This course will focus on the sociolinguistics of the Spanish-speaking world (including Spain, Latin America and the US and language contact situations with Spanish). Students will be introduced to sociolinguistic research methods and will apply sociolinguistic theory across a range of case studies including the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, Andalusia as well as Spanish-speaking communities in the US and in the diaspora.

20 x 1hr sessions across both semesters as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the honours options in SMLC and may not run every year. The options which are running this session are available on MyCampus.

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The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Group Project: Poster (group mark 15%)

■ Presentation (each student will talk for 5 minutes) (individual mark 15%)

■ Essay (3000 words) - 70%

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

■ Individual project as an alternative to the group project

■ individual presentation to the course convenor as alternative to the Presentation

■ There is no alternative to the Essay, but extensions to the 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:

■ provide students with a clear understanding of core theoretical concepts in sociolinguistics;

■ explore the particularities of the sociolinguistic context of the Spanish-speaking world (including Spain, Latin America and the US);

■ introduce students to sociolinguistic research methodologies;

■ enable students to manipulate and apply sociolinguistic theory and practice;

■ investigate cultural context as well as theoretical debates about the relationship between language and society.

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

■ express in writing a thorough knowledge of some major developments and debates in the field of sociolinguistics;

■ critically engage with contemporary debates around linguistic diversity and the management of multilingualism in contemporary societies;

■ recognise language policies and ideologies in the Spanish-speaking world;

■ work effectively on a group project to ensure that areas of individual responsibility enhance the work of the project team as a whole;

■ present ideas clearly and analytically both orally and in writing with appropriate citation of sources, uses of evidence and attribution of contribution;

■ apply sociolinguistic theory and practice.