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80600-01 - Seminar: Taboo Language, Linguistic Avoidance and Self-Censorship (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Merle Willenberg (merle.willenberg@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In linguistics, we naturally consider language that is there, both in its spoken and written forms. But what about language that is not there, or not supposed to be there? This seminar explores the linguistic realisation and contestation of social and cultural taboos in everyday language use, which may take the form of self-censorship or avoidance strategies. A particular focus of the course will be on the interplay between taboo language, appropriacy and politeness in English. Students will examine how norms of sayability shape (and are shaped by) interpersonal relationships, language ideology, and cultural dimensions. In this course, we will consider - terminology and concepts to describe taboo language - what makes linguistic expressions taboo and how they are subsequently avoided (or not) - the functions of euphemistic and offensive language - how meaning is made through (and despite of) self-/censorship - the role that taboo language and linguistic avoidance play in identity construction - how social taboos are metapragmatically evaluated in communication Using lexicological, semantic, pragmatic, and discourse-analytic approaches, the course equips students with the skills to identify taboo language and self-/censorship in naturally occurring English language data while critically reflecting on the methodological challenges of studying the unsaid. |
| Learning objectives | Upon completing this course, students will be able to - critically assess social and cultural taboos in their linguistic realisations - apply relevant terminology and theoretical concepts to empirical data - reflect on methodological concerns in studying taboo language |
| Bibliography | All course materials, including all the required reading, will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This course is open to students of English who have passed all three BA introductory modules and to MA students of English and MSG Sprache und Kommunikation. |
| Course application | Please register for this course on services unibas. In order to ensure a good learning environment, we aim at no more than 20 students per linguistics seminar. We ask you to sign up for classes via the ADAM registration surveys, which will open on 1 August 2026, 10am (CEST), and close on 18 September 2026, 2pm (CEST): https://adam.unibas.ch/goto_adam_crs_1623802.html **Please only register for a maximum of TWO seminars and only for more than one if you really intend to take both courses.** Should you have not made it into one of the courses and you are only able to register on the list in a position higher than 20, we guarantee that we will take you in the course with the least student numbers. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 15.09.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 22.09.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 29.09.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 06.10.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 13.10.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 20.10.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 27.10.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 03.11.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 10.11.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 17.11.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 24.11.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 01.12.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 08.12.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Tuesday 15.12.2026 | 08.15-10.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Modules |
Modul: English Linguistics (Master's degree subject: English) Module: Advanced English Linguistics (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Module: Language and Society (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) Module: Research and Extension (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Active participation, leading a discussion (individual or in pairs) and short written assignment(s) based on the discussions. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |