Admission requirements
Not applicable.
Description
This course explores how situational features influence the composition, generation, and assessment of written text. We start by distinguishing among the core concepts of register, genre and style, and then turn to the question of how these language dimensions interact in written discourse within the context of situational variation. We then examine the implications of these text dynamics, alongside the rapid development of AI tools based on large language models, for writing in the future. Questions include:
How do genres (e.g., news and research reports) change over time; how might we account for these changes; and what kinds of changes might we anticipate in the near future?
How might situational variation—including the extent to which a text is human-composed or AI-generated—influence our judgements of text quality?
How do human-composed and AI-generated texts compare, and what might this mean for the future of writing?
In the first half of the course, you will learn about genre, register, and style variation, and how this has been investigated in corpora research. You will also learn about the relevance of these functional understandings of language use for the development of AI tools that can generate human-like texts.
In the second half of the course, you will conduct research regarding a focus register with 2-3 peers. Your group will prepare a presentation of your findings by producing a short multimodal presentation. Review sessions with a partner peer group will support you as you design a concise multimodal presentation for a general target audience. Through this process, we will examine the nature of scientific communication, and how it might be more effectively undertaken.
Course objectives
Gain insight into the relevance of core linguistic dimensions (genre, register, and style) for understanding dynamics of written discourse
Examine implications of generative AI development and use for the production and consumption of written texts now and in the future
Work with peers to effectively conduct and present small-scale linguistics research
Compose a multimodal presentation
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Research
Assessment method
Assessment
Mid-term: electronic open-book examination with closed and short open questions regarding lectures and assigned readings (120 minutes).
Participation in structured peer review sessions
End-of-term: 7-10 minute recorded multi-modal small group presentation. A minimum score of 6 is required to pass the course.
Weighing
Mid-term exam closed and short open-response exam: 30%
Participation in Peer-review sessions: 20%
End-of-term multi-modal group presentation: 50%; A minimum score of 6 is required to pass the course.
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average combined with additional requirements. The additional requirement is a minimum of a 6,0 for the end-of-term presentation.
Resit
Students scoring below a 5,5 on the mid-term exam may resit the exam.
The end-of-term presentation can be resubmitted if the score is below 6 .
Please note: There is no resit for participation in peer review sessions.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Biber, Douglas, & Conrad, Susan. (2019). Register, Genre, and Style. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This textbook is available electronically via the university library: https://catalogue.leidenuniv.nl/permalink/f/1cnfioc/TN_cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC5879554
Other resources, including journal articles, book chapters, and weblectures, will be made available via Brightspace using Leiden University Library resources or open-access materials.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Student administration Arsenaal
Remarks
Not applicable.