Course Description
The study of language as a cultural and social phenomenon. Topics include language and meaning, language and world view, language and social behavior, and language and social issues.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
In general, expectations for graduate students are higher, with
more stringent standards for grading. Additional requirements
for graduate students will include some combination of the
following: (1) additional required reading, including original
scholarly research; (2) longer and more complex written
assignments, which demonstrate a deeper and more sophisticated
understanding of concepts and theoretical issues introduced in
the course; (3) in-class presentations; (4) a final research
paper, which should include a literature review and conform to
professional standards in the discipline in terms of
organization, formatting, argumentation, and citations. If
undergraduates are also assigned a final research paper, theirs
will be shorter and will not require a thorough literature
review.
Athena Title
Sociolinguistics
Prerequisite
LING 3060
Semester Course Offered
Offered every even-numbered year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, students will understand that language is a cultural and social phenomenon. They will be able to discuss the ways in which language both reflects and creates such constructs as sociocultural activity, power, culture, gender, race, and social class; they will also be prepared to discuss issues of language and identity, language and discrimination, and language as a social con- struct. They will have achieved familiarity with a variety of social, anthropologi- cal, and linguistic concepts, ideas, theories, and findings common to the field of sociolinguistics and experience in conducting research on language use.
Topical Outline
General topics covered include language and social identities; language and social constructs; language socialization. Theoretical topics include the formal, the interpretive/situated, and the sociohistorical/dialogic. Methodological topics include correlational analyses and ethnography of communication. A number of graded tasks will be assigned, such as quizzes, tests, and various writing assignments done either in or outside of class.
Syllabus