Overview

1. The relationship between language, culture and thought processes.
2. The relationship between language and literature
3. The relationship between language and identity.
4. The different manifestations of bilingualism and bilingual literature
5. The structures of multilingual societies.
6. The social, cultural, and political issues surrounding minority languages and language policy

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -D: Student has achieved the minimum acceptable standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all the learning outcomes. Student can demonstrate a minimum level of understanding of the basic concepts and be able to apply them to data with some degree of accuracy.

-good -B: Student has achieved a better-than-average standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes, and has a clear and accurate understanding of concepts; ability to apply concepts to data critically and thoughtfully; evidence of wide reading and clear and accurate reference to source materials; free from misunderstanding and errors of content; free from irrelevant material.

-excellent -A: Student has achieved a thorough standard of understanding and/or knowledge in all learning outcomes; or student has demonstrated an exceptional level of achievement in one or more learning outcomes together with a good overall standard: student has achieved a thorough understanding of the subject, both in terms of content and theory; student is able to apply concepts clearly and accurately; substantial evidence of critical and original thought and analysis; clear, logical argument; high level of communicative competence; free from irrelevant material and errors of spelling and punctuation; evidence of extensive reading beyond basic texts and clear and accurate references to source material.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of how social and linguistic issues combine in bilingual settings.

• Students will be familiar with the socio-cultural nature of language, namely its role in forging and sustaining cultural practices and social structures.

• Students will display a basic understanding of the relationship between language, literature and culture through the prism of linguistics, literature, bilingualism, and cultural studies.

• Students will display an understanding of how socio-political and socio-cultural issues relate to linguistic policy and language status.