In the Language and Communication Studies unit the focus has been on how meaning can be created and interpreted in texts, with a particular focus on using the 4-colour thinking roles as a framework. The four roles – individual, social, textual, linguistic – offer approaches to critically analysing written and spoken texts. For Assignment 2, select one text of your choice. This will be the text you work with. It can be a written or spoken text. For example, it could be a research article, a textbook chapter, a journalistic text, a film sequence, an advertisement, a website, a blog, a conversation, or another genre. For the purposes of this assignment, the text must be in English and accessible to your tutors. Start by formulating a research question which will allow you to rationalize your analysis of your chosen text and respond critically to it. You could examine how the meanings in the text stem from the four colour thinking roles. You could also select material from the four roles and use these to critically analyse your chosen text. You may also draw on theorists and theories covered in the learning on this unit (where relevant): Methods and models of communication The history and nature of information Discourse analysis Editing texts Semiotics, narrative and genre Film Language Media This work is to be submitted as a written paper which has a clear introduction, main body and conclusion (1,500 words). Here are some example research questions below based on the Assignment 1 text. Notice that there are many choices of question types available, such as Wh-?, Could…? To what extent…? To what extent is El-Erian’s (2020) claim in ‘Joe Biden needs to break the market’s co-dependency with White House’ credible, relevant and evidence-based? Does El-Erian (2020) have an agenda in the article ‘Joe Biden needs to break the market’s co-dependency with White House’? How does El-Erian (2020) use language to persuade his audience in the article ‘Joe Biden needs to break the market’s co-dependency with White House’? Could El-Erian’s (2020) article ‘Joe Biden needs to break the market’s co-dependency with White House’ be seen as a cultural artefact? What are the main issues raised in El-Erian’s (2020) article ‘Joe Biden needs to break the market’s co-dependency with White House’, and what effects might these have on the intended audience? Depending on your research question, you are advised to include a logical selection of the following in your response: your rationale for writing your text, leading to your argument; brief summary of source text; references to relevant sources encountered on the Language and Communication Studies unit; evidence, explanation, exemplification, critical analysis, and evaluation.
