Access your online class: (For registered students)

Username
Password

Password reminder 

Language and Diplomacy

Description and Objectives

This course explores how language works and how it can best be put to work in the service of diplomacy and international relations. It promotes language awareness as a means of improving the skills of opinion shapers. Close attention is paid to case studies of treaties, presidential speeches, public announcements, government advertising and media material in order to link theoretical discussion to practical examples.

The objectives of this online course are twofold: 

1. To provide participants with a linguistic toolkit which will enable them to use - and defuse - the most frequent tripwires of diplomatic and political language, such as ambiguity, analogy and inference.
2. To supplement linguistic mastery with psychological acuity. Since effective communication has much to do with reading intentions and contexts correctly, insights are provided into relevant cultural, social and psychological variables.

 

Course Outline

1. Speech Acts and Signaling : Meaning in Context. Is ‘all words, no action’ a false dichotomy? This lecture examines the two-fold relationship between language and action: on the one hand certain utterances can be understood as a form of action; on the other, actions can be interpreted as a means of ‘signaling’ (i.e. of communicating non-verbal messages). This lecture provides an introduction to Speech Act theory and considers the role of context in interpreting meaning.
2. Hard Talk: Disagreement and Divisiveness. Diplomacy, in so far as it is concerned with avoiding, alleviating or settling disputes, is centrally concerned with disagreement. This lecture explores the language of disagreement, from ad hominem attacks to irony and hard talk interviews. It considers the human tendency to cluster into in-groups and out-groups and to judge out-groups as deficient because they are different, and then goes on to look at the linguistic ‘tells’ of divisive attitudes. 
3. Soft Power: Persuasion and Politeness. We live in an age of soft power where values and the force of attraction hold sway over hard power and brute force. This lecture looks at the recent rise of soft power and the claim that power in an information age is  a question of 'whose story wins'. Since persuasion is central to the effective deployment of soft power, we look at the concepts of logos, ethos and pathos in classical rhetoric and apply these to modern practices from nation branding to presidential campaigns. We also consider politeness which, like soft power, combines other-centeredness with the promotion of self-interest.
4. Verbal Spin: Suggestion and Connotation. The aim of this lecture is two-fold: First, to explore the relationship between language and thought, and second, to alert you to the uses and potential abuses of spin in contemporary politics. In addition to a checklist of methods used in political spin, you will be introduced to the workings of suggestion and connotation. Connotations often act as stories in a capsule, illustrated by paired terms such as: terrorist and freedom fighter; apartheid wall and security fence; honour killing and misogynist murder. The referent of each of these signifiers is the same, but the moral, ideological and narrative framework associated with them is substantially different.
5. Visual Spin: Inference and Presupposition. We live in a visual world in which the image prevails. How do images influence, and indeed change, our perception of the world? You are introduced to the cognitive processes involved in reading images and are given examples of how variables such as perspective, cropping, context, captions, manipulations as well as frequency of publication all influence our reaction to an image. Since spin may be defined as the ‘manipulation of inference’, this pair of lectures on spin concludes with examples of how our presuppositions and prejudices are capitalized upon in order to manipulate beliefs.
6. Semantics: Categories and Typecasting. What influences word meaning? Why does meaning change? Who decides and what are the limits? An introduction to semantic categories, speech communities, conventions and consensus, with an exploration of the extent to which meaning is negotiable. Semantic categories are often procrustean, forcing members into a mold which may not suit them optimally but from which it is hard to escape. This is especially evident in type-casting, where linguistic labels (‘migrant’ rather than ‘refugee’, ‘old’ as opposed to ‘new’) tap not only into socio-political systems but into ‘basic values’ as well. 
7. Metaphor and Analogy. ‘Military strategists stress the importance of controlling the high ground; political strategists stress the importance of controlling metaphor.’ Is metaphor, which is generally perceived as a poetic device, really so important to politics? This lecture provides an introduction to both the prevalence and the perils of metaphor and analogy in everyday language, and their use in structuring thoughts and influencing actions. To the extent that the political brain is primarily emotional, ever inclined to favour desire over data, the emotional appeal of metaphors and narratives must be understood and exploited in the practice of persuasion.
8. Ambiguity and Repartee. Why does ambiguity exist? What types of ambiguity can we identify, and what uses or abuses can we put them to? An introduction to narrow vs. broad ambiguity, underspecification, euphemisms, double-speak, fudging, constructive ambiguity, good and bad faith interpretation and the all-important role of context in disambiguation. Repartee often capitalizes on ambiguity, and this lecture concludes with a look at the power and perils of humour, including irony and satire.

 

Who Should Apply

• Practicing diplomats, civil servants, and others who work in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics;
• Post-graduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practicing diplomats;
• Post-graduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy;
• Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.

 

Structure and Methodology

This course is conducted entirely online over a period of 10 weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments and references in the form of hypertext entries. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (for example, further discussion via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week’s topic. To complete the course successfully, participants must write several essay assignments. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction.

 

Lecturer(s)

Dr Biljana Scott
Language and Diplomacy

Dr Biljana Scott was trained as a linguist (BA in Chinese, M.Phil and D.Phil in Linguistics, University of Oxford). She is a Senior Lecturer in Political Language and Public Diplomacy at DiploFoundation and a Faculty Lecturer in Chinese Linguistics at the University of Oxford. Her research interests all revolve around the nature of categorisation, and her current focus is on verbal and visual rhetoric in public diplomacy. She lectures and work-shops internationally, is president of one of the Oxford Toastmasters’ clubs, and winner of several public speaking competitions.

 

 

Mr Andrej Skrinjaric
Language and Diplomacy

Mr Andrej Skrinjaric, born in Karlovac, Croatia, studied Chinese Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, graduating in 1999. In 2000 he attended a postgraduate course in European Studies at the Alternative Academic Educational Network (AAEN), Belgrade. In 2003 he obtained his Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy from DiploFoundation, University of Malta. His thesis was entitled Multilingualism and the Internet. From 1999-2002 he worked as a free-lance interpreter/translator, Chinese-Serbian, Chinese-English and English-Serbian. He currently works for DiploFoundation as Training Coordinator and resides in China.

 

Words from Former Participants

 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have:

• an undergraduate university degree; OR three years work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations;
• sufficient ability in English language to undertake postgraduate level studies (including reading academic texts, discussing complex concepts with other course participants, and submitting written essay assignments of up to 2500 words in length);
• unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers (please contact us for more details if you are in doubt about your level of access).

 

Fees

Course fees depend on whether you wish to obtain university credit for the course:

• 755 euros (University of Malta Credit Course)
• 575 euros (Diplo Certificate Course)

Applicants must pay full fees upon official acceptance into the course. The fee includes:

• University of Malta application fee (where applicable)
• Tuition fee
• Course orientation pack (where applicable - may include text and/or references and Textus Learning User Guide)
• Access to all required course materials online, via Diplo’s online classroom
• Personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff and other participants
• Online technical support: requests will be answered within 24 hours
• Certificate of completion issued by DiploFoundation (upon meeting all course requirements for participation, assignments and examination)

 

Financial Assistance

Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats from developing countries. To apply for a scholarship please include your CV or resume, and a letter outlining your interest in the course and financial need, with your application package.

 

How to Apply

A number of routes for application are available, depending on the needs of the applicant:

• Apply for this course as a University of Malta Credit Course
• Apply for this course as a Diplo Certificate Course
• Take this course as part of the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

diplo

Privacy policy | Login