Explore the role of language in society by examining language variation and change, multilingualism and how individuals adjust their speech to the situations they find themselves in. In this introductory unit, you will explore regional and social variation in language as well as topics such as language and gender, language and power and language policy. A key focus of this unit is the different methods of inquiry used in sociolinguistics. Students are introduced to a range of sociolinguistic methodologies and, with guidance from their unit advisor, develop and conduct their own small sociolinguistic study. -- Course Website
Instructor: Dr Louisa Willoughby