(in Polish) Language and Society in the Slavic World 3200-L1-NS-LaSSW

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
To familiarize students with the fundamental concepts, theories, and methods of sociolinguistics.
To introduce students to the linguistic diversity of the Slavic-speaking world and major sociolinguistic issues affecting Slavic societies.
To develop students' understanding of the relationships among language, identity, ethnicity, nationalism, multilingualism, and social inequality.
To introduce students to language policy, language planning, and language ideologies in contemporary Slavic countries.

Skills
To develop students' ability to apply sociolinguistic concepts to real-world linguistic phenomena.
To strengthen students' analytical skills through the interpretation of sociolinguistic data, case studies, and scholarly literature.
To develop students' ability to critically evaluate arguments concerning language and society.
To improve students' oral and written communication skills through presentations, discussion, and written assignments.
Social Competences
To foster awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity within the Slavic-speaking world and beyond.
To encourage respect for speakers of different languages, dialects, and linguistic varieties.
To promote critical reflection on language-related social and political issues.
To develop students' capacity for informed and constructive participation in discussions concerning language, identity, and society.

Student workload
Lectures
Guided discussion of readings
Case-study analysis
Student presentations
Small-group activities
Analysis of linguistic data and media materials
Independent reading and research

TOPICS
Week 1. Introduction to Sociolinguistics
What is sociolinguistics?
Language as a social phenomenon
Linguistic diversity in the Slavic world
Speech communities and repertoires
Introduction to key concepts
Week 2. Language Variation and Social Meaning
Dialects and sociolects
Urban and rural speech
Prestige and stigma
Linguistic stereotyping
Style-shifting and indexicality
Week 3. Language, Identity, and Ethnicity
Language and ethnicity
Regional identity
Identity construction through language
Ethnolinguistic vitality
Language and symbolic belonging
Week 4. Multilingualism and Language Contact
Bilingualism and multilingualism
Code-switching
Borrowing and interference
Mixed varieties
Translanguaging and linguistic repertoires
Week 5. Language Change and Language Contact
Contact-induced language change
Language convergence and divergence
Week 6. Language, Nation, and Nationalism
Standard languages
National revivals
Nation-building
Language and national identity
Standardization
Purism and prescriptivism
Language ideology
Week 7. Language Policy and Minority Languages
Official languages
Minority language rights
Language legislation
Recognition and status
Regional autonomy and linguistic rights
Week 8. Language Shift and Revitalization
Language shift
Language maintenance
Fishman's model
New speakers
Revitalization movements
Week 9. Language, Migration, and Diasporas
Borderlands
Migration
Heritage languages
Diasporic identities
Transnational communication
Week 10. Language and Gender
Language and gender ideologies
Feminatives in Slavic languages
Gender-inclusive language
Professional titles and linguistic reform
Language and social change
Week 11. Politeness and Interaction
Politeness strategies
Address forms
T/V distinction
Formality and hierarchy
Interactional norms
Week 12. Language in Public Space
Linguistic landscapes
Public signs
Monuments and memory
Symbolic ownership of space
Semiotic landscapes
Week 13. Language, Society and Digital Communication
Social media
Digital multilingualism
Online language activism
Memes and identity
Internet language practices
Week 14. Language, Conflict, and Political Change
Language and war
Political mobilization
Language and protest movements
Linguistic dimensions of conflict
Week 15. Student Presentations and Course Review
CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
Regular attendance and active participation
Completion of assigned readings
Final oral group presentation
Final examination

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge: the graduate knows and understands:
basic concepts and theories of sociolinguistics;
relationships between language, society, and culture;
major sociolinguistic issues in contemporary Slavic-speaking societies;
the role of language in identity formation, multilingualism, and language policy.
Skills: the graduate is able to:
apply sociolinguistic concepts to linguistic and social phenomena;
analyze sociolinguistic data and case studies;
critically evaluate scholarly arguments;
communicate sociolinguistic concepts effectively in oral and written form.
Social competences: the graduate is ready to:
appreciate linguistic and cultural diversity;
engage respectfully with speakers of different linguistic backgrounds;
recognize the social and political implications of language use and language policy;
participate constructively in discussions concerning language and society.

Assessment Methods and Assessment Criteria
Component
Weight
Attendance and participation
25%
Leading discussion of selected readings
10%
Final oral presentation
25%
Final examination
40%

Grading criteria
quality and consistency of participation in class discussions;
demonstrated engagement with assigned readings and course materials;
analytical rigor and effectiveness of oral presentations;
understanding of key sociolinguistic concepts and empirical issues, as demonstrated in written assignments and examinations.
Attendance policy: Two absences per semester are permitted.

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Selected Bibliography
Bilaniuk, Laada. Contested Tongues: Language Politics and Cultural Correction in
Ukraine. Cornell University Press, 2005. (selected chapters)
Dołowy-Rybińska, Nicole “No One Will Do This For Us”. The Linguistic and Cultural
Practices of Young Activists Representing European Linguistic Minorities. Peter Lang,
2020. (selected chapters)
Greenberg, Marc L., Lenore Grenoble and Vrinda Chidambaram (eds). Encyclopedia of
Slavic Languages and Linguistics Online. Brill, 2026. (selected articles)
Greenberg, Robert D. Language and Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croatian and Its
Disintegration. Oxford University Press, 2004.(selected chapters)
Holmes, Janet & Nick Wilson. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 6th ed. Routledge,
2022.
Kamusella, Tomasz. The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central
Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
Kamusella, Tomasz, Motoki Nomachi & Catherine Gibson (eds.). The Palgrave
Handbook of Slavic Languages, Identities and Borders. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
V. Kulyk and L. Bilaniuk, Introduction: Wartime Changes in Language Patterns of
Ukrainians in Ukraine and Abroad, Sociolinguistic Studies, Vol. 19, No. 3-4, 2025.

Langston, Keith, Slavic Sociolinguistics in the Post-Iron Curtain World. Journal of Slavic
Linguistics, Vol. 25, No. 2., 2017.
Olko, Justyna, Tomasz Wicherkiewicz, Artur Jabłoński, & Bartłomiej Chromik.
Decolonizing and Revoicing Multilingual Spaces in a Nation-State. The Case of Minority
Languages in Poland. In S. Bagga-Gupta (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of
Decolonising the Educational and Language Sciences, Palgrave Macmillan, 2025.
Pavlenko, Aneta (ed.). Multilingualism in Post-Soviet Countries. Multilingual Matters,
2008. (selected chapters)
Ryazanova, Clarke, Lara (ed.). The Russian Language Outside the Nation. Edinburgh
University Press, 2014. (selected chapters)
Shohamy, Elana & Durk Gorter (eds.). Linguistic Landscape: Expanding the Scenery.
Routledge, 2009.