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21838-01 - Seminar: Style and sociolinguistic variation (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2009 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Miriam Locher (miriam.locher@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In this course we will tackle the notion of "style" as discussed in linguistics. To quote Rickford and Eckert (2001: 1) on the importance of this concept: "Style is a pivotal construct in the study of sociolinguistic variation. Stylistic variability in speech affords us the possibility of observing linguistic change in progress... . Moreover, since all individuals and social groups have stylistic repertoires, the styles in which they are recorded must be taken into account when comparing them... . Finally, style is the locus of the individual's internalization of broader social distributions of variation ... ." As you will discover, style is not easily defined, nor easily studied. Using Eckert and Rickford's (2001) collection 'Style and Sociolinguistic Variation', you will be introduced to different approaches to the study of linguistic variation: an anthropological approach, the Labovian sociolinguistic approach, Accommodation Theory and the approach propagated by Biber and Finegan, which has written and spoken register shifts at its heart. |
| Learning objectives | At the end of this course, students should be able to (1) know and apply the key terminology of the field of study; (2) define and critically compare different approaches to the study of style; (3) be able to read the assigned texts critically with respect to content and methods employed. |
| Bibliography | Eckert, Penelope and John R. Rickford (eds.) (2001) "Style and Sociolinguistic Variation". Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. |
| Weblink | https://www.olat.uzh.ch/olat/auth/repo/g |
| Admission requirements | MA level |
| Course application | Please register for this course online at the latest by 10 February 2009: https://www.olat.uzh.ch/olat/auth/repo/go?rid=996147223. In addition you need to register on MONA. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul English Sociolinguistics & Cognitive Linguistics (Master's degree subject: English) Modul Soziolinguistik (Master's degree program: Language and Communication) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Written assignment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Englisches Seminar |