Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines the relationship between language use and social structure. Considers how social factors such as gender, class, age, and ethnicity may be reflected in language use, as well as "big picture" topics that include multilingualism, dialect variation, language policy and linguistic stereotypes. Encourages students to think critically about the social dimensions of language. Open to all students. Breadth-Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course explores the phenomenon of languages, which are constantly being changed by the people who use them (users) as they communicate meaning to one another (uses). This on-going process of modifying a language is evident when we think about how users change sounds, grammar, vocabulary, and phrasings over time (e.g., think of Shakespeare’s English vs. present-day English). In addition, every different group of language users adapts their code in their own way. For example, English as it is used in Vancouver is distinct from how it is used in New York City or London, England or Singapore or Hong Kong or New Delhi, India. Language varies across different (cultural) contexts, from speech community to speech community. Within each context, speakers use language in ways that reflect their own identities, backgrounds, beliefs, practices, and values.

This course introduces the field of sociolinguistics, which examines the relationship between social factors, culture, and language. Students will reflect upon and think about their everyday life and language use here in Vancouver as we discuss the following topics:

• multilingualism in speech communities and the social reasons for language acquisition, language shift, language maintenance, language loss, and even language death;
• the existence of regional dialects (e.g., Canadian English, American English, Newfoundland English, Texas English, Indian English) and social (class) dialects (e.g., the Queen’s English vs. that of working-class Londoners);
• how language use can reflect aspects of our social identity, such as ethnicity (e.g., African American English and its global spread as the language of rap/hip hop), gender (how do men and women speak differently?), sexuality (how do we use language to communicate our sexual identity when we are attracted to someone?), and age (why do teenagers speak differently from adults?);
• the role of politeness in language use, and how this varies across cultures;
• variation in language (e.g., why do Canadians generally say “washroom” while Americans say “restroom”?);
• the relationship between language and cognition (does a language and its vocabulary shape our understanding of the world around us?); and
• the important issues of discrimination and prejudice, as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion, with respect to the language(s) individuals and communities use.

A special topic will be that of World Englishes, which examines the international spread of English to speech communities around the globe. This phenomenon began with British Colonialism, initially in North America and the South Pacific, then in Asia and Africa. More recently, globalization and heightened transnational contact have inaugurated a third phase in the spread of English, to Europe, Latin America, and other parts of the world never subjected to (British) colonial rule.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION:
Blended. One hour face-to-face, ca. two hours asynchronous podcast lecture.

MODE OF DELIVERY:
Face-to-face lectures in classroom, mp4 podcast lecture files available for download.

Outline of Blended Instruction –
As a Blended course, this class will have a combination of in-person and online components, with the online components replacing in-person class time.

The originally designated three hours of weekly in-person instruction will be divided into 2 hours asynchronous (online) and 1 hour in-person instruction.

For the asynchronous instruction, students will need to access ca. 2 hours of lecture podcasts posted in the course’s Canvas site each week. Students are expected to listen to the podcasts by 3:00 pm on Wednesdays, before the class meets.

For the in-person instruction, the class will meet for one hour on Wednesdays, from 3:30 pm to 4:20 pm. These in-person sessions focus on clarifying information in the assigned readings and podcasts as well as addressing student questions. Students will also complete brief group work assignments as well as mini group research projects in class.

The three scheduled tests will be completed in-person, during the one-hour class meetings.

Linguistics program students cannot count this course towards their breadth requirements unless in joint or double majors, extended minor, or double minors program.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: