REBc46 Language and Society in the Greek and Arab worlds

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Irene Theodoropoulou (lecturer), Mgr. Bc. Kateřina Bočková Loudová, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. Bc. Kateřina Bočková Loudová, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Bc. Kateřina Bočková Loudová, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each even Tuesday 16:00–17:40 A21, except Tue 14. 11.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 14 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course explores what Greek and Gulf Arabic societies do with their languages. Major themes include issues of language planning and policies in multilingual societies and linguistic landscaping, namely the use of language in the public sphere. In addition, the relationship between language and politics, as well as language and media will be discussed. The course also deals with the symbolic role of language in constructing social class, national, regional, tribal, and ethnic identities.
Learning outcomes
After the course completion, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts in sociolinguistics
- Explore and understand the way multilingualism works in Greece and in the Arab world (especially in the Gulf)
- Understand how sociopolitical ideologies are (re)constructed in the Greek and Arab societies
- Comprehend the peculiarities of the use of language in Greek and Arab societies with respect to identity
- Explore and discuss critically media texts pertaining to language and society-related topics in Greece and the Arab world
Syllabus
  • WEEK 1: Introduction: LANGUAGE, IDEOLOGY AND POWER
  • WEEK 2: LANGUAGE, IDEOLOGY AND POWER
  • WEEK 3-4: LANGUAGE AND THE MEDIA
  • WEEK 5-6: LANGUAGE AND POLITICS
  • WEEK 7-8: LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPES
  • WEEK 9-10: LANGUAGE, CLASS, TRIBE, ETHNICITY AND SOCIAL CAPITAL
  • WEEK 11: MULTILIGUALISM & WORLD ENGLISHES
  • WEEK 12: LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING
  • WEEK 13-14: CLOSING REMARKS
Literature
    recommended literature
  • MOONEY, Annabelle and Betsy EVANS. Language, society and power : an introduction. Fifth edition. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019, xxix, 298. ISBN 9780415786249. info
    not specified
  • Albirini, Abdulkafi (2016). Modern Arabic Sociolinguistics: Diglossia, Variation, Codeswitching, Attitudes and Identity. New York: Routledge.
  • And readings will be assigned to students each week.
Teaching methods
Slides- and video-based lectures, class discussion based on readings.
Assessment methods
A. Midterm research poster (30%). Midterm research poster guidelines are provided in the Study materials of this course. The deadline for the midterm poster submission is 24 November 2023.

B. Class participation throughout the semester (20%).

C. Final oral exam (50%):
1) The material you will study will include everything we covered since the beginning of the course
2) Each student will be asked 3 questions within a group of 2-3 people (colloquium type - exam)
3) The grading rubric provided in the Study materials of the course will be used for grading
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
The course will be taught as a blended course, i.e. in addition to online classes, there will be one block of face-to-face classes per semester.

The block of face-to-face teaching will take place at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University in Brno, on 18 and 19 December 2023 (16:00-20:00).

The online classes will take place every other week on Tuesdays, 16:00-17:30, starting September 19, 2023.

The language of instruction will be English. The discussion at the end of the semester can also be conducted in Modern Greek.

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