Accessibility statement

Talk at Work - SOC00057H

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  • Department: Sociology
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Merran Toerien
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

What is the significance of talk at work? It is both talk that occurs in the workplace and how talk is put to work to achieve (or, sometimes, to hinder) an institution’s goals. The module aims to equip you with the conceptual and analytic tools to understand naturally occurring, recorded work-place interaction.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

What is the significance of talk at work? It is both talk that occurs in the workplace and how talk is put to work to achieve (or, sometimes, to hinder) an institution’s goals. The module aims to equip you with the conceptual and analytic tools to understand naturally occurring, recorded work-place interaction. You will use the approach known as conversation analysis (CA) as a lens for understanding how such interaction functions in practice. This is an applied module, so the focus is less on learning on how to do CA and more on how to apply CA findings to try to improve communication in the workplace. There are no prerequisites for this module although it is likely to be of particular interest to those who took the second year Social Interaction and Conversation Analysis module.

Module learning outcomes

Critically evaluate the role played by social interaction in the workplace

Make a well-justified and critical case for the value of studying real, recorded workplace interactions

Apply some of the methodological tools of conversation analysis (CA) to help make sense of recordings of what works well in real-world workplace interactions

Assess the usefulness of research findings for building interventions aimed at making a positive change in workplace interaction

Design a well-justified, evidence-based training workshop with the aim of improving communication in the workplace

Demonstrate ability to undertake critical analysis and to convey complex ideas in written and verbal formats.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Workshop Plan 3000 words		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Workshop Plan 3000 words		 N/A 100

Module feedback

For formative work - preliminary plan for the training workshop - students will receive written or verbal feedback on how to improve their skills in areas that will contribute towards their summative assessment. The formative assessment provides a basis for the work to be done for the summative task and is in line with the LOs, particularly 3-6.

For summative work - designing a communication skills training workshop - students will receive an overall mark and grading according to clearly defined criteria for assessing their knowledge, skills and abilities in line with LO 1-6. They will also receive written feedback showing areas in which they have done well and those areas in which they need to improve that will contribute to their progress.

Indicative reading

Drew, P. (2005) Conversation analysis. In K. L. Fitch and R. E. Sanders (eds) Handbook of Language and Social Interaction. Mawah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum: pp. 71-102.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.