Although language is often defined as a human system of symbols that have understood meanings, its functions extend far beyond this meaning-making potential. Language-using is a social practice. Linguistic forms, varieties and styles can set off beliefs about a speaker, their group membership, and can lead to assumptions about attributes of those members. In this course we will explore systematic frameworks in critical linguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics and the social psychology of language to uncover social meanings of language that are normally hidden. The course begins by introducing the main approaches to studying language attitudes, that is, evaluative reactions towards speakers of different language varieties. We will attempt to answer questions such as: Do language attitudes lead to certain groups doing better or worse in the labour market, in health care, in the courts, in the educational system? Another goal of this course is to introduce practical strategies and techniques for data collection, analysis and interpretation. We will learn about the three main types of methodologies that have been used to study language attitudes: direct elicitation, indirect elicitation, and societal treatment studies, and apply them to study attitudes to language varieties within the English-speaking world.
- Dozent/in: Morana Lukac