Page 202 - University Bulletin

ELAN335 Discourse Analysis
Credits: 3 (3, 0, 0) Prerequisites: ELAN130
This course explores the ways in which language varies according to subject area, social setting,
communicative purpose and the social roles and identities of those involved. It examines the
workings of various forms of speaking and writing - casual conversation, interviews and
interrogations, public speaking, emailing and mobile phone texting and mass media articles, to
cite just some examples. Students develop skills in analyzing the properties of different texts, in
characterizing the interpersonal stances adopted by speakers and writers, and in identifying and
classifying the various genres or text types which operate in particular social settings.

ELAN336 Sociolinguistics
Credits: 3 (3, 0, 0) Prerequisites: ELAN130
This course examines the relationship between language and society, focusing on how social
factors such as culture, class, gender, age, and ethnicity influence language use and variation.
Students will explore how language shapes and reflects social identities, power dynamics, and
hierarchies, as well as its role in social change. Key topics include dialects, sociolects, code-
switching, bilingualism, and linguistic inequality. Through theoretical frameworks and empirical
research, students will analyze language in relation to social roles, norms, and values. Case studies
from diverse linguistic communities will offer practical insights into how language both shapes and
is shaped by societal structures.

ELAN337 Psycholinguistics
Credits: 3 (3, 0, 0) Prerequisites: ELAN130
This course provides an introduction to the field of Psycholinguistics. It covers basic topics in
language comprehension, production and dissolution. It also offers relevant information on the
mental lexicon.

ELAN341 World Literature
Credits: 3 (3, 0, 0) Prerequisites: ELAN240
World Literature explores literary masterpieces translated into English and unlocked. Treasures
are selected from the past, continental Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East are
read, thoughts prompted, and in-class verbal exchanges articulated. This survey of master works
provides students with an overview of the human experience spread across a larger canvas.

ELAN425 Selected Works in British and American Literature
Credits: 3 (3, 0, 0) Prerequisites: ELAN241
This course focuses on representative great works in British and American literature. In scope, it
covers all three genres in both literatures. A novel and a play together with works of poets from
both the British and American side will be read and discussed. The selections from the UK and the
US complement one another.

ELAN441 Stylistics: Language in Literature, Film and Video Gaming
Credits: 3 (3, 0, 0) Prerequisites: ELAN244
This course examines how linguistic choices shape meaning, style, and reader/player perception
in literature, film, and video games. Students will analyze stylistic features such as tone, register,
diction, syntax, and figurative language, exploring how language functions within these media to
achieve specific communicative goals, evoke emotions, and reflect cultural and social contexts.
The course also focuses on the relationship between language, power, identity, and ideology,
helping students understand how stylistic choices influence the interpretation of texts in different
formats.

190 PSU UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN