DCJA012 Sociolinguistics

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Olga Dontcheva-Navrátilová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Olga Dontcheva-Navrátilová, Ph.D.
Department of German Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Prerequisites
C1 and above level of English language proficiency. The subject is offered to all doctoral students.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the subject Sociolinguistcs is to provide students with an overview of the discipline exploring the relationship between language and society, as well as with an understanding of how sociolinguistics is done and how it can be applied in the field of foreign language teaching didactics. The students will be introduced to the main concepts, research topics and research methods of the four main strands in Sociolinguistics, i.e. ethnography of communication, variationist sociolinguistics, interactional sociolinguistics and sociology of language, which would enable them to apply the knowledge gathered in their research and pedagogical practice.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to understand and use relevant sociolinguistic terminology, to analyse and discuss sociolinguistic phenomena and the relationship between language and society, to identify language devices reflecting the influence of various social and cultural variables in spoken and written interaction, to apply quantitative and interpretative methods of analysis in sociolinguistics research and to use this knowledge for research and pedagogical purposes.
Syllabus
  • The subject Sociolinguistics is part of the linguistics part of the study programme. Its aim is to provide students with an overview of the discipline exploring the relationship between language and society, as well as with an understanding of how sociolinguistics is done and how it can be applied in the field of foreign language teaching didactics. The theoretical background of the course is based on the concepts, topics and methods of the four main strands in Sociolinguistics, i.e. ethnography of communication, variationist sociolinguistics, interactional sociolinguistics and sociology of language. The focus is on the issues of communicative competence, language standardisation, situational and social variation in language, multilingualism, language planning and the role of language in interaction for the construction of the identity of the speaker. Main topics: models of language interaction in society; language varieties and their development; language birth; development and death (lingua franca, pidgin, creole); language as code, diglossia, bilingualism, multilingualism; the use of language for constructing an identity in relation to age, ethnicity, gender, education and social status; language as a tool of power; language policy and language planning depending on culture and society.
Literature
    required literature
  • MEYERHOFF, Miriam. Introducing sociolinguistics. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2011, xxv, 341. ISBN 9780203874196. info
  • STOCKWELL, Peter. Sociolinguistics : a resource book for students. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2007, xv, 254. ISBN 9780415401265. info
  • SPOLSKY, Bernard. Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, xiii, 128. ISBN 0-19-437211-1. info
    recommended literature
  • Sociolinguistics and language education. Edited by Nancy H. Hornberger - Sandra McKay. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2010, xx, 571 p. ISBN 9781847692849. info
  • MILROY, Lesley and Matthew GORDON. Sociolinguistics : method and interpretation. 1st publ. Malden, Ma: Blackwell, 2003, xv, 261 s. ISBN 0-631-22224-3. info
  • Sociolinguistics : the essential readings. Edited by Christina Bratt Paulston - G. Richard Tucker. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing, 2003, xviii, 502. ISBN 0631227172. info
  • WARDHAUGH, Ronald. An introduction to sociolinguistics. 4th ed. Malden: Blackwell, 2002, vi, 408 s. ISBN 0-631-22540-4. info
  • The handbook of discourse analysis. Edited by Deborah Schiffrin - Deborah Tannen - Heidi Ehernberger Hamilton. 1st pub. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001, xx, 851. ISBN 9780631205951. info
  • Language in society : an introduction to sociolinguistics. Edited by Suzanne Romaine. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000, xi, 268. ISBN 9780198731924. info
  • Úvod do studia jazyka. Edited by Jiří Černý. 1. vyd. Olomouc: Rubico, 1998, 243 s. ISBN 80-85839-24-5. info
  • HYMES, Dell H. Foundations in sociolinguistics :an ethnographic approach. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977, x, 248 ;. ISBN 0-422-74810-2. info
Teaching methods
lecture, class discussion, presentation
Assessment methods
Oral Exam. Seminar work. Presentation. Debate, assessment of the submitted seminar work and the presentation delivered during contact session. Before the oral exam, each student submits a seminar paper on a chosen sociolinguistics topic related to his/her dissertation with application of foreign language teaching didactics.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Teacher's information
https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=144
For online semester: Please note that students are requested to secure good internet connection in order to participate in online lessons and they must attend these meetings with both the sound and camera on.
The course is also listed under the following terms autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Autumn 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
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