Language In Society

Catalog description

In this module we look at the dual-directional influence of society on language, and language on society. Students will develop an awareness of language in its plurality, to accurately understand how language is used by people in local and global contexts to construct identities and linguistic communities. There is also a focus on the implications of the spread of English as a global language. Topics explored include regional and social dialects, language contact, language change, linguistic imperialism, multilingualism, language policies in education and so on. We also look at the implications of sociolinguistic research for language acquisition and language teaching, particularly in contexts where learners use a second language as a medium of study, such as English medium instruction.