This course provides an overview of theories of language and looks critically at the way these apply to popular media in the digital age. Starting with basic principles of communication and introducing theories of semiotics, students are encouraged to critically engage with the deconstruction of media as text. Lectures in this course provide an introduction to linguistic and semiotic theory, as well as newer concepts such as memetics. Media platforms are also examined in individual lectures, ranging from comics to digital games and hypertext. In tutorials the concepts introduced in lectures are examined in more detail, and assessment is undertaken through presentation involving the examination and analysis of popular media.