LINGUIST List 14.2917

Fri Oct 24 2003

FYI: Pragmatic Theory Online Distance Course

Editor for this issue: Anne Clarke <annelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Nicholas Allott, Pragmatic theory online distance course

The Department of Phonetics and Linguistics at University College
London is pleased to announce a postgraduate online distance learning
course in relevance theory and pragmatics, and to invite applications
from prospective students for a pilot course, to run from January to
May 2004. Numbers on this pilot course will be limited to around
20. Applications, on the application form available online at 
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/courses/dl/prag/announce.htm ,
including a brief description of your educational background and
reasons for undertaking the course, should be sent to Stefanie Anyadi,
Department of Phonetics and Linguistics, UCL, Gower Street, London
WC1E 6BT, UK, by December 1, 2003. Preliminary questions, indications
of interest or requests for information should be sent to Nicholas
Allott ( n.allottatucl.ac.uk )(Replace ''at'' with  in the address.)

The course draws on the expertise in pragmatics at UCL, with input
from Professor Deirdre Wilson, co-author of 'Relevance: Communication
and Cognition' and Dr. Robyn Carston, author of 'Thoughts and
Utterances: The Pragmatics of Explicit Communication' (both books will
be recommended reading). It will be provided via an interactive
website, with course content and class discussions accessible online
using an ordinary web-browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator '' see the online announcement for details of computer
requirements ). The course is modular, with ten units, each covering
an area of pragmatic theory. The syllabus includes Grice's
contribution to modern pragmatics, the foundations of relevance
theory, explicit and implicit communication, metaphor and
irony. Assessment will be by coursework, and an essay towards the end
of the course.

Applicants should have at least an undergraduate degree and preferably
some background in linguistics, philosophy or psychology, and a level
of proficiency in English suitable for postgraduate study. They will
need internet access for the duration of the course, but need not have
access to a university library since most required reading will be
made available online.

The cost of the pilot course is �385. (It is anticipated that the
cost will be rather higher in subsequent years.) Until the course is
officially approved (which should be during the current academic
year), we will provide a certificate of completion, an assessment of
your work and a short report. If you are attending an academic
institution which allows credit for external courses, you should be
able to get official credit for the pilot course by resubmitting your
work.

This announcement is also available online, with the application form
and further details, at
http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/courses/dl/prag/announce.htm .