Course title

Introduction to Sociolinguistics

Instructor

Xu Tao

Instructor’s profile

Dr. Xu Tao obtained her Ph. D degree from Nankai University. Her research interests are sociolinguistics, critical discourse studies (or Critical Discourse Analysis) and linguistic anthropology.

Course goals

This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive coverage of the most relevant topics related to the interrelationship between language and society. Upon the completion of the course, students are expected to have a basic knowledge of the major concerns within the field of sociolinguistics and some of the methods that have been developed to create knowledge within this discipline.

Topics

Topics to be covered in this course include key concepts in sociolinguistics, variationist sociolinguistics,stylistic variation,language attitudes and social stereotypes, language in contact, interactional sociolinguistics, language and culture.

Assessment

Combination of class participation (including attendance and class discussion) (20%), presentation on course readings (20%), and final paper (60%).

Reference books

Sociolinguistics (2nd edition). Hudson, R. A., Beijing: Foreign language Teaching and Research Press, 2000.

Sociolinguistics: The study of speaker’s choices, Coulmaz, F., Cambridge University Press, 2005.

An Introduction to Sociolinguistics, Holmes,J., Longman,2001.

Languageand Society,Williams,D., Cambridge University Press,1998.

Sociolinguisticsof Language, Fasold,R.,Basil Blackwell,1990.

Aspectsof Language and Culture (2nd edition), Esatman, C., Chandler and Sharp,1990.

《社会语言学概论》，祝畹瑾，湖南教育出版社，1992.

Working language

English

Notes

The course syllabus, as a guideline for teaching, is flexible and may be adjusted in accordance with the change in teaching goal and requirements.