E301A – The Art of English: Everyday Creativity

E301A: The Art of English (I)
TMA: Semester 2, 2016 - 2017
TMA: 20 points
[Prepared by Course Chair: Dr. Yusuf Shudooh]



TMA Question:


In his well-known article titled “Logic and Conversation”, H. P. Grice talks about his conversation maxims of Quantity, Quality, Relation and Manner. He also talks about implicature in storytelling.
In Reading C of Chapter 2 Rukmini Bhaya Nair also discusses implicature but adds the idea of Impliculture.
Explain how these two approaches to storytelling converge and differ with special reference to literary narratives.

Student notes:
 This TMA is to be written in between 1400 - 1500 words.
 The main source of study material for this topic is Chapter [2] ‘Telling stories’ in the textbook The Art of English: everyday creativity.
 Reading C in the same chapter is particularly important.
 H.P. Grice’s article “Logic and Conversation” is available on Google in PDF form.
 There is also relevant material in the E301A Study Guide1 [Unit 2].
 The accompanying CD-ROM Band 4 is useful too.
 You are encouraged to use relevant literature to support your responses.
 Any other resources you find relevant in the E-library (See the suggested list below.)
 You are encouraged to use examples from your literary background.
 The introduction and the conclusion should be given subtitles.
The following are guidelines on plagiarism:

If you submit an assignment that contains work other than yours without acknowledging your sources, you are committing plagiarism. This might occur when:

• Using a sentence or phrase that you have come across
• Copying word-for-word directly from a text
• Paraphrasing the words from the text very closely
• Using text downloaded from the Internet
• Borrowing statistics or assembled fact from another person or source
• Copying or downloading figures, photographs, pictures or diagrams without acknowledging your sources
• Copying from the notes or essays of a fellow student

(Slightly adapted from OU document on quoting versus plagiarism)


It is important to remember that plagiarism is strictly barred and would be subject to punitive action by the Arab Open University.


Suggested Resources:

1. BEAUMAN, R. (1986) Story, Performance, and Event: Contextual Studies of Oral Narrative, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
2. GRICE, H.P. (1975) ‘Logic and Conversation’, in P. COLE and J. MORGAN (eds) Syntax and Semantics, Volume 3, New York, Academic Press.
3. Kheradmand S. Z. (2016) Meaning Making, Agency, and Languaging in Dialogic Interactions on Academic Writing Tasks: A Sociocultural Discourse Analysis. Available online www.aou-elibrary.com.
4. LABOV, W. (1972) Language in the Inner City, Philadelphia, University, University of Pennsylvania Press.
5. SERLE, J.R. (1969) Speech Acts, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.


Learning Outcomes (extracted and slightly adapted from: www.open.ac.uk):

These outcomes represent an initial draft that will need to be refined as the course develops. The course provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge and understanding:
You are expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
1. How English (and other languages) may be used creatively, both in
everyday and more literary texts and practices;
2. The diverse forms that creativity/verbal art may take in English; how these relate to the affordance (being able to do or provide something without unacceptable or disadvantageous consequences) of different modes and media, genres and social/cultural contexts.
3. The role of different participants - authors, designers, audiences (listeners, readers, viewers) - in the construction of ‘artful’ texts and practices;
4. Different theories of creativity/verbal art, including those that focus on
‘local’ interactional functions and those that appeal to more general explanations - socio-psychological, neurological, evolutionary;
5. Different theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of
English/language (including those that privilege texts, those that privilege contextualized language practices, those that insist on a critical approach to texts/practices) and the relative strengths and limitations of these approaches.
6. A wide range of terminology for describing English language texts and
practices.
7. How your learning in different parts of the course may be integrated
according to the central conceptual strands of the course: how meaning is collaboratively produced through spoken, written and multi-modal communication; the relationships between language and context, language and identity, language and social/cultural diversity, language and power.


2. Cognitive skills:
You are also expected to:
1. Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of particular theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of language.
2. Apply different approaches to the study and analysis of spoken and written language (including linguistic/textual approaches, ethnographic and practice-based approaches, semiotic and multimodal approaches, literary approaches and critical approaches).
3. Describe and analyze both relevant formal properties of spoken and
written texts and how these are used for a range of purposes by speakers and writers.
4. Use appropriate terminology to describe and discuss specific theories,
concepts and evidence.
5 Synthesize different points of view, and personal research data in order to reach your own conclusions.
6. Relate theoretical concepts to concrete experience.


3. Key skills:
1. Read academic and other texts critically, identifying and evaluating
positions and arguments.
2. Develop research skills, including the ability to gather, sift and organize material and to evaluate its relevance and significance.
3. Use ICT, including the Internet, to access information.
4. Select and synthesize the main points of information, or of an argument, from a variety of sources.
5. Exercise critical judgment about sources of evidence.
6. Develop good practice in the acknowledgement of source material and in the presentation of bibliographies, using appropriate academic
conventions.
7. Construct a coherent argument, supported by evidence and clearly focused on the topic under discussion.
8. Present written work to a high standard using the appropriate register and style.
9. Evaluate your own writing, and respond to feedback about improving the effectiveness of writing.



