Sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistics is the study of language in society and the social factors influencing the way we talk. The definition seems straightforward, yet describes an utterly complex and highly interesting phenomenon. This class introduces a variety of aspects related to the study of sociolinguistics. We will inquire into aspects of the relationship between language, variation, and style, and will discuss the classical social and regional dialect studies/surveys. We will consider important sociolinguistic variables (esp. social class, regional background, gender and age) and their impact on human linguistic behavior as well as fundamental topics such as “language attitudes”, “multilingualism and language choice”, “language contact”, and “social networks and communities of practice”. In addition, we will look into research approaches and methodologies pursued by sociolinguists. This not only includes methods of data collection and analysis but also questions of research ethics and challenges such as the observer’s paradox.

Course requirements will be discussed in the first class.