Historiological Notes

Final research Wednesday

As I worked during the weekend and quite long day so far this week, I got a positive answer when I asked if I could take the day off. Wonderful, as is the final lecture on Text and Communication.

Wednesday afternoon

Well, I have had a blogging break. Mainly because I have not had much to write. I have not opened any book for a while and that is the sort of thing that inspire me to write.

It is Wednesday, but not a proper research Wednesday. I no longer have the Wednesdays off, as I am not at the school any more. Instead, I am temping as secretary... and I am delighted. Although it is much fun working at a school it is also completely exhausting. I all ready feel the want to read more.

As work was rather quiet today, I was allowed to leave early and I am now at the university library. I have to sort out my reading list by the end of this week to be able to do the Text and Communication exam. I am not quite sure if I am able to attend the exam because of work, but I am going to try. The exam is in a month's time, but I have not read a thing for a month. It is hard to get into the topic again and I am allured procrastinating.

Text and communication

I have not told you about the course I am attending on my research Wednesdays. It is at the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, and is called Text and Communication (NOR2140 Tekst og kommunikasjon 1). It is a joint course for bachelor and master students and the level of discussion is quite high.

There were three reasons for taking this course. Firstly, I wanted to do something on society and linguistics or textual analysis; secondly, it was scheduled for Wednesdays… and thirdly, one of the lecturers is Professor Johan L Tønnesson who has worked on textual analysis of historiographical texts.

Now that the course has started, I am pleased to get a linguistic perspective on discourse analysis as I already have worked on discursive analysis in philosophy and historiography. The link between texts and communication seems interesting from any interpretative discipline’s point of view.

Last week, we discussed the concept ‘communication’ (very interesting three hours) and this week we did some Wittgenstein and Searle. I have worked on Wittgenstein earlier, but I cannot remember having read anything by Searle. We are reading Searle’s «A taxonomy of illocutionary acts» from Expression and meaning (1979). I have not finished it yet, but I enjoy the discussion he is making. I started a course last year (before I started work) in the philosophy department were we read Austin's How to do things with words. This is the "sequel". It is nice to know the background as it helps my reading.

O Joy!

Research Wednesdays are fantastic. This is the second week and I feel this was a brilliant idea. And it is perfect being Wednesdays. As it is, it feel as I only have two working days a week before it is weekend. Being a student is as good as having the day of.

When I teach, I am usually at school for 7.45am to prepare for the first lesson at 8.15am. Today I arrived at the university a bit later than nine and I felt wonderful as the library does not start to fill up until after ten. That is, by sleeping an extra hour I was one of the early birds at the university. It gave a wonderful feeling of being a good student. Then I enjoyed a tea break when I felt like it; not when the bell calls for one. In the afternoon, the lecture was very inspiring and even though it lasted for three times 45 minutes, it was not as exhausting as having control of an art class.

I got a new student card/ matriculation card today, so now I am officially a student. I look awful on the picture, still I feel quite good about it. It is my card to freedom; archive access, cheep gym, theatre discounts, cheep meals and most important, my symbol of my life with my research and not my pupils.

I am happy I can appreciate the joy of being a student - though it is only part-time - again. Student life is even better when one has tasted working life.