Power and Language – CMNS 3500 Fall 2026

I’m Chris Adam, your instructor for this course. My pronouns are she/her/hers.

You can find me in 1841 Old Main. My student hours are 1:00-4:00 on Wednesdays, but I can meet at other times that work for you.

The best way to reach me is by email – cadam@tru.ca. I try to respond to emails within 24 hours, but I do protect my weekends for recharging and family. You’re always welcome to email at a time that works for you; just know that you might wait until Monday for a response to an email sent between Friday evening and Sunday.

What Are We Here to Do?

Why do some messages persuade while others fall flat — and who benefits? This course trains you to decode the language strategies behind political speeches, media coverage, advertising, and public statements. You’ll develop a practical toolkit for analyzing how word choices shape opinion, build trust, or mislead — and apply those skills to your own communication.

Why Study This?

Every journalist, strategist, and content creator makes language choices that carry consequences. This course gives you the analytical framework to understand why those choices work — or don’t. Through real texts from media, politics, and digital culture, you’ll sharpen your ability to read between the lines and write with greater intentional impact.

Together we will examine how language constructs reality, frames issues, and positions audiences — often without their awareness. Drawing on tools from linguistics and media studies, you’ll analyze authentic texts and leave with a more skeptical, precise approach to both reading and producing public discourse.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will document your abilities to:

Explain core concepts of SFL, including the ideational, interpersonal, and textual metafunctions.
Evaluate the clarity, tone, and credibility of public discourse across varied genres.
Deconstruct the linguistic strategies used in contested and false claims in public debate.
Construct and defend a position on a public issue using SFL-informed language choices.
Revise and extend one’s own communication in response to feedback, applying CDA and SFL concepts to strengthen linguistic and rhetorical choices.
Reflect critically on the ideological role of language in shaping public discourse and power relations.

How This Course Is Built

Unit	Weeks (Dates)	Focus question and key concepts	Submissions
1.	1-4 (September 10 through October 1)	What is beyond the surface of language? Key concepts: Systemic Functional Linguistics; Critical Discourse Analysis	Discourse Analysis Assignment
2.	5-8 (October 6 through 29)	How is power showing up? Key concepts: Critical Race Theory; Ableism; Gender and Sexuality; Ageism	Panel Discussions and Feedback
3.	8-12 (November 3 through 26)	Where do visuals fit in the power picture? Key concepts: Representational, Interactive and Compositional Meanings	Final Project (based on panel topic)
4.	13-14 (December 1 through 8)	Where are you in all of this? Key concepts: Positionality and Relationality	Final self-assessment and final grade documentation

Readings

Readings assigned for each unit will be available on this course website (see link in menu at top).

Student Assessment

Assessment in this class will be a collaborative process. Together, in conversation, we’ll decide what your final grade should be. (See Ungrading information link at the top of this page.)

There are three major assignments in this course. Each one will receive extensive feedback from me, and will be marked as either “complete” or “redo.” Students will have two redo opportunities to complete an assignment.

The final submission (unit four) in this course will be made in the format of your choice. It will be your negotiation document for the grade you have earned during the course, with documentation of your learning from the three assignments listed above and examples from your interactions in the class setting.