Reading (for) Others – Linguistics Classes II 3000-LPTA2CZ-J2
The course introduces the theoretical and methodological foundations for the description of social varieties of language, with particular emphasis on sociolects, which constitute one of the most distinctive manifestations of the internal diversity of contemporary Polish. Its aim is to provide students with tools enabling the independent analysis of the language varieties used by different social groups and communities. Particular attention is devoted to the mechanisms through which such varieties emerge, the functions they perform in social relations, and the ways in which they reflect the values, norms, and experiences of their users.
The course compares sociolects with a long history (e.g. youth slang or criminal argot) with those that have emerged relatively recently, especially the language varieties of online and thematic communities, whose vocabulary reacts particularly quickly to contemporary cultural, technological, and social changes. Attention is also paid to the sources of the newest phraseological units appearing in social varieties of language.
The practical part of the course is based on the analysis of authentic linguistic material. Students identify the distinctive features of sociolects, examine lexical units characteristic of selected communities, and trace the circulation of vocabulary between general Polish and sociolects. An important component of the course also involves working with various dictionaries documenting sociolectal vocabulary, including comparisons of older and newer lexicographic studies and analyses of solutions used in online dictionaries.
Students also become familiar with the general mechanisms underlying the creation of new lexical units and with the typology of linguistic innovations. Understanding these issues enables them to better identify the sources of contemporary changes in vocabulary and relate them to the communicative needs of language users. The course additionally provides theoretical and methodological preparation for workshop classes devoted to the analysis and description of contemporary lexis.
Course topics:
A. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE SOCIAL VARIATION OF LANGUAGE
The social variation of contemporary Polish in relation to other language varieties.
Terminology used in the description of social varieties of language (sociolect, professional jargon/professiolect, slang, argot, social dialect, subcultural language, the language of online communities, the language of thematic communities, etc.).
Typologies of social varieties of Polish (classification proposals by S. Grabias, D. Buttler, H. Satkiewicz, T. Piekot, and other scholars). Relations between sociolects, professional jargons/professiolects, and the language varieties of communities of interest.
Basic sociolectal categories: professional character, secrecy, and expressiveness.
B. SOCIOLECTS AS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PHENOMENA
Historical and contemporary social varieties of Polish. Declining, developing, and newly emerging sociolects.
The influence of social, cultural, and technological changes on the development of sociolectal vocabulary. Sociolects as indicators of social and cultural change.
Contemporary communicative communities and linguistic micro-communities. Cybercommunities and the language of online communities. Thematic communities and their vocabulary – relations between sociolects and the language of communities of interest.
The sociolect as a tool for constructing group identity and interpreting social reality. The functions of sociolects, including integrative, identificatory, and separative functions.
C. SOCIOLECTAL LEXIS – STRUCTURE, DEVELOPMENT, AND METHODS OF ANALYSIS
Sources of contemporary lexical and phraseological innovations. Types of linguistic innovation in contemporary Polish. Borrowings, neosemanticisms, derivation, and other means of enriching sociolectal vocabulary.
Sociolectal phraseology and its communicative functions. Types of phraseological units and mechanisms of phrase formation. Expressiveness and axiologisation in sociolectal vocabulary.
The circulation of vocabulary between general Polish and sociolects. Distinctive and shared vocabulary. Problems involved in establishing the lexical inventory of a sociolect.
Methods of studying social varieties of language. Identifying the distinctive features of selected sociolects. Analysis of authentic linguistic material representing different social varieties.
Analysis of dictionaries of sociolectal vocabulary – both traditional and online. Selected aspects of the lexicographic description of sociolectisms.
Course coordinators
Type of course
Mode
Learning outcomes
A person participating in the course knows and understands:
the basic concepts, theories, and classifications related to the social variation of language as well as the functioning of sociolects, professional jargons, and the language varieties of communicative communities (learning outcome K_W03)
the processes shaping contemporary sociolectal vocabulary, including the influence of social, cultural, and technological changes on the development of social varieties of Polish (learning outcomes K_W04, K_W06)
the mechanisms underlying lexical and phraseological innovation as well as the basic methods used in the description and analysis of sociolectal vocabulary (learning outcome K_W03)
the role of language in the construction of group identity and in the interpretation and evaluation of social reality (learning outcome K_W06)
A person participating in the course is able to:
analyse selected linguistic phenomena characteristic of social varieties of Polish and choose appropriate methods for their description (learning outcome K_U04)
identify the distinctive features of various sociolects and interpret their communicative and social functions on the basis of authentic linguistic material (learning outcomes K_U04, K_U08)
search for, select, and critically use linguistic materials and lexicographic sources, including online dictionaries and digital resources (learning outcome K_U02)
prepare a project concerning a selected phenomenon related to sociolectal vocabulary or the social variation of language and present its results in the form of a short oral presentation (learning outcomes K_U07, K_U10)
A person participating in the course is ready to:
critically evaluate sources and interpretations concerning contemporary linguistic phenomena and to further develop their linguistic knowledge (learning outcome K_K01)
participate consciously and responsibly in discussions concerning language, communication, and social diversity (learning outcomes K_K01, K_K04)
recognise the relationship between language and social, cultural, and technological change, and to reflect on the social dimension of communication (learning outcome K_K03)
Assessment criteria
The course is assessed on the basis of attendance and active participation in classes, the preparation of a project (final assignment) related to the analysis of a selected issue concerning social varieties of language, and a final examination.
