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2010/1 Module Catalogue
 Module Code: LIN2002 Module Title: LANGUAGE IN SOCIETY
Module Provider: Language & Translation Studies Short Name: LANG201
Level: HE2 Module Co-ordinator: MENENDEZ-LOPEZ MM Miss (Lang & Trans)
Number of credits: 10 Number of ECTS credits: 5
 
Module Availability

All year
Assessment Pattern


Coursework: a 2-hour test at the end of semester 1.
40%
Coursework: One 2000-word sociolinguistic dissertation plan in English on one or more of the languages of their study (semester 2).
60%

Qualifying Condition(s) 
A weighted aggregate of 40% is required to pass the module
Module Overview

This is a level 2 module designed to introduce language degree students to sociolinguistic issues, in order to support their future language study. The students will also be introduced to research methods in sociolinguistics. It is taught in English, and examples are drawn from English and the languages of their study (French, German, Russian and Spanish). It is taught over 22 weeks, 1 hour a week face to face, plus online support.

Prerequisites/Co-requisites

Introduction to Language Study (LIN1001) or equivalent.
Module Aims
The aim of this module is to examine language as a social phenomenon, promoting the students’ awareness of socio-cultural issues in different languages. It also provides them with the tools to carry out sociolinguistic research with examples from the target language.
 
This module will support the development of the following transferable skills:

Cognitive skills:

analysis of socio-cultural issues;
synthesis and evaluation of literature by means of literature review.

Communication skills:
 writing a literature review and a dissertation plan;
effective participation in discussions.
Group work:
 to provide peer feedback and work collaboratively.
Project planning:
to design a possible plan for their dissertation.
Research:

research methods in the social sciences
Learning Outcomes
 On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
  • use sociolinguistic terminology appropriately;
  • demonstrate awareness of general sociolinguistic concepts;
  • compare and contrast sociolinguistic aspects of their native language and the languages of their study;
  • apply and discuss critically sociolinguistic theories and concepts to their native language and the languages of their study in a literature review;

design a research project for their year abroad using appropriate methods.
Module Content
A range of sociolinguistic areas will be covered, including:
·         Language Variation
·         Language as a Social Marker:
-         linguistic variables
-         social variables: SES, age, gender.
·         Language, Dialects and Nation
-         official languages
-         standardization and norms
-         bilingualism and multilingualism
·         Language, Power and Politeness
-         registers
-         addressing terms: TU vs. VOUS
-         politeness devices
·         Research methods in sociolinguistics:
-         quantitative vs. qualitative research methods
-         sample population
-         types of data
-         data collection and analysis

ethical issues and the Observer’s Paradox
Methods of Teaching/Learning

The course will take the form of a combination of lectures followed by seminars, where students will prepare short assignments and items for class discussion or online. For that reason, attendance to classes is compulsory and class participation is essential. Importance is attached to practical data analysis. The students are expected to work in groups and use the online discussions on a regular basis.
Selected Texts/Journals
Bibliography for the lectures can be found in the University library. 
Recommended Textbook for Semester 1:
Mesthrie, R., Swann, J. Deumert, A. and Leap, W.L. (2nd ed.) (2009). Introducing Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Meyerhoff, M. (2006). Introducing Sociolinguistics. London: Routledge.
 
Recommended Reader for Semester 1:
Coupland, N. and Jaworski, A. (eds.) (1997). Sociolinguistics: A Reader and Coursebook. Basingstoke: MacMillan.
 
Recommended Textbooks for Semester 2:
Johnstone, B. (2000). Qualitative Methods in Sociolinguistics. Oxford: OUP.
Macaulay, Ronald (2009). Quantitative Methods in Sociolinguistics. Palgrave.
 
Background reading (depending on students’ individual topics):
ENCYCLOPEDIAS, READERS & GLOSSARIES:
Cheshire, J. and Trudgill, P. (eds.) (1988). The Sociolinguistics Reader: Volume 1: Multilingualism and Variation. London: Arnold.
Cheshire, J. and Trudgill, P. (eds.) (1988). The Sociolinguistics Reader: Volume 2: Gender and Discourse. London: Arnold.
*Holmes, J. (3rd ed. 2008). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. London: Pearson/Longman.
Milroy, L. (1980): Language and social networks. Oxford: Blackwell.
*Romaine, S. (2nd ed.) (2000). Language in Society: an Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: OUP.
Trudgill, P. (1986). Dialects in Contact. Oxford: Blackwell.
Trudgill, P (2003). A Glossary of Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh: EUP.
 
RESEARCH METHODS:
Atkinson, P. (2001). Handbook of Ethnography. London: SAGE.
Fasold, R. (1990). The Sociolinguistics of Language. Oxford: Blackwell.
Gumperz, J.J and Hymes, D. (eds.) (1986). Directions in Sociolinguistics. The Ethnography of Communication. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Milroy, L. and Gordon, M. (2003). Sociolinguistics: Method and Interpretation. Oxford: Blackwell.
Saville-Troike, M. (2nd ed.) (1989). The Ethnography of Communication. An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.
 
