Sociolinguistics EL3055
Semester 2, 2017
Syllabus
Course Convenor:
Darcy Sperlich
Liberal Arts 2nd Building, C2-435
Ph. 33203; Email [email protected]
Office hours Thursday 3,4,5
Prescribed text:
An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, 4th Edition. Janet Holmes.
2013. Routledge.
Assessment:
Participation: 20%
Mid-term Exam: 30%
Final Exam: 50%
Notes:
Students are expected to do all readings before class, attend all
classes and actively participate.
Attendance is taken when class starts, and if you are late, 3
lates = 1 absence.
1
Course Outline
This course introduces how language and society are related. We will explore why we
vary our language depending on the who, what, when, where and why. For example,
we will discover how social factors such as gender, age and class affect language use,
and what the underlying reasons are.
Course Content
1 The realm of sociolinguistics
What are sociolinguists and what do they study? What are the major focuses?
Read Chapter 1
2 Multilingual community language choice
Code, diglossia and code-switching
Read Chapter 2
3 Language maintenance and shift
Language shift, death, loss, the factors and how to maintain and revive a language
Read Chapter 3
4 Linguistic varieties and multilingual nations
Vernacular and standard languages, lingua francas and pidgins and creoles
Read Chapter 4
5 National languages and language planning
National and official languages, their planning, Norwegian case study, a linguist’s
role
Read Chapter 5
6 Regional and social dialects
Regional and social variation, social dialects
Read Chapter 6
2
7 Gender and Age
Gender exclusive and preferential speech features, social class, women’s linguistic
behaviour, age and social dialect data, age grading and language change
Read Chapter 7
8 Ethnicity and social networks
Ethnicity, social networks
Read Chapter 8
9 Language change
Variation and speed, spread causes, their study, reasons
Read Chapter 9
10 Style, context and register
Addressee influence, accommodation theory, context, style, class, non-western
societies, register
Read Chapter 10
11 Speech functions, politeness and cross-cultural communication
Speech functions, politeness, address forms, different cultures
Read Chapter 11
12 Gender, politeness and stereotypes
Women’s language and confidence, interaction, gossip, linguistic construction of
gender and sexuality, sexist language
Read Chapter 12
* Please note the syllabus may change during the course, whereby an announcement
will be made if this happens.
3