Language in Society

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• fundamental issues and problems related to the use of language in social contexts;
• the scope and limitations of different theoretical approaches to sociolinguistics;
• key methodologies to explore the complex relationship between language and society.
• key concepts and terms used to describe language in use;
• particular sociolinguistic situations or issues relevant to your professional interests;

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• select and analyse appropriate texts and materials, and present them confidently and effectively to others with your own critical interpretation;
• work effectively within a group;
• research a specific topic independently and with minimal guidance;

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• relate issues and questions encountered in the research literature to situations with which you are yourself familiar;
• analyse and evaluate oral and written data from a variety of sources;
• describe specific features of language in use employing appropriate terminology;
• apply sociolinguistic knowledge in the analysis and interpretation of language (education) policy;
• construct an argument on a sociolinguistic topic based on a synthesis of published research and an analysis of primary material.

The starting point for this module is the view that while it is possible to study linguistic forms (sounds, words, sentences etc) in isolation, the functions and use of language and languages can be analysed and understood only in relation to the social and political environment in which linguistic activity takes place. Indeed, the fundamental premise is that ‘language’ and ‘society’ are not independent entities, but rather exist in a necessarily reciprocal relationship.

The module will engage with key notions of sociolinguistic inquiry and explore these notions in relation to concrete case studies. Each seminar is led by the students who need to organise activities to:

• discuss theoretical key concepts (such as communicative competence, speech community, community of practice), and
• apply these notions to and discuss them in relation to concrete examples.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include

• short introductory presentations by course tutors;
• seminar discussions based on prepared reading and student group presentations.

Learning activities include

• carrying out prescribed reading tasks;
• carrying out practical tasks;
• conducting short empirical investigations;
• assessing critically based-research artciles;
• preparing individual and group presentations.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Heller, M. & McElhinny, B. (2017). Language, Capitalism, Colonialism: Toward a Critical History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Mesthrie, R. (ed.) (2011). The Cambridge Handbook of Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Holmes, J. (2013). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics: Learning About Language. New York: Routledge.

Jaworski, A., & Coupland, N. (2014). The discourse reader. New York, NY: Routledge.

Tustin, K (ed.) (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Ethnography. London: Routledge.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External