SEL3454 : New Words in English
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr William van der Wurff
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
1. Exploring the formation and diffusion of new words of different types in English, using modern digital tools
2. Exploring relevant concepts and topics in lexicology, morphology, corpus linguistics and linguistic data collection
3. Developing skills in carrying out an independent piece of research in the area of new words.
Outline Of Syllabus
The themes to be covered in the lectures (further discussed/applied in the small group classes) will include: data and methods of data collection, the structure of different types of new words, the issue of morphological productivity, issues in measuring lexical frequency, new lexis in recent English, and theoretical issues involved in the study of these topics. Special attention will be paid to practical issues arising in doing actual research on new words.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 68:00 | 68:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | Illustrating key issues in word formation, data collection and data analysis |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 99:00 | 99:00 | Reading/preparation of material for weekly lectures and small group teaching |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Group sessions discussing lecture materials and practising with data |
| Total | 200:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| SEL8204 | Lexical Innovation |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures introduce and illustrate the use of data and the methods and concepts needed for their systematic collection and analysis. The small group teaching is intended to give the student the opportunity to consolidate understanding of issues raised in reading and in lectures. Students will devote the rest of the time to preparation of material covered in the various weeks and to preparation for the assessments (a mid-module exam and a final essay for which students plan, carry out and write up data collection plus analysis).
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 50 | 1 | M | 35 | Testing knowledge and understanding of methods and concepts of new-word analysis |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | A | 65 | Final essay, testing ability to collect and analyse data for the purpose of answering a research question (2500 words) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The in-class exam assesses the student’s acquisition of knowledge and ability to apply it to selected data. The final essay gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to carry out an independent investigation in the field of lexical innovation.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL3454's Timetable