Whenever we use language to speak or write, we make choices – most of them being unconscious, rather than conscious. The way we use language is greatly dependent on where we are from, what educational or geographic background we have, how old we are, and who we are talking to in a particular situation. Sociolinguistics is a branch of linguistics that explores these (and other) influencing factors and, thereby, describes language variation, its causes and results.
In this class, we will discuss variations in language use (e.g. regarding pronunciation, word choice, or grammatical structure) under the headings of, e.g. ‘language and dialects’, ‘language and identity’, ‘language and gender’, or ‘politeness’. We will also turn to ‘language change’ which may come about as a result of language variation. Whereas most of the examples we will be looking at are verbal, we will also consider non-verbal means of communication, such as pictures or gestures, which are social phenomena just the same.
By the end of term, we will be able to explain – among many other things – why we might choose to speak in dialect when in a local pub, or might decide to greet someone by doing a chest bump instead of shaking hands.
Suggested Readings:
Coulmas, Florian (2007). The Handbook of Sociolinguistics. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell.
Meyerhoff, Miriam (2011). Introducing Sociolinguistics. London: Routledge.
Wardhaugh, Ronald (2010). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Malden, Mass.: Wiley-Blackwell.
Admission settings
The course is part of admission "Anmeldung gesperrt (global)".
