Module: Digital Methods in Language & Discourse

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Digital Methods in Language & Discourse
Module Code	TRA1015 (ITS: LC524)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	SALIS
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

This module introduces students to corpus-based research into language and translation, explores the empirical methods used by corpus linguists, and gives students hands-on experience of corpus building and processing and an opportunity to design and implement their own corpus-based research.

Learning Outcomes

1. explain the approach taken to the analysis of linguistic data adopted by selected corpus linguists
2. outline the relevance of corpus research to selected questions in translation studies
3. build their own corpus
4. manipulate corpus data using apppropriate electronic tools
5. analyse corpus data using appropriate conceptual categories
6. design, implement and present a corpus-based research project

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	12	No Description
Laboratory	12	Practical exercises conducted in computer lab
Directed learning	75	Set reading and lab exercises
Independent Study	50	Student-selected reading in preparation for project
Assignment Completion	101	Design, execution and write-up of corpus-based project
Lecture	12	No Description
Laboratory	12	Practical exercises conducted in computer lab
Directed learning	75	Set reading and lab exercises
Independent Study	50	Student-selected reading in preparation for project
Assignment Completion	101	Design, execution and write-up of corpus-based project
Total Workload: 500

Section Breakdown
CRN	20640	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	100%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Dorothy Kenny	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Design and implementation of an explicitly motivated corpus-based research project, reported on in a 4,000 word written submission	100%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

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Indicative Reading List

Books:

Barnbrook, Geoff: 1996, Language and Computers, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh,
Bowker, Lynne: 2002, Computer-Aided Translation Technology: A Practical Introduction, chapter on corpora, Ottawa University Press, Ottawa,
Bowker, Lynne and Jennifer Pearson: 2002, Working with Specialized Language: A practical guide to using corpora, Routledge, London/New York,
Deignan, Alice: 2005, Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics, 1st, John Benjamins, Amsterdam, 978 1 58811 647 5
Kenny, Dorothy: 2001, Lexis and Creativity in Translation: A Corpus-based Study, 1st, Saint Jerome Publishing, Manchester, 9781900650380 / 1-900650-38-X
McEnery, Tony and Andrew Hardie: 2012, Corpus Linguistics: Method, Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 978-0-521-83851-1
Olohan, Maeve: 2004, Introducing Corpora in Translation Studies, Routledge, London/New York,
Sinclair, John: 1991, Corpus, Concordance, Collocation, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
Stubbs, Michael: 1996, Text and Corpus Analysis, Blackwell, Oxford,
Stubbs, Michael: 2001, Words and Phrases, Blackwell, Oxford,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None