‫ חברה וחינוך‬,‫ שפה‬:‫שם הקורס‬
‫ ד"ר דבורה דובינר‬:‫שם המרצה‬
‫ שיעור‬:‫סוג הקורס‬
‫ ש"ס‬2 :‫היקף הקורס‬
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course explores the reciprocal relationship among language, society and
education in Israel and worldwide. We will examine how social factors, language, and
education are intertwined and the role that language plays in reflecting social
categories such as status, and ethnicity. We will investigate how society and
education affect, and are affected by, the linguistic landscape, language use, language
status, ethnic identity, language attitudes, interethnic relations, language planning and
language policy, the politics of language, and language attitudes. Topics will be
discussed in a practical light and we will define their applicability in the field.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To give an overview of how language operates in society, with special
reference to Israel and other multilingual/multicultural societies.
2. To develop an awareness to patterns of language use, and their relationship
with societal processes and educational policies in different parts of the world
3. To integrate the inventory of language issues into the larger framework of
education, society and culture.
4. To understand the concept of “linguistic landscape” and its relationship with
social issues
5. To develop a critical knowledge of, and an individual stance about, language/
society/ education topics discussed in the course.
6. To define each student's stance in the topics covered. What is my position, as
a teacher, about the issues discussed?
TOPICS
1. Overview – Language, Society, and Education
2. The scope of sociolinguistics; language in multilingual communities. Israel as
a multilingual society
3. The sociocultural aspect of bi-and multilingualism part I : cultural and ethnic
identity; intergroup relations and intercultural communication; language
attitudes. PART I: the world; PART II: Israel
4. Case studies: Africa, Hawaii, India
5. The Politics of Language
6. Language Policy and Language Planning
7. SUMMING UP: Language, Society, and Education in Israel
8. Practical issues; applicability knowledge acquired in the classroom
MODE OF TEACHING
Class discussions, group work, reading required articles, completing assignments on time
(such as answering questions, writing reactions, analyzing reading or video materials, etc).
REQUIREMENTS
 Regular and active participation
 Meeting deadlines
 Preparation of all assignments
 Participation in debate
ASSESSMENT
Classroom participation ..............................................10%
Reading group reports in class ....................................20%
In-class assignments (3X10) .......................................30%
Participation in debate.................................................35%
Evaluation of classmates' debates ...............................5%
EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS
Classroom participation. Regular attendance, presence in mind and body.
In-class assignments. There will be 3 in-class short assignments, in which you will
be asked to answer a number of multiple choice questions, or write one paragraph
about one of the following: a topic discussed in class, answer a practical or theoretical
question, briefly analyze required readings in view of real-life examples, or analyze
short videos watched in class or at home.
Reading group reports. We cannot develop academic knowledge without reading,
but of course there are many more articles than we can read. There will be 2 reading
group assignments, in which each member of the group will read a different article
and report to the rest of the group. This way you will acquire knowledge about a
number of articles by reading only one. You will be graded on your report and on
active participation in the reading group (the group will meet DURING CLASS).
Debate. There will be a number of debates about topics discussed in class. Each
student will sign up as a participant or mediator, and the class will evaluate their
classmates' performance. Successful participation in the debate includes knowledge
of reading materials, reference to class discussions and pertinent examples. (Students
who have a serious problem with speaking in public will see me for discussion of an
alternative assignment.)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mandatory Readings
Notes:
1- articles marked with an asterisk are part of a reading group, so students will choose out of a poll, and
are not required to read all of them
2- there may be changes in this list: please follow announcements closely during the semester. The
number of assignments will remain approximately the same.
Amara, M. (2007) Teaching Hebrew to Palestinian pupils in Israel. Currrent Issues in
Language Planning, 8, 2: 243-257.
*Benson, C (2004). Trilingualism in Guinea-Bissau and the question of instructional
language. In C. Hoffman & J. Ytsma (Eds.), Trilingualism in family, school and community.
(pp.166-184). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Donitsa-Schmidt, S., Inbar, O., & Shohamy, E. (2004). The Effects of Teaching Spoken
Arabic on Students' Attitudes and Motivation in Israel. Modern Language Journal, 88(2):217228.
* Kasanga, L. A. (2008) Cheap’ c’est quoi? Immigrant Teenagers in Quest of
Multilingual Competence and Identity. International Journal of Multilingualism, 5, 4:
333-356.
Kreindler,I, Bensoussan, M, Avinor E, and Bram, C. (1995). Circassian Israelis:
Multilingualism as a Way of Life. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 1 (2), 149162.
Lambert, W. E(1967) .. A social psychology of bilingualism. Journal of Social Studies,23(2) :
91-109.
*No'eau Warner, S. (1999) Hawaiian Language Regenesis: Planning for Intergenerational use
of Hawaiian Beyond School. IN Huebner, T., Davis, K.A., and Lo Bianco, J. (eds.)
Sociopolitical Perspectives on Language Policy and Planning in the USA. John Benjamins
Publishing Company, PAGES: 313-332
*Spolsky, B. and E. Shohamy (1999). Language in Israeli Society and Education.
International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 137: 93-114
Stavans, A; Olshtain, E; Goldzweig, G. (2009). Parental Perceptions of Children's
Literacy and Bilingualism: The Case of Ethiopian Immigrants in Israel. Journal of
Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 30, 2: 111-126.
*Stroud C. (2001) African Mother-tongue Programmes and the Politics of Language:
Linguistic Citizenship Versus Linguistic Human Rights. Journal of Multilingual and
Multicultural Development, 22, 4: 39-55.
Optional Readings
Ben-Rafael, E., Shohamy, E., Amara, M. and Hecht, N. (2006) The symbolic construction
of the public space: the case of Israel. in Durk Gorter (ed.) Linguistic Landscape: A New
Approach to Multilingualism, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2006: 7-30 Also in
International Journal of Multilingualism, 3/1: 7-28
Dubiner, D. (2010). The Impact of Incipient Trilinguality on the Socio-Affective Development
of Jewish Elementary School Children in Israel. The Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural
Development, 31(1):1-12.
Gorter, Durk. (2006). Linguistic Landscape: A New Approach to Multilingualism. Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters
Guimond, S. and D. L. Palmer. (1993). Developmental Changes in Ingroup Favouritism among
Bilingual and Unilingual Francophone and Anglophone Students. Journal of Language and
Social Psychology,12(4): 318-351.
Mohanty, Ajit K. (1990). Psychological Consequences of Mother-tongue Maintenance and the
Language of Literacy for Linguistic Minorities in India. Psychology & Developing Societies,
2(1):31-50.
Pavlenko, A. and Blackldge, A. (2003). Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual
Contexts. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Tucker, G.R. (1998). A Global Perspective on Multilingualism and Multilingual Education. In
Cenoz, J and Genesee, F. (eds.) Beyond Bilingualism (pp. 3-15). Clevedon: Multilingual
Matters.