LIN 351H1S 2010: Sociolinguistic Patterns

Syllabus

Course Description

We'll examine the way spoken language varies according to the social characteristics of its speakers. Speech variation according to age, sex, ethnicity, linguistic attitude, style, location, time, social status, and network membership will be explored. Quantitative analysis methods will be introduced and the relationship between sociolinguistics and theoretical linguistics, examined. Readings from the textbook and a collection of recent research publications will be discussed in class. Students must be prepared to participate in class and in tutorial.  Prerequisite: LIN100Y1.

Professor

Teaching assistant

Cathleen Waters email: cathleen dot waters at utoronto dot ca

Lecture Time & Location

Mondays 2:10-4:00 pm in SS 1085 (Link to campus map) in 2010

Tutorial Times & Locations

• Thursday: 2:10-3:00 PM (UC 256)
• Thursday: 3:10-4:00 PM (UC 256)
• Thursday: 4:10-5:00 PM (UC 177)

Reading

Required textbook: Chambers, J.K. 2009. Sociolinguistic theory: Linguistic variation and its social  significance. 2^nd Edition, Revised. Oxford: Blackwell. (You may be able to get a deal on the 2003 2^nd Edition (Unrevised). That will work, but YOU will need to check the page numbers for each assignment with someone who has the new version).

Required supplementary readings: The textbook will be supplemented with additional readings. These will be made available via Blackboard. Some reading assignments will be for lecture, others for tutorial. See reading list and schedule.

Recommended textbook: Tagliamonte, S. 2006. Analysing Sociolinguistic Variation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (This book will be helpful for understanding quantitative analysis, and is curently the required textbook for LIN 451. There will be no specific reading assignments from it in this course.)

Assessment

Tutorials are designed to help you work through the assignments as well as discuss other topics. Therefore it is essential that you attend and participate.

The tests will be both factual and analytic, designed to test and apply the knowledge you have gained. Types of questions will include multiple choice, true or false, short answer, etc. The final exam will be cumulative, covering all material in the course. Exam questions will be taken from major issues contained in the required readings as well as issues developed and discussed in the lectures and tutorials.

Please check the Blackboard website for announcements and updates regularly. Information there supersedes what is in the printed version.