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MS / MPhil English
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| MS/MPhil English |
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Areas of specialization |
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This programme contributes to three major areas of English studies: applied
linguistics, pure linguistics and literature. |
- A dissertation in applied linguistics will be supported by courses of
linguistics that encompass schools of thought of language, sociolinguistics,
psycholinguistics, translation studies, language planning, bi- and
multilingualism, variation in language and contemporary theories.
- While a pure linguistics dissertation will have support courses of structural
and functional linguistics, systemic functional grammar, stylistics, lexicology,
levels of language and fundamental concepts and theories.
- An enquiry into literature will be nurtured by courses of literary and critical
theory, discourse studies of contemporary literature, and classic and modern
textual analysis.
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Faculty and Research |
The faculty of English at Air University, Islamabad, comprises of highly
educated, talented and experienced members with specializations in diverse areas
of English studies. The current faculty members are either PhDs or involved in
PhD research. Students will also be benefited by participating in Air
University’s English Language & Linguistics’ Research Group that will help
minimize the gap between theory and practice. Our particular areas of interest
are sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, language and technology, language
variation, functional linguistics, and literary research.
Faculty members
include Professor Dr Mobina Tallat, Professor Abida Hassan, and Dr Hina Ashraf;
Professor Dr Riaz Hassan (Adjunct Faculty) The department has its own a
well-equipped language research laboratory with softwares and web resources to
facilitate pedagogy and research in specific areas. |
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Structure of the programme |
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The following courses in the first semester will be
core |
HU 601 Phonetics and phonology of English Language: This is core course that covers the study of English language, the history of phonetics; twentieth century phonetics and phonology; speech production, the IPA, RP, and trends in dialects. It also includes the supra-segmental features of language, stress, intonation, duration and pause to understand the native and non-native dialects of English which are affected by mother-tongue influence or multilingualism
Credit Hours: 2HU 602 General linguistics: A course on the origin and functions of language, which covers topics like language and thought, development of writing systems, factors in communication, and alphabetic systems. It also includes the main branches of theoretical linguistics phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. An overview of teaching and learning theories, L1 learning, L2 and foreign language learning, English in Pakistan are included in this course.
Credit Hours: 3HU 603 Critical theories and research This course focuses in essential on twentieth century theories and criticism by distinguishing between theory and criticism and their interrelationship and representation. Developments in literary and critical theories since the beginning of the twentieth century are included beginning with Russian Formalism to its influence on Anglo-American New Criticism, giving way to French Structuralism, Post-structuralism and Deconstruction are covered in this course. The major theories and approaches are discussed in the context of their application to various aspects of research in humanities and social sciences.
Credit Hours: 3HU 604 Research methodologies This is a specially designed course for novice researchers in the field of social science with a particular focus on linguistics and literary studies. Through lectures and seminars, this course intends to facilitate students with practice that underpins theoretical foundations. Students will be encouraged to participate and present their ideas, understand the paradigms of research, methods of data collection, techniques of data analysis and interpretation, and drawing on conclusions.
Credit Hours: 4
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In the second semester the first course is core,
while the remaining courses are electives |
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Core course |
HU 606 Critical discourse analysis: An core course on discourse studies, critical discourse and discourse analysis that aims to give an overview to students of the various theories and methods associated with linguistic and sociological analysis. The systematic approaches are to enhance students¿ skills to study literary texts, draw comparisons, and analyse and evaluate materials and situations. This is an interdisciplinary course which will facilitate students of linguistics and literary studies to the historical background, concepts and methodological approaches of critical discourse analysis.
Credit Hours: 4
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Elective courses |
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Elective Courses |
HU 607 Modern literature: An elective course for students who are keen to pursue research in the field of literature or literary studies, are encouraged to opt for this course. Tracing the various trends in literature over the centuries, this course aims to discuss the themes and issues emerging in modern world literature. Various genres of literature written from various parts of the world will be included with a special focus on literatures written in English.
