Course Catalogue

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This course explores the interface between language and society. Specifically, it will look at how social factors such as age, geography, ethnicity, and social class, in tandem with the linguistic system itself, drive variation and change in language.

1 x 2hr session per week (comprising 1x1hr lecture; 1x 1hr seminar) over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in English Language and Linguistics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into English Language and Linguistics, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University 's 25% regulation.

ENGLANG4018 Sociolinguistics

None

 The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Text translation and commentary (1,000 words) - 25% 

■ Portfolio (consisting of an outline, a scripted podcast of 10-12 min., and a bibliography) - 75% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to:

■ investigate key research in the field of sociolinguistic variation over the past 60 years;

■ reveal the key driving forces in language variation and change;

■ focus on the use of quantitative methodologies in the analysis of speech data; 

■ apply these statistical methodologies to speech data.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ identify and describe variation in language use;

■ identify the key social and linguistic influences which lead to language variation and change;

■ evaluate the key findings from a number of seminal studies in sociolinguistics;

■ interpret the results of quantitative analysis of speech data in a range of formats;

■ apply quantitative methodology in the analysis of a piece of speech data;

■ synthesise the key elements of the course across a range of assessment activities.