Application of number:

10. Understand, interpret and discuss statistical data in the form of graphs, tables and figures.


4. Practical and/or professional skills:
1. Abstract and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
2. Communicate effectively in writing, selecting an appropriate genre, style and register.
3. Make effective use of ICT (such as word processing and the ability to
access, sift and use electronic information).
4. Plan and undertake research.
5. Make independent and analytical judgments.
6. Use and evaluate a variety of means to analyze language data.
7. Evaluate social, political and ethical issues related to language use.
8. Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organization and time-management.



It is important to remember that plagiarism is strictly barred and would be subject to punitive action by the Arab Open University.






Marking Descriptor


GRADE CONTENT LANGUAGE & ORGANIZATION
A


(18-20) Excellent answers showing confident and wide-ranging knowledge of core material, good understanding of any relevant theory, and a capacity to address the question in a structural, direct and effective way, thoughtfully and with insight. Originality of thought or ideas from outside the course are an added asset. Examples are to the point. - Has an introduction defining plan of essay.
- Body divided into several paragraphs
- Conclusion which directly relates arguments to topic.
- Evidence that essay has been edited.
- Error-free grammar & register.
- Wide range of specialized terminology.
- Consistent in-text citation and form of referencing
B to B+


(16-17) Very good answers showing secure knowledge of course materials. Adopting an analytical approach and providing relevant discussion covering most of the key issues. Distinguished from A answers by being less insightful or by showing less comprehensive knowledge of the course. - First four criteria above maintained
- Demonstrates extensive grammar control.
- Terminology specialized but less varied.
- Minor Inconsistency in in-text citation and referencing
C to C+


(14-15) Competent answers reflecting adequate knowledge of the more directly relevant course material and concepts, with reasonable structure and adequate coherence related to the question set. - Introduction and/or conclusion short but still satisfactory.
- Evidence of editing.
- Less grammar control than above.
- Good range of specialized terminology.
- Inconsistent in in-text citation and referencing
D



(10-13)


Answers which omit some concepts /evidence and/or lack coherence /structure, and/or make minor errors while still demonstrating basic understanding. Or Bare pass answers which show awareness of some relevant material and attempt to relate it to the question. - Introduction and/or conclusion short but acceptable.
- no evidence of editing.
- Few grammatical errors that impede communication.
- Above average range of specialized terminology.
- Slightly confused introduction and/or conclusion, but body still fair.
- No evidence of editing.
- Some error types that impede communication.
- Fair range of specialized terminology.
- Inaccurate in-text citation and referencing
F

Below
10 Answers which attempt to draw upon relevant material but do not reflect sufficient knowledge of the course and/or neglect the focus required by the question, and/or are incomplete in some important aspects whilst being acceptable in others. - No introduction and /or no conclusion.
- Body badly organized or irrelevant.
- Poor grammar control (extremely limited range of grammar & register).
- Limited or not specialized range of terminology.
- No in-text citations and no referencing



Mark-Deduction Descriptor:
The following grid is used in deducting marks, when grading TMAs, MTAs, and FEs, on the basis of language use and organisation

LANGUAGE & ORGANIZATION Deduction
3rd level courses 1st& 2nd level courses
- Has an introduction defining plan of essay.
- Body divided into several paragraphs.
- Conclusion which directly relates arguments to topic.
- Evidence that essay has been edited.
- Wide range of specialized terminology.
- Error-free grammar & register, mechanics, etc. - No deduction - No deduction
- Clear organization, with good introduction and conclusion.
- Body divided into several paragraphs
- Demonstrates extensive grammar control and mechanics: correct spelling, proper punctuation, correct sentences, with occasional/sporadic grammar mistakes (e.g., phrasal verbs, relative clauses).
- Evidence of editing
- Terminology specialized but less varied. - Deduct 30% of deduction allowed:

TMA: 2
MTA: 3


TMA: 1.5
MTA: 2
- Introduction and/or conclusion short but still satisfactory.
- Some evidence of editing.
- Less grammar control than above: (e.g., wrong use of prepositions, verb tenses).
- Some non-recurrent problems in mechanics of writing
- Average range of specialized terminology. - Deduct 50% of deduction allowed

TMA:3
MTA:4.5


TMA: 2
MTA: 3
- Introduction and/or conclusion short and slightly confused, but acceptable, with body still fair.
- No evidence of editing: some grammatical and other recurrent types of errors that impede communication (e.g., verb forms, auxiliary verbs, passive structures, subject-verb agreement).
- Recurrent errors of spelling and punctuation
- Poor formatting
- Below average range of specialized terminology. - Deduct 80% of deduction allowed



TMA: 5
MTA: 7




TMA: 3.5
MTA: 5
- No introduction and /or conclusion.
- Body badly organized or irrelevant.
- No editing whatsoever
- Poor grammar control (extremely limited range of grammar & register, very basic, recurrent, and varied grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors of all types).
- No formatting
- Limited or not specialized range of terminology. - Deduct 100% of deduction allowed

TMA: 6
MTA: 9


TMA: 6
MTA: 9