Explore the varieties of English around the world. You will study descriptive surveys of the main national standard Englishes, as well as a selection of the distinctive regional, ethnic and social varieties. Specific topics in this unit include: historical and cultural background and the current sociolinguistic situation of the respective regions; special focus on the non-standard varieties of Australasia and the Pacific; global tendencies in phonological and grammatical variation; notion of Standard English, attitudes to local varieties of English and the problem of standards. -- Course Website
Instructor: Prof Kate Burridge