COM 381 Sociolinguistics: Advanced Seminar in Language and Society

The course introduces students to theoretical frames through which to study the interrelationship of language and society. It examines authoritative interpretations of sociolinguistic factors and contexts involved in case studies represented by seminal research and the research methods applied in the studies. It leads students to analyzing challenging sociolinguistic situations, identifying relevant factors determining outcomes, considering comparable situations opened to investigation and applying findings to the analyses in their own research. Students are guided individually through data gathering, organization and presentation, and involved in peer evaluation.
-Societies and communities
-Individuals, identities and social networks
-Language change and its social context
-Multilingual societies, diversity and individuals
-Multilinguals and codeswitching in their social contexts
-Standard culture and discrimination
-Language profiling
-Linguistic landscapes and their social contexts