Language and Social Communication 2300-ASK2-WK3-JK
During the course, students will explore the phenomenon of human linguistic behavior and the various functions it serves in social communication. The topics covered will include:
- Language as a symbolic form;
- Functions of the language system and utterances;
- Linguistic relativity;
- Orality versus literacy;
- Print and the proliferation of the book;
- Word versus image in social communication;
- The evolution of the word in e-culture;
- New forms of social communication: Facebook, the meme and its functions;
- Infotainment as a feature of contemporary media discourse;
- Abuses in social communication – information vs. manipulation;
- Communication within social groups.
Course coordinators
Type of course
Mode
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student:
Knowledge
- possesses basic knowledge of language understood as a medium of culture;
- characterizes individual word media – voice, writing, print, and the digital word – and discusses their impact on culture;
- identifies and describes the determinants of cultural transformations in social communication;
- understands the significance of language in culture.
Skills
- identifies the diverse functions of the word in social communication;
- is able to characterize developmental trends in contemporary language;
- analyzes linguistic phenomena and practices through an anthropological lens;
- is able to creatively apply knowledge of communication in practical action.
Social Competences
- is aware of the complex nature of language, as well as its intricacy and historical variability;
- understands the value of cultivating linguistic culture in contemporary social communication.
Assessment criteria
- Evaluation of substantive participation during classes (up to two absences per semester are allowed);
- Preparation of an introduction to a class discussion.