Do we see our world through the language we speak or does everyone see the world in the same way? Are all languages equal? What does it mean to speak a dialect of a language? What is language variation? How do we show our identity through language? This course surveys the main concepts and methods used to analyse language within different social settings. Concepts will be illustrated by current and topical examples. Students will also have an opportunity to observe language in its social context.
Language and Society (LING6002) is important for anyone who wants to understand the way in which languages function in society. It is an introductory course designed to enable students to acquire an understanding of the different concepts and methods used to analyse language within different social settings. It provides students with the basic skills for carrying out research into language in society. Issues covered will include collecting, describing and interpreting sociolinguistic data and reporting research findings. Students will be given an opportunity to carry out their own sociolinguistic survey.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- understand the key drivers in language variation and change, in particular social factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, network and socio-economic status;
- critically evaluate various sociolinguistic theories and research;
- think about, write and present an argument using evidence and results from sociolinguistic research; and
- critically evaluate recent articles in contemporary sociolinguistic journals.
Other Information
None.
Indicative Assessment
- Tutorial preparation tasks, 5 x 200-400 words each (2% each for a total of 10%) (2) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Methods Report, 1000 words (20) [LO 3,4]
- Practical Assignment, 2500 words (35) [LO 1,3,4]
- Final Essay, 2500 words (35%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5] (35) [LO 1,3,4]
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures, 12 hours of tutorial.
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
None
Preliminary Reading
Students will be given a full reading list at the beginning of the semester. Journals that publish sociolinguistics research include,Journal of Sociolingusitcs, Journal of Pragmatics, Language in Society.
Assumed Knowledge
This course introduces graduate students to sociolinguistics. Students are not required to have completed any prior course before enrolling in this course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $3840 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $5700 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.