Sociolinguistics

This course introduces sociolinguistics as the graduate-level study of language in relation to society, culture, identity, interaction, history, and institutional life. Students examine how language varies and changes across communities, regions, social groups, communicative contexts, and political environments, with attention to topics such as dialect variation, multilingualism, language contact, pidgins and creoles, language attitudes, language ideologies, education, and language policy. Emphasizing both American English and broader global contexts, the course develops students’ ability to interpret sociolinguistic data, evaluate relationships between linguistic forms and social variables, and apply appropriate methods for field-based and evidence-informed inquiry. Through theoretical study and applied analysis, students are prepared to understand linguistic diversity as a socially meaningful practice and to apply sociolinguistic insight in educational, intercultural, professional, policy, and research contexts.