Language and Society

Prerequisite: ENGL 226 or consent of instructor The course explores topics in sociolinguistics, including regional and social dialects; gender-specific difference in language use; language change; cross-linguistic borrowing; language birth, death and revival; bilingualism and multilingualism in societies and on the individual level. Special attention is paid to language policies and planning. The course draws examples from English and a variety of other languages. Offered alternate years.