SOCIOLINGUISTICS OF FRENCH-, GERMAN- AND SPANISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
Ball, R. (1997). The French-Speaking World. A Practical Introduction to Sociolinguistic Issues. Oxford: Routledge.
Mar-Molinero, C. (1997). An Introduction to Sociolinguistic Issues of the Spanish-speaking world. Oxford: Routledge.
Stevenson, P. (1997). The German-Speaking World. A Practical Introduction to Sociolinguistic Issues. Oxford: Routledge.
 
LANGUAGE VARIATION:
Aitchison, J. (2nd ed.) (1991). Language Change: Progress or Decay? Cambridge: CUP.
Alvar, M. (1996). Manual de Dialectología Hispánica: el Español de España. Ariel.
Alvar, M. (1996). Manual de Dialectología Hispánica: el Español de América. Ariel.
Chambers, J.K., Trudgill, P., and Schilling-Estes, N. (eds) (2002). The Handbook of language variation and change. Oxford : Blackwell.
Huchon, Mireille (2002). Histoire de la langue française. Paris: Livre de Poche.
Penny, R. (2000). Variation and Change in Spanish. Cambridge: CUP.
 
LANGUAGE, POLITICS & NATION:
Abalain, H. (2007). Le français et les langues historiques de la France. Paris: Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot.
Fishman J. (2001). Can Threatened Languages Be Saved? Reversing language shift, revisited: A 21st century perspective. Clevedon, Multilingual Matters.
Fishman J. (2006). Do Not Leave Your Language Alone: The Hidden Status Agendas Within Corpus Planning in Language Policy. Kentucky: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.
Hagège, Claude (2006). Combat pour le français: Au nom de la diversité des langues et des cultures. Paris: Odile Jacob.
Joseph, John E. (2004). Language and Identity: National, Ethnic, Religious. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 
Judge, A. (2007). Linguistic Policies and the Survival of Regional Languages in France and Britain. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Mar-Molinero, C. (2000). The Politics of Language in the Spanish-speaking world. Oxford: Routledge.
Maurais, J. and Morris, M.A. (eds.) (2003). Languages in a Globalising World. Cambridge: CUP.
Pavlenko, Aneta and Blackledge, Adrian (eds) (2004). Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual Contexts. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. 306.446/NEG
Smith, A.D. (1991). National Identity. London: Penguin.
 
PRAGMATICS & POLITENESS
Brown, P. and Levinson, S.C. (1978). Politeness. Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: CUP.
Fairclough, N. (2nd ed. 2001). Language and Power. Halow: Longman.
 
Marquez Reiter, R. (2000). Linguistic Politeness in Britain and Uruguay: A Contrastive Study of Requests and Apologies. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Plasencia, M.E. et al (2007). Research on Politeness in the Spanish-speaking World. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc,US
Vázquez Orta, I. (1995). A Comparative Study of Politeness Phenomena in England and Spain. Duisburg: LAUD
Watts, R. J. (2003). Politeness. Cambridge: CUP.
 
LANGUAGE & GENDER:
Coates, J. (1998). Language and Gender. A Reader. Volume 2: Gender and Discourse. Oxford: Blackwell.
Coates, J. (3rd ed. 2005). Women, Men and Language: A Sociolinguistic Account of Gender Differences in Language. Harlow: Pearson.
Eckert, P. and McConnell-Ginet, S. (2003). Language and Gender. Cambridge: CUP.
Hellinger, M. and Bußmann, H. (eds.) (2003). Gender Across Languages: The Linguistic Representation of Women and Men. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Holmes, J. (1995). Women, Men and Politeness. London. New York: Longman.
Mills, S. (2003). Gender and Politeness. Cambridge: CUP.
Tannen, D. (1991). You Just Don’t Understand. London: Virago.
 
TRANSLATION & SOCIOLINGUISTICS:
Ellis, R. and Oakley-Brown, L. (2001). Translation and Nation: Towards a Cultural Politics of Englishness. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Hickey, L. (1998). The Pragmatics of Translation. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Simon, S. (1996). Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission. London: Routledge.
 
BUSINESS & SOCIOLINGUISTICS
Drew P. and Heritage J. (eds.) (1992). Talk At Work: Interaction in Institutional Settings. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
Hagen, S. (1999). Business communication across borders: a study of language use and practice in European companies. London: Languages National Training Organisation/Centre for Information on Language and Research.
Holmes, J. and Stubbe M. (2003). Power and Politeness In The Workplace: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Talk at Work. London: Longman.
Koester, A. (2006). Investigating Workplace Discourse. London: Routledge.
Tannen, D. (1998). Talking from 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work: Language, Sex and Power. London: Virago.
Thornborrow, J. (2002). Power Talk: Language and Interaction in Institutional Discourse. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.
 
TEACHING & SOCIOLINGUISTICS:
Edwards, A.D. and Westgate, D.P.G. (1994). Investigating Classroom Talk. London: Falmer Press.
Sinclair, J.McH. and Coulthard R.M. (1975). Towards an Analysis of Discourse: The English Used by Teachers and Pupils. London: Oxford University Press.
 
Selected journals and websites:
§         Ethnologue. http://www.ethnologue.com
§         Journal of Sociolinguistics
§         Journal of Business and Technical Communication : JBTC
§         The Journal of business communication
§         Multilingual Matters
§         Nueva Revista de Filología Hispánica
§         Women and Language
§         Language Variation and Change

Other websites and journals will be posted weekly in Ulearn for the discussions.
Last Updated

13.12.10