University of London, Queen Mary

This course is designed for students who want to extend their knowledge of the range and diversity of English spoken in the world today. Students analyze and produce spoken language in different settings and genres by taking part in structured activities that examine the importance of audience, purpose and various communicative strategies. The examination of both global and local linguistic phenomena provides a context for participants to discuss diverse socio-cultural values and practices with others. Students have the opportunity to participate in practical workshops in which they are involved in activities such as discussions, role-plays and presentations. Assessment tasks include the research, recording and production of a collaborative video report and the live presentation of the research project in a seminar context. These tasks enable students to develop skills that support their ability to network effectively by enhancing their communication and interpersonal skills through designing and presenting group-generated project work in different media. There is also scope for community engagement and the integration of both local and international perspectives in the design and execution of the students' project work. 

This course explores the history, form, and function of writing systems from around the world: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Chinese pictograms, Ancient Greek and modern Japanese syllabaries, the vowelless alphabets of Hebrew/Arabic, the "fusional" alphabets of Sanskrit/Hindi, the "separational" alphabets of Modern Europe. Students also look at various attempts to create "perfect" writing systems, such as that of Korea and the IPA and its rivals. Through the course, students gain an understanding of the phonological/morphological demands that languages place on their writing systems and how this leads to innovation and development. The course also examines sociological aspects of different systems (particularly in relation to the spread of systems and the role of writing in language preservation/endangerment) and what writing reveals about the organization of the mind/brain.

This course looks at various candidates for the "Great American Novel," a term for fictional narratives that seem to capture the essence of the United States. The course examines the concept's origins following the American Civil War, evolution throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and enduring appeal in the popular imagination. Selected fiction is considered in relation to US national identity, the ideal of the American dream, notions of authorship, and anxieties toward social issues such as class, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation.

This course examines Anglo-American relations from 1939-1991 and analyses the nature of the special relationship from historical and political perspectives. Set within the rich historiography of this subject, the course considers how US and UK governments responded to major events in world history from 1939 to 1991. Throughout, particular reference are made to Anglo-American relations in the political, diplomatic, economic, defense, and intelligence arenas and to the importance of personalities in strengthening and weakening the alliance. Students reflect on UK and US social, cultural, and political values in the context of international relations, and develop an understanding of ethical and political issues arising from modes of representation.

This course examines how environmental challenges have been, and continue to be, shaped by empire. These impacts affect how Earth's history, the biosphere, and the climate are known, and extend to both extractive technologies and financial relationships that enable extraction. But the effects of empire run deeper, to the very way the environment is understood. Using London as a launchpad for field trips and firsthand encounters, this course challenges students to rethink how ideas of the planet’s past, present, and future are shaped by empire. Students examine how empire has shaped, and continues to shape, environmental knowledge; explore sites and spaces of empire, such as where the material markers of scientific knowledge persist in advancing ways of knowing and relating to the environment today; investigate how contemporary modes of extraction maintain links to the legacies of empire, such as in and through financial activities; are provided with concrete analytical skills for situating contemporary challenges in historical context; and are encouraged to engage critically and thoughtfully with how environmental thought, and baselines for assessing environmental impacts, have been influenced by the data collected through empire.

This course offers students an opportunity to put theory into practice, cultivating a sense of the history and theory of documentary film alongside the chance to make their own short non-fiction film. The theory part of the course charts the historical development of documentary through the examination of films ranging from the early 20th century to the present day, with the focus on issues of truth, ethics, technique, and creativity. The practical part of the course supports them to create and complete their own short documentary film. Four key issues are central to the course: 1) locating the truth one wants to convey; 2) adherence to an ethical code during film production; 3) engaging with storytelling, exposition, visual, and structuring techniques, including considering how meaning is made in post-production, and 4) exploring creative formal approaches appropriate to the film.