This module places language among other meaning-making systems or “codes”, such as gestures, colours and sound. All these are examined by the discipline called Semiotics – that is “the science of signs” which asks the question of how meanings are organised and how reality is conceptualised. This course discusses the scope of Semiotics, its core concepts, main figures and methodological tools. The theoretical approaches presented range from structuralist theories to post-structuralism/social semiotics/multimodality. The module also offers an analysis of a variety of cultural products/processes through the application of semiotic concepts and methods, drawing examples from e.g. storytelling, comics, marketing/advertising, art/design, the media, the body, fashion, food and music, thus reflecting the broad interdisciplinary nature of the discipline. Emphasis will be placed on language as one of the meaning-making modes available to humans, capturing the interplay between verbal and non-verbal semiotic resources. There are no pre-requisites for this module, but some knowledge of pragmatics, (critical) discourse analysis, gender studies and sociolinguistics can be advantageous.