MA TESOL students may use this course to satisfy the sociolinguistics course
requirement, with approval of the professor, provided they select an appropriate
research project for the course-- check these guidelines
on writing a sociolinguistics paper.
Long version
This is a sociolinguistics course: a linguistics course with
a topical focus on language variation in Canada. Linguistic variation in Canada
will be explored via comparison and contrast with U.S. linguistic variation
patterns. We will investigate ways that language represents the identity
of both individual speakers and the groups to which they belong. The identity
issue is especially complicated when more than one language is spoken by a
particular person or group. This course will give students an introduction
to theory, methods, and research findings in the field of sociolinguistics as
well as an overview of the many languages and linguistic situations of Canada.
Canada is a rich environment for sociolinguistic
investigation, because there is every possible type of language contact
situation imaginable. Beyond the well known debate over French and English use
in Quebec, there are places where French is the minority language, where other
immigrant languages are well represented, and where aboriginal languages are
still used.
The course will examine linguistic varieties (languages and
dialects) which are associated with a particular region, culture, or ethnic
group in Canada or the U.S., with a particular focus on varieties spoken along
the border or that have spread from one country to the other. Thus, it serves
students in the English Department, the
Linguistics Program and the Canadian
Studies program.
The course examines various regional dialects of Canadian and
American English and the other languages with which English interacts in these
two countries. We will study the history of settlement in various regions and
see how that correlates with speech patterns and language use. We will examine
the ways spoken language varies according to the social characteristics of its
speakers. Speech variation according to age, sex, ethnicity, attitude, style,
location, time, social status, and network membership will be explored. We will
focus on systematic pronunciation and vocabulary differences, as well as looking
at some grammatical variation. Throughout the course, examples, readings, and
