Advanced Sociolinguistics

This course will build on knowledge and skills acquired in prior linguistics courses, and apply that to the empirical analysis of language in its social context, or Sociolinguistics. Students will read and critically discuss a combination of foundational and contemporary sociolinguistic studies, to gain an understanding of way the field has developed as well as future directions. Topics covered may include: methodologies in sociolinguistic research; variation and change in phonetics, morphosyntax and discourse; language production and perception; monolingual and multilingual contexts in different parts of the world; and language variation and social inequality. Students will gain the skills to carry out an original research project, and will be guided through the development of this project through scaffolded assessment. The course is important for students who are interested in conducting further study in sociolinguistics, or who would like to gain a better understanding of language in its social context.