What you will study
The module is relevant to anyone with a general interest in the English language and how it is used by speakers, writers and producers of multimodal texts such as illustrated books and film; or in specific areas of language study such as language and literature; language and media; or children’s language. It is also relevant to teachers and others with a professional interest in English. Unless you have previous experience of studying the English language, or linguistics, language and literature or some other branch of language studies, you are advised to take this module after studying the OU level 2 module Worlds of English (U214).
The module is divided into two main sections, organised as two main teaching texts, with accompanying study guides and CD-ROMs. The study guides (one for each main section of the module) link all the components of the module, including audiovisual activities. The module also makes use of two set books, the details of which are given below.
Everyday creativity – The first part of the module looks at everyday creativity or verbal art in both spoken and written English. It examines how speakers routinely use forms of language often associated with literary texts in their everyday talk, for instance in language play, jokes and other forms of verbal humour, metaphorical imagery, narratives of personal experience and everyday performances in interaction with others. We also examine creative uses of written English varying from graffiti and text messages to letters, diaries and blogs, and consider how everyday textual creativity is related to particular cultural contexts and historical moments. Our focus here is on the functions and meanings of linguistic creativity in people’s lives and the ways in which speakers of English use different kinds of reading and writing to construct and express aspects of their identities.
Literary creativity – The second part of the module looks at texts designed for public consumption, including: poetry, plays and novels, picturebooks, performance art, e-literature, and adverts. What distinguishes some of these texts as high quality literature while others are dismissed as ephemeral and of little lasting value? How are new types of technology enabling or even challenging our understanding of literary creativity and its different forms? And how far does considering the processes involved in reading and authoring literary texts help to illuminate these issues? This section of the module explores the idea that more ephemeral texts make creative use of a shared literary and cultural heritage. It also explores social and ideological issues, and the influence of historical processes and different cultural contexts on what counts as literary language and how this is understood.
In exploring creativity across a range of genres and social contexts, this module provides a lively introduction to stylistic, sociolinguistic and multimodal analysis. It draws on work in literature and performance studies as well as English language studies.