Overview

Students will learn about topics such as the following:

• Sociolinguistics as a field, and its relevant terminology;
• Sociolinguistic variability - how people use language in various different ways, depending on their social background, the context of the language use, etc.;
• Linguistic variables - what features of English grammar display variation in use?
• Social variation - what aspects of a person's social background (including e.g. age, gender) influences their language use?
• Regional variation - what dialectal variation is there in English (and other languages) and why?
• Examples of sociolinguistic variation - students will learn about influential studies in the field and what researchers know about how English varies.
• The sociolinguistics of Welsh. How does the sociolinguistic situation of a minority Celtic language like Welsh differ to that of a global and majority language like English? (No prior knowledge of Welsh is required!)

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 developing familiarity with and an ability to use appropriately the specialist terminology associated with the subject

• Students will be able to give an account of sociolinguistic insights about linguistic variability in English

• Students will be able to specify linguistic, social/regional, and situational variables and differentiate clearly between them

• Students will show a developing understanding of some of the main areas of contemporary sociolinguistics

• Students will show a developing understanding of the role of the English language in society and comment in an informed manner on approaches to this subject