Module overview
This module will introduce you to ways of exploring the reciprocal relationship between language and society from contemporary sociolinguistic perspectives.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- analyse and evaluate oral and written data from a variety of sources;
- relate issues and questions encountered in the research literature to situations with which you are yourself familiar;
- 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.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- particular sociolinguistic situations or issues relevant to your professional interests;
- the scope and limitations of different theoretical approaches to sociolinguistics;
- key concepts and terms used to describe language in use;
- fundamental issues and problems related to the use of language in social contexts;
- key methodologies to explore the complex relationship between language and society.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- research a specific topic independently and with minimal guidance;
- work effectively within a group;
- select and analyse appropriate texts and materials, and present them confidently and effectively to others with your own critical interpretation;
Syllabus
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.
Learning and Teaching
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.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Teaching | 24 |
Independent Study | 126 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Heller, M. & McElhinny, B. (2017). Language, Capitalism, Colonialism: Toward a Critical History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Tustin, K (ed.) (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Ethnography. London: Routledge.
Jaworski, A., & Coupland, N. (2014). The discourse reader. New York, NY: Routledge.
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.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Student presentation | 20% |
Book review | 30% |
Essay | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Coursework | 100% |
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.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Book review | 50% |
Essay | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External