Language in Society

Code

EDEN2003

School

School of Education and English

Level

2

Credits

20

Semesters

Spring China

Summary

This module provides a thorough investigation of sociolinguistic theory and methods through practical case studies. It investigates language as a social marker; language change; linguistic varieties; language and style, language attitude, language and gender, language and education and language and globalization. The module combines theoretical linguistics and practical methodological investigation; assessment will therefore be a professionally presented report of a small-scale sociolinguistic fieldwork.
Please note: This module is assessed at the end of Spring semester. First sit/ Re-sit exams are scheduled normally in the summer and can take the same form as the missing/ failed component of the assessment (exam, essay etc.) or other form, as decided by the School.
The module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in sociolinguistics, a wide-ranging knowledge of approaches to and theories of sociolinguistic phenomena, and the opportunity to engage in their own investigations of these issues skills of practical investigation, data-collection, processing and the presentation and interpretation of data in a sociolinguistic context.

Target Students

BA English Language and Literature; BA English with International Business; BA English Language and Applied Linguistics; BA 2+2 UNNC degrees Available to JYA/Erasmus students

Classes

• One 1-hour-30-minute seminar each week for 10 weeks
• One 1-hour-30-minute lecture each week for 10 weeks

Assessment

• 20% Presentation: 10 minute Presentation on students’ chosen Sociolinguistic research Project in week 11
• 80% Sociolinguistic research Project: 3,000 word sociolinguist research report

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding of
• Critical and analytical theory sociolinguistics
• Methodological design and application in producing sets of language data.
Intellectual skills
• The ability to understand and interpret sociolinguistic models and their application to specific issues
• The ability to engage in fieldwork data collection and rigorous analytical discussion and professional skills
• The ability to produce a project report to a professional disciplinary standard
• The ability to design and execute practical fieldwork or theoretical investigation
Transferable skills
• The ability to produce systematic and rigorous descriptive and discursive writing
• The ability to work constructively with others
Knowledge and understanding of
Critical and analytical theory sociolinguistics
Methodological design and application in producing sets of language data.
Intellectual skills
The ability to understand and interpret sociolinguistic models and their application to specific issues
The ability to engage in fieldwork data collection and rigorous analytical discussion and professional skills
The ability to produce a project report to a professional disciplinary standard
The ability to design and execute practical fieldwork or theoretical investigation
Transferable skills
The ability to produce systematic and rigorous descriptive and discursive writing
The ability to work constructively with others

Conveners

• Robert Weekly