LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

The teaching of stylistics

Nigel Fabb - 29 March 2007

Stylistics is the study of linguistic style, whereas (theoretical) Linguistics is the study of linguistic form. The term 'style' is used in linguistics to describe the choices which language makes available to a user, above and beyond the choices necessary for the simple expression of a meaning. Linguistic form can be interpreted as a set of possibilities for the production of texts, and thereby linguistic form makes possible linguistic style.

New ways of teaching literature

- 7 July 2006

This article outlines my experiences in teaching the novels of the major nineteenth-century author Benito Pérez Galdós (1843-1920) to second-year students at the Department of Hispanic Studies, University of Sheffield. My course (HSS 264) aims to encourage students to think creatively and independently, to appreciate not only the stimulation, but also the enjoyment derived from the study of literature. It combines traditional literature teaching with innovative methods and multimedia resources, including an electronic critical edition of Torquemada en la hoguera (1889) and Buñuel's film of Tristana (1892). It is a venture that has enabled both the students and myself to benefit from the virtues of multimedia and 'research-led teaching' in its broadest sense (Brew 2001, McGuinness n.d.).

Translation Studies in the UK

Susan Bassnett - 14 February 2006

Translation Studies in the UK is a small but expanding field of study. Programmes are primarily at postgraduate level though some elements of translation studies are included in first degree programmes in ancient and modern languages. The cultural approach to translation is the most recent development in a field that has been growing steadily since the 1970s. What distinguishes Translation Studies from translating is the emphasis on cultural history and the role and function of translation in the broader socio-cultural context.

Canadian Studies teaching in the UK

Terry McDonald - 22 September 2005

An overview of the nature and content of Canadian Studies (including Québec Studies) teaching and research in British and Northern Irish universities, with sections on each designated centre, their specialist disciplines and the courses they offer. These are mainly in history, politics, literature, geography, film, and aboriginal studies, often as part of a comparative programme.

New Zealand Studies Teaching in the UK

Guy Robinson - 7 May 2004

The content of New Zealand Studies teaching in the UK is outlined in sections covering Literature, Film, Geography, Social Sciences, History, Tourism and Sport. Links to resources available in print and on the Internet are provided.

American Studies

Niall Palmer - 18 October 2002

A general overview of the nature and variety of American Studies degree courses in United Kingdom universities, including notes on the differing structures and content of degree courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, opportunities for study abroad and the wide range of resources available for students and lecturers in American Studies.

Russian studies in UK universities

Stephen Hutchings - 27 September 2002

An account of offerings and trends in Russian Studies in the UK at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including a brief history of the field, details of selected modules within key programmes, and of the main centres for study of Russia and the former Soviet Union

French studies in UK higher education

Tony Chafer - 27 September 2002

A survey of French area studies teaching in the UK, covering curriculum content, design and delivery.

Australian Studies teaching in the UK

Clare Spencer - 27 September 2002

A survey of Australian Studies teaching in UK universities, from interdisciplinary and single discipline perspectives, including history, literature, and the culture of indigenous Australians.

How to be the centre of the universe

Neil Smith - 27 September 2002

Language is central to everything we do; it is what makes us human. This article situates language at the centre of the intellectual universe, showing its relations with maths and medicine, with logic and literature. Whether your interest is in the use of language to determine a suspect's guilt or innocence, the problem of how babies can acquire language and stroke victims lose it, or just how many languages there are in the world, linguistics will give you guidance.