- An undergraduate course
in
Languages.
English grammar in context
- On this page
This course is for you if you’re interested in understanding and analysing how English ‘works’ in a wide range of contexts, including the media, fiction, academic writing and everyday conversation. This course provides an up-to-date framework for describing, analysing and evaluating how the English language is used. It takes a functional approach to grammar and includes hands-on computational analysis of large databases of texts to help you engage with real-world data and problems. Work on this course is both intellectually stimulating and practical.
Modules at Level 3 assume that you are suitably prepared for study at this level. If you want to take a single module to satisfy your career development needs or pursue particular interests, you don’t need to start at Level 1 but you do need to have adequately prepared yourself for OU study in some other way. Check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service to make sure that you are sufficiently prepared.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | E303 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
Register for the course
What you will study
When language is used in the media to distort what actually happened, have you ever wondered how exactly media language works in this way?
Perhaps you have noticed that some people – in works of fiction, news stories, or in your own lives – come over as more dynamic and others seem more passive?
More practically, how often have you felt that some of the writing that you have produced – such as academic essays, written reports, or formal presentations – could have been organised more effectively?
This course will help you find answers to all these questions, and explore how a knowledge and understanding of English grammar can be applied in practical and useful ways.
The content will be of interest to a broad audience, including those working in education. It isn’t specifically for non-native speakers of English, whose primary aim is to learn English (as opposed to learn about English), but will enhance all students’ handling of the English language. It will develop:
- an understanding of the major characteristics of English grammar
- skills in grammatical description and interpretation
- skills in applying grammatical understanding in order to evaluate and improve the quality of spoken and written texts.
The course is divided into four sections, organised as four books with accompanying CD-ROM activities and guided readings from a specially compiled edited collection. The course also makes use of a reference grammar book, the Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. The main content of each of the four sections is described below.
Getting started: describing the grammar of speech and writing.
The main focus in Section 1 is how spoken and written English differs. You are introduced to some basic grammatical structures, such as clauses and phrases, and you will compare how they function in speech and writing. You will become familiar with these concepts through a variety of activities, including CD-ROM interactive exercises. In particular the use of audio materials will enable you to explore how meaning can be realised in sound (e.g. patterns of intonation).
Another key skill which is introduced in Section 1 is the use of electronic databases (corpora). You will be given hands-on practice in learning to explore English grammar via the use of corpora using special computer software.
Getting inside English: interpreting texts.
Section 2 of the course continues the exploration of how English grammar varies, focusing in particular on its use in the media, academic writing and fiction. Through a mix of readings and hands-on activities, a wide range of texts is investigated. In particular this section enables you to systematically interpret the meanings made by these texts. You’ll discover how grammar creates different kinds of social relationships and represents social reality in different ways depending on factors such as who we are communicating with and what our agendas are.
Getting practical: evaluating everyday texts.
Section 3 continues to explore grammatical variation but focuses increasingly on developing a critical orientation to English use. You will be expected not only to describe, and interpret texts, but also to apply your grammatical knowledge and analytical skills as a means of judging and improving the communicative effectiveness of a range of everyday texts.
Getting down to it: undertaking research.
Section 4 introduces you to research studies on English through grammatical analysis and paves the way for the project work that you undertake later. It moves away from the explicit teaching of grammar to its applications in research settings. Research methods relevant to analysing English in various contexts are highlighted. You will be taken through the stages of conducting and writing up a research project with illustrations from authentic student and published research. A range of studies are analysed in depth to demonstrate different methods and applications. You are encouraged to consider whether alternative methodologies would have been suitable and thereby to build up a critical view of research.
Integrated into each of the sections are optional components (in a resource book labelled Applications: Getting to Work), which explore how the grammatical principles and skills that you have acquired throughout the course may be applied in many areas of professional life. Here, we draw on the perspectives of practitioners (such as educators and translators) whose daily judgements are underpinned, whether consciously or unconsciously, by grammar. We hope to continue to stimulate your enthusiasm for grammatical analysis by raising your awareness of some of the ways in which grammar may be applied to the practical world of work.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU. You are expected to have some knowledge of language study, and the course is particularly appropriate if you have taken our course Worlds of English (U214).
If you have not studied English grammar previously, we strongly recommend you carry out the preparatory work specified below. In addition we suggest that, throughout the course, you make use of the optional revision package Foundation Grammar. This package, on the course activities CD-ROM, has practical activities designed to familiarise you with basic grammatical categories.
If you would like to get a feel for this course; its general style, approach and topics covered, you can download the taster pack, which is made up of excerpts taken directly from the study material, from our website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
If you have not previously studied English grammar, we recommend that you buy the workbook accompanying the course set book (details below) as this will serve to familiarise you with some of the most basic concepts of grammar which will be explored throughout the course. In particular we recommend you that you read Chapters 2, 3 and 4 and complete the accompanying exercises in the workbook.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Please note that this course makes substantial use of audio and visual materials. You will also need to make use of a personal computer. The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. The books are available in a comb-bound format. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, CD-ROMs, website.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course. It includes online activities – you can only access using a web browser with Flash and Java – and some course software provided on disk.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer running Windows since 2006 you should have no problems completing the computer-based activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you have an Apple Mac or Linux computer – please note that you can only use it for this course by running Windows on it using Boot Camp or a similar dual-boot system.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Biber, D, Conrad, S & Leech, G Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English, Longman £24.50 - ISBN 9780582237261
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day-schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs).
Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013. We expect it to be available once a year.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
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Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | E303 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
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