Credit Hours: 4HU 608 Language teaching: Theory, research and practice: This course is offered in full module and intends to facilitate students¿ understanding of language teaching theories and research implications. The course includes general theories of learning; LAD/LAS, Universal Grammar; traditional approaches, GT method (still common in Pakistan), strengths and weaknesses; transference theory; comparative analyses; mechanistic approaches, deductive (rule-eg) and inductive (eg-rule), audio-lingual, mim-mem, audio-visual methods; habituation, skill development, pattern drilling; mentalistic approaches; cognitive theories; natural acquisition and formal learning. It also includes a detailed analysis of combining different approaches and factors; communicative theory and derived methodology¿communicative competence, silent way, interactive community, subliminal, monitor, eclecticism, and their implication in the language classroom of today.
Credit Hours: 4HU 609 Systemic functional grammar: This is full module course to facilitate a dissertation in theoretical linguistics. The course is designed to enable advanced studies of linguistic research to become fully conversant with notions of Systemic Functional Grammar which is the mainstream of British Linguistics, in contrast to Chomsikian Linguistics and other structural approaches of American Linguistics
Credit Hours: 4HU 610 Stylistics: Offered in full module, this course of stylistics is studied as a branch of applied linguistics which includes stylometrics; the application of insights derived from linguistics to the study and interpretation of literature. Stylistics can provide workable approaches for the comprehension of text; it has a bridging function between language and literature; the essentials of linguistics in phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics for students of stylistics; selection restriction rules; the elements of style; historical and contemporary ideas; the analysis of text; the analysis of discourse; kinds of deviation, diversion and digression and their effects on the comprehension of literary works. The use of common devices such as simile, metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, asyndeton, zeugma, repetition, rhetorical question, etc., in everyday language and literature will be explored.
Credit Hours: 4HU 611 Sociolinguistics: Study of language allows understanding the social, political and ethical dimensions of a society. This course, offered in a half module, explores the development of language standards, dialects, and the teaching and learning practices that are affected by language policy and planning. Topics like language accommodation of groups in contact, lingua francas, the changing status of English across the world are covered in this course.The course is offered in half module and could be studied with Language and Identity.
Credit Hours: 2HU 612 Psycholinguistics: This half-module course covers essential elements in the study of the relationship between linguistics and psychology. The purviews of both disciplines are very wide and include observations of writers such as de Saussure, Bloomfield, Boas, Sapir, Whorf and Chomsky and approaches with mechanistic and mentalistic implications; clinical aspects, aphasias, location of speech centres in the brain; child language acquisition; receptive and productive skills; speech act theory, language learning in general; the relationship between language, personality and thinking; and possibilities in scientific experimentation and laboratory work
Credit Hours: 2HU 613 Language and identity: The course is offered in half module to facilitate students who are are curious about formation of identity through linguistic dispositions. Use of language helps humans to act cooperatively, to plan and remember. At the same time it is language ideology that creates wide gaps between groups and communities. Issues like language choices, social mobility, economic advantage and construction of national identities are included in the course
Credit Hours: 2HU 614 Functional Linguistics
Credit Hours: 2HU 615 Pakistani English: Non-native dialects of a world language such as English; historical overview, the introduction of English to this region; early incentives and compulsions for learning English in Pakistan are significant areas that need to be explored in this region. The effects of first-language interference, transference and the development of Pakistani dialects of English aid in the study of the phonological, morphological, syntactical, lexical and semantic description of these dialects in Pakistan are covered in this half-module course. Also included are topics like acceptability at national and international levels, questions of standardization, indigenization and reverse influence, and the status of English in Pakistan.
Credit Hours: 2HU 616 Postcolonial studies Offered in half module, this course is specially designed to assist students interested in post-structural and postcolonial studies. The political and cultural structures of the postcolonial societies are studied in relation to the language use and literature written in and about the postcolonial countries. The course includes an overview of the main contributors to postcolonial writing, theory and criticism.
Credit Hours: 2
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