The World in the Lens of Linguistics: Variety and Change 3301-2ST-J-KON002

The objective of the course is to familiarize students with the relevance of linguistic research for various academic disciplines and other spheres of life. The course focuses on the notions of (1) language variation (social, regional, stylistic), its manifestations and methods of research as well as (2) language change occurring at various levels (phonological, semantic, lexical, etc.), its reasons, course, and methods of observation, together with the discussion on the changing norms of language standard(s).
The course will be divided into three modules, each of which will comprise presentation and discussion of selected theoretical notions, followed by an analysis of printed and electronic materials.

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The goal of the course is to provide students with a broad perspective on the study of language. The course will highlight the connection between studies of language, cognition, societal phenomena, and culture. It will also discuss the place of linguistics against the background of other disciplines, such as history, psychology, social sciences and natural sciences. The courses reflects up-to-date research in the above mentioned areas.

Course coordinators

Anna Wojtyś

Type of course

obligatory courses

Learning outcomes

Knowledge: the student has in-depth familiarity with:
- K_W01: advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in the discipline of linguistics, especially in the area of sociolinguistics, language change and language varieties

Abilities: the student is be able to:
- K_U01: Apply the advanced terminology, theories and methods of linguistic reearh to solve complex and original research problems pertinent to sociolinguistics, dialectology, and language change studies;

Social competences: the student is ready to:
- K_K01: critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources especially concerning to sociolinguistics, dialectology, and language change studies;

Assessment criteria

- attendance
- participation in discussions (20 %)
- presentations (80 %)
3 absences are allowed

Oral exam in the form of questions about a group project prepared by students

Bibliography

Chambers, J. K. Sociolingustic Theory. 2009. Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Hock, H.H. and B.D. Joseph. 2009. Language History, Language Change, and Language Relationship. Walter de Gruyter.
Hughes, A. and P. Trudgill – D. Watt. 2005. English Accents and Dialects. Hodder Arnold.
Kortmann B. and C. Upton (eds.) 2008. Varieties of English. Vol. 1-4. Mouton de Gruyter.
Machan, T.W. and Ch. Scott. 1992. English in Its Social Contexts. Oxford University Press.
McGuire W. and A. McMahon. 2011. Analysing Variation in English. Cambridge University Press.
McMahon, A. 1994. Understanding Language Change. Cambridge University Press.
Trousdale, G. 2010. An Introduction to English Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh University Press.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3301-2ST-J-KON002 in USOSweb