JHHSU SOCIOLINGUISTICS : an introductory course 2006

Course Objectives

[1] Students will acquire familiarity with studies on the relationship between language and society, and with the methodology employed in the studies.

[2] Students will be able to attain a reliable and insightful description of patterns of social organization in language use and behavior toward language.

[3] Students will acquire skills to use sociolinguistic approach and methods to conduct studies and research.

Class Procedures

There will be assigned and recommended readings, lectures, class discussions, and student presentations. Students are required to write a term paper to be turned in at the end of the term. Grades will be based on class performance, term paper and final exam.

Course Topics

(1) What is sociolinguistics?

(2) Do you live in a multilingual or monolingual society? What are the language varieties and how do you determine them?

•  Which language variety do you choose when you speak? What are the approaches or theories you can use to predict the variety you may use?

(4) What is the sociocultural significance of the various speech styles?

(5) What are the factors that resist or lead to language shift?

(6) How do men and women speak differently?

(7) What are some sociocultural factors that trigger off linguistic changes?

(8) Language Attitudes

(9) Discourse Analysis:

(10) Language Policy and Language Planning

 
Optional topic: What is the relationship between language and culture?

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