Description:This was my dissertation, submitted as part of my degree at Glasgow School of Art. It received distinction and a first-class mark. Synopsis: In this dissertation I will present a critical analysis of the use of language in state-accredited art schools. Through the development of two case studies – that of the School of Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art and of the private, non-accredited Autumn River Tai Chi school – I will examine the relationship between the stated aims of each school and their obligations to account for their value to other parties. Taking a quasi-economic approach, I will attempt to develop a transactional model to represent the conditions of these obligations and claims. Building on the work of James Elkins and Howard Singerman, I will use the contrast between the two case studies to develop pertinent criticism of the role of language in art schools and departments, its relationship to fine art practice, and the politics of its influence.