Academics

(Cross-listed as SOAN 040B)

This is an introductory survey course focusing on the interaction between language, culture and society. We will explore how these three aspects fit together so we can begin to understand how language shapes and is shaped by the world we live in. Students will be introduced to quantitative and qualitative approaches to linguistic analysis through a focus on spoken languages as they are used in the real world. Some topics we will cover: multilingual speech, language and power, raciolinguistics, linguistic ideologies, research ethics, and the interaction of language and social systems such as race, gender and class.