Language and Society

Catalog description

Offers an engaging introduction to sociolinguistics--the study of how language both shapes and reflects social life. Explores how language varies across regions, social groups and contexts, and how factors such as identity, power, gender, ethnicity and class influence the way people speak. Possible topics include dialects, multilingualism, language attitudes, code-switching, language and identity, and the politics of language use and policy. Requires no prior background in linguistics.