve. Type “LING936” and click “Go!” at:
http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/reserve/

3d. Unit Webpage

The LING936 website has a range of resources, including course notes and tasks. To login to
the website, go to the URL below. Students have access to the website from the first day of
the new semester.
Please note that the university has recently changed to a new VLE (Virtual Learning
Environment). There may still be many links to the old VLE, and therefore the old LING936
website, on University and Linguistics Department webpages.
The correct URL is: http://learn.mq.edu.au
There are also links to advice and assistance in the left column of this web page.

3e. Online Resources

There is a range of other resources available to Macquarie students, including:
• electronic access to a variety of book chapters and journal articles at
http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/reserve/
• electronic access to journals at http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/journalfinder/
• electronic document delivery for journal articles and book chapters not available locally at
http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/docsup/
See the following URL for more information:
http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/support/postresources.htm

3d. Audio and Video CD Rom

CD Rom Tracks Reference in course notes: Content
01Audio1SideA Intro No reference in the course notes General audio introduction
but is a general introduction and
discussion of some of the issues
relevant to LING936, 937 & 938
02 Audio1SideBIntro No reference but is a short Anne Burns: Introduction to
introduction to the audio audio segments
segments for LING936
03 Audio1SideBBand1 “Audiocassette, side B, band 1” Jacob Tharu/ Anne Pakir:
(Part 1) Status of English in India
& and Singapore
“Audio: English in India and
Singapore” (Activity 3)

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04 Audio1SideBBand2 “Audiocassette, side B, band 2” Jacob Tharu/ Anne Pakir:
(Part 2) Standard English; Variety of
& English to be taught; Global
“Audio: Singapore and India – English
variety in the classroom”
(Activity 11)
05 Audio1SideBBand3 “Audiocassette, side B, band 2” Michael Halliday: SFL
1
(Part 3) theory – key dimensions
&
“Audio: key concepts in SFL”
(Activity 27)
06 Audio1SideBBand4 “Audiocassette, side B, band 4” Stephanie Clare, Susan Feez,
(Part 4) Jim Martin: SFL in the
& classroom
“Audio: discussion of SFL”
(Activity 34)
07 VideoSeqIntro “Short introductory shots” (Part Brief introduction: English
1) use in different situations
“Video: people using English”
(Activity 1)
08 VideoSeq01 “Video sequence 1” (Part 2; Holland: Business meeting
Activity 26)
&
“Business meeting” (Activity 13;
17)
09 VideoSeq02 “Video sequence 2” (Part 2; Travel agency (plane to
Activity 26) Cyprus)
&
“Travel agency” (Activity 13;
18)
10 VideoSeq03 “Video sequence 3” (Part 2; India: Finding an office
Activity 26) (soap)
&
“Indian soap” (Activity 13)
11 VideoSeq04 “Video sequence 4” (Part 4; Learners: Casual chat about
Activity 33) London

12 VideoSeq05 “Video sequence 5” (Part 4; Singapore: News 5 Tonight

Activity 33)

13English,EnglishEvery “English, English Everywhere Documentary on World

where (U210)” (Part 2; Activity 19) Englishes

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4. UNIT ASSESSMENT

4a. Assessment At A Glance

Assessment Name Weight

Assignment 1: Discussion of global English in 45%

your context

Assignment 2: Analysis and discussion of a 50%

learner text

Assignment 3: Mandatory participation in 5%

online discussions

4b. Assignment One

Goals:
The goals of this assignment are to provide you with an opportunity to:
• formulate and articulate your understanding of the perspectives of English
presented in the first two sections of this unit;
• apply these views to your own professional context and consider their
implications;
• consider your own views on English as a global language, and reconcile or reject
the views presented in this unit on the basis of considered and informed criticism;
• practice examining English from social, cultural, political, and ideological
perspectives.

Assessment task:
Part 1
(approx. 750 words, including introduction)

Part 2
(approx. 500 words)

Part 3
(approx. 1,250 words, including conclusion)

Length: Assignments MUST be between 2,000 and 2,500 words long, not including the
reference list.

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Grading criteria:
In your paper, you should:
• demonstrate an understanding of global issues of the spread of English and their
local significance;
• demonstrate an understanding of the arguments and positions of the authors of the
chapters in Burns and Coffin (2001) relevant to your essay;
• critically evaluate the authors’ arguments;
• critically appraise your own views of English and its roles in the world and in the
classroom;
• refer specifically throughout to a learning/teaching context with which you are
familiar;
• write clearly and concisely in academic style;
• observe the word limits;
• refer specifically throughout to the relevant chapters in Burns and Coffin (2001) to
illustrate and support your arguments;
• refer also to other relevant published literature in the field of Applied Linguistics
to illustrate and support your arguments;
• provide a reference list citing all and only those references cited in the body of
your essay;
• use APA referencing style.

Reading:
You are expected to have read and become familiar with the chapters in the course reader.
Additional reading of, and reference to journal articles and text books is also strongly
encouraged.

4c. Assignment Two

Goals:
The goals of this assignment are to provide you with an opportunity to:
• analyse an authentic learner text;
• demonstrate your knowledge of SFL and your ability to apply that knowledge to
text analysis;
• assess students’ strengths and weaknesses as revealed in written texts by using
tools of SFL;
• reflect on the value and implications of text analysis for your own professional
practice.

Task: The task is in three parts.

Part 3

Word limit (Part 3 only): 1,500 words.

Grading criteria: In your paper, you should:

• demonstrate your ability to:
o identify the genre of a text, and analyse its generic structure;
o analyse important lexicogrammatical patterns of a text using the tools of SFL;
o describe the field, tenor and mode of a text;
o identify the links between field, tenor and mode meanings and lexicogrammatical
resources;

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 o use linguistic analysis to assess a learner's strengths and weaknesses;
• write clearly and concisely in academic style;
• observe the word limit;
• provide a reference list citing all and only those references cited in the body of your
assignment (note that due to the nature of this assignment, you might not refer to any
published sources, though you may find it useful and/or necessary to refer to Butt et al.
(2000) to clarify points of analysis);
• use APA referencing style.

4d. Assignment Three

Goals:
The goals of the online discussions are:
• to form a community, rather than an group of isolated individuals studying the same
unit at the same time
• to provide a forum for contact with teaching staff
• to involve all participants in mutual discussion of issues relevant and important to the
subject area of the unit, in particular:
o language varieties and language teaching
o genre and language teaching
o register and language teaching.

Assignment three requires you to participate in the online discussions on the LING936
website.

http://learn.mq.edu.au

You should log on to the website at the beginning of the semester and click on the
Discussions icon, or the Discussions link in the left-hand navigation menu.

Tasks: Details of the tasks are available online.

Access: Students will have access to the LING936 website from the first day until the
last day of semester.

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