Language in Society

Catalog description

This course examines language variation within social contexts. We will look at various forms of language, including spoken, written, and online communication. The course content is motivated by the following key questions: How do social aspects interact with the language we use? How and why do we vary the way we speak and write? Why do some of our attempts to communicate fail? What are speech acts and how can a speech act analysis inform our understanding of current social issues, such as the prevalence of microaggressions and street harassment? What are linguistic landscapes and what do they tell us about communities? What are terms of address and how do they reflect status in society? What are some methods for observing, documenting and analyzing interactions between language and society? How can this course inform our reactions to real-world issues? Fulfills AOK 2, AOK 5.