Sociolinguistics
Fall 2013
General information
Instructor:
Margie Berns
Email:
berns@purdue.edu
Office:
Heavilon 432
Office hours: MWF 4:30 – 5:30 and
by appointment / contact Joy Kane
(jakane@purdue.edu) to make an
appointment
Course goal
Introduce participants to the study of language in its social context and the issues,
concerns, and approaches to inquiry associated with language in use.
Required text
Rajend Mesthrie, Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert, & William L. Leap. (2009)
Introducing Sociolinguistics. Second Edition. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Assignments and grading
Four two-page reaction papers
Annotated bibliography *
Oral presentation on research project
100 points
300 points
100 points
A = 450 – 500; B = 400 – 450; C = 350 – 400; D = 300 – 350; F = < 300
Due dates for all assignments are firm; late papers are not normally accepted.
Specifications for written assignments
Reaction papers and bibliographies/research papers/reports are to meet basic
professional standards for text preparation and layout. Use APA, LSA, or MLA style
guidelines or whatever style is preferred by your disciplinary area.
* Other types of final projects are possible; consult the instructor.
Other information you need to know
If a campus emergency (due to weather or some other unforeseen event) occurs, the University
may have to revise the academic calendar; requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages
for this course may change as a result. In the event of an emergency, contact the instructor
(berns@purdue) for information about changes. For more information see :
https://www.purdue.edu/emergency_preparedness/flipchart/index.html
Evacuation signals and their meanings
Sirens mean don’t leave the building (shelter in place).
Fire alarms mean leave (evacuate) the building.
Sociolinguistics Fall 2013
Syllabus/Reading Schedule
August 19
Monday
Introduction: the course, the participants
August 21
Wednesday
Chapter 1: Clearing the ground - Basic issues, concepts,
and approaches
August 23
Friday
Chapter 1
August 26
Monday
Chapter 2: Regional dialectology
August 28
Wednesday
Chapter 2
August 30
Friday
Reaction paper 1
September 2 Monday
Labor Day – No class
September 4 Wednesday
Chapter 3: Social dialectology
September 6 Friday
Chapter 3
September 9 Monday
Chapter 4: Language variation and change
September 11 Wednesday
Chapter 4
September 13 Friday
Video: American Tongues
September 16 Monday
Reaction paper 2
September 18 Wednesday
Chapter 5: Language choice and code-switching
September 20 Friday
Chapter 5
September 23 Monday
Chapter 6: Language in interaction
September 25 Wednesday
Chapter 6
September 27 Friday
Reaction paper 3
September 30 Monday
Chapter 7: Gender and language use
October 2
Wednesday
Chapter 7
October 4
Friday
Video: He Said, She Said
October 7
Monday
October Break – no class
Chapter 9
Wednesday
Chapter 8: Language contact 1 – Maintenance and shift
October 11
Friday
Chapter 8
October 14
Monday
Video: That’s Not What I Meant
October 16
Wednesday
Reaction paper 4
Sociolinguistics Fall 2013
Syllabus/Reading Schedule
October 18
Friday
Chapter 9: Language contact 2 – Pidgins and creoles
October 21
Monday
Chapter 9
October 23
Wednesday
World Englishes
October 25
Friday
Video: Story of English / Bibliography/ final project proposal due
October 28
Monday
Chapter 10: Critical sociolinguistics – approaches to language and
power
October 30
Wednesday
Chapter 10
November 1 Friday
Chapter 11: Sociolinguistics and education
November 4 Monday
Chapter 11
November 6 Wednesday
Chapter 12: Language policy and planning
November 8 Friday
Chapter 12
November 11 Monday
Chapter 13: The sociolinguistics of sign language
November 13 Wednesday
Chapter 13
November 15 Friday
Presentations
November 18 Monday
Presentations
November 20 Wednesday
Presentations
November 22 Friday
Presentations
November 25 Monday
Presentations
November 27 Wednesday
Thanksgiving Break – no class
November 29 Friday
Thanksgiving Break – no class
December 2
Monday
Presentations
December 4
Wednesday
Presentations
December 6
Friday
Presentations
December 11 Wednesday
Bibliography/ final projects due
Sociolinguistics
Assignments
Reaction papers – Series of Four Reaction papers should focus on issues raised in readings and
class discussions. An entry can be, for example, a reaction, explanation, commentary, critique,
analysis, relation to personal experience. Word limits are 250-500 words (one to two doublespaced pages) in length.
Annotated Bibliography Proposal In no more than 250 words (one typed page, double-spaced),
state what the topic of your research is, why it is significant to research, and what you hope to
learn more about.
Annotated Bibliography Project
1. This assignment involves
a) locating journal articles (not book chapters) on a topic of your choice,
b) selecting 10 for inclusion in the bibliography,
c) writing a 250 word (maximum) annotation for each entry. This is one typed page,
double-spaced.
2. The final product includes
a) cover page with the title and your name,
b) a one page introduction that includes a statement about the subject of the
bibliography, and overview of the contents -- how the entries you have chosen fit
together, how they work as a unit, and an outline of the structure of the bibliography,
and
c) a list of all works consulted.
Thus, the final project will be 12 pages (cover, introduction, and 10 pages of annotations
- no more, no less – in addition to list of works consulted).
3. The format of the entries
a) begin each entry with an APA (most recent edition) or other (approved by me) style
citation.
b) entry (reference data) should be no more than 1/2 summary of the article/chapter
contents.
c) ½ to ¾ of the page is to be commentary on the entry (e.g., what makes the article
interesting, worthy of inclusion, important, provocative, reservations you have about it)
d) all entries are to be double-spaced with 1" margins on all sides, in 10 pt font.
Annotated Bibliography Presentation
Purpose: share with the class what you have been working on and what you are
learning/have learned from your research on the topic; tell your audience about your
topic, not teach your topic or give detailed synopses about each article. In other words,
synthesize the material.
Possible points to include in your report are: why you chose the topic; what you hoped
to find out; what you have learned so far about it; something surprising you found out
about the topic; or, your overall opinion/view/reaction to the research/literature you
covered for the bibliography.
It is not expected that you will talk about your topic only in general terms; you can use
the content/ideas of an entry or two to make a point, for example.