The project should be based on independently collected and analysed linguistic material related to a selected social variety of Polish, a communicative community, or a selected lexical phenomenon. The topic of the project must be approved in advance by the course instructor. As part of the assessment, students are required to present their project during class in the form of a short presentation (approx. 20 minutes). Assessment criteria include: the selection and analysis of the material, the ability to apply basic tools of linguistic analysis, substantive accuracy, and the manner of presenting the results.
NOTE: The topic of the project prepared as part of the classes may not be identical to the topic of the project developed within the workshop completing the module.
The course concludes with a written examination testing knowledge of the issues discussed during the semester. Passing the examination requires obtaining at least 60% of the total points.
STUDENT WORKLOAD (3 ECTS)
participation in classes – 30 hours => 1 ECTS
ongoing preparation for classes as well as preparation of the project and presentation – 30 hours => 1 ECTS
preparation for the final examination – 30 hours => 1 ECTS
Students are entitled to two unexcused absences per semester. Students with more than two unexcused absences do not receive credit for the course. Students wishing to justify an absence are required to document its objective cause (e.g. with a medical certificate) within one week.
Legal basis: the Study Regulations at the University of Warsaw:
a. § 2 point 17
b. § 17 points 4 and 5
c. § 33
If a student wishes to use artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of the final assignment or partial assignments, they are required to:
a. obtain the consent of the course instructor,
b. agree with the course instructor on the aims and scope of the use of artificial intelligence tools.
Students are not allowed to use artificial intelligence tools to edit texts written in Polish unless the course instructor explicitly agrees to such use.
If a student uses artificial intelligence tools:
a. without the instructor’s consent, or
b. in a manner not agreed upon with the instructor,
the instructor applies procedures analogous to those used in cases covered by anti-plagiarism regulations. These procedures are described in Resolution No. 14 of the University Board for Education.
Legal basis:
Resolution No. 170 of the Teaching Council for the degree programmes in Baltic Philology, Classical Philology and Mediterranean Studies, Polish Philology, Polish Sign Language Philology, Cultural Studies – Knowledge about Culture, General and Clinical Speech Therapy, Slavic Studies, Creative Writing, and Social Arts of 27 February 2024 concerning guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence tools in the educational process at the Faculty of Polish Studies
Resolution No. 98 of the University Board for Education of 8 December 2023 concerning guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence tools in the educational process
Resolution No. 14 of the University Board for Education of 13 July 2020 concerning standards and procedures in cases involving violations of law in the preparation of course assignments and diploma theses at the University of Warsaw
Bibliography
1. Grabias S., Język w zachowaniach społecznych, Lublin 2001.
2. Jarosz B., 2013, O zasięgu słownictwa socjolektalnego w XXI wieku, „Białostockie Archiwum Językowe” nr 13, s. 97–116.
3. Kłosińska K., 2016, Skąd się biorą frazeologizmy? Źródła frazeologizmów i mechanizmy frazeotwórcze, [w:] G. Dziamska-Lenart, J. Liberek (red.), Perspektywy współczesnej frazeologii polskiej. Geneza dawnych i nowych frazeologizmów polskich, Poznań, s. 19–51.
4. Kłosińska K., 2017, O zagrożeniach i bogactwie polszczyzny – dwadzieścia lat później, [w:] K. Kłosińska, R. Zimny (red.), Przyszłość polszczyzny – polszczyzna przyszłości, Warszawa, s. 36–47.
5. Kołodziejek E., Człowiek i świat w języku subkultur, Szczecin 2005.
6. Maffesoli M., Czas plemion. Schyłek indywidualizmu w społeczeństwach ponowoczesnych, przeł. M. Bucholc, Warszawa 2008.
7. Markowski A., Wykłady z leksykologii, Warszawa 2012.
8. Pędzich B., Jak powstaje socjolekt? Studium słownictwa paralotniarzy, Warszawa 2012.
9. Pędzich B., 2019, Socjolekty wczoraj i dziś. Wpływ przemian społeczno-kulturowych przełomu XX i XXI wieku na rozwój środowiskowych odmian języka, [w:] A. Frączek, A. Just (red.), Język (w) transformacji – transformacja w języku, Warszawa, s. 70–88.
10. Piekot T., Język w grupie społecznej. Wprowadzenie do analizy socjolektu, Wałbrzych 2008.
11. Senderska J., 2011, Wzbogacanie leksyki środowiskowej na przykładzie wybranych odmian socjolektalnych polszczyzny, „Respectus Philologicus” nr 20, s. 181–191.
12. Smoleń-Wawrzusiszyn M., 2016, Socjolekty wirtualne – metody lingwistyki a komunikacja językowa w społecznościach sieciowych, [w:] P. Siuda (red.), Metody badań online, Gdańsk, s. 182–234.
13. Szpunar M., 2004, Społeczności wirtualne jako nowy typ społeczności – eksplikacja socjologiczna, „Studia Socjologiczne” nr 2, s. 95–135.
14. Wilkoń A., Typologia odmian językowych współczesnej polszczyzny, Katowice 2000.
15. Selected entries and materials published on the website of Obserwatorium Językowe UW (obserwatoriumjezykowe.uw.edu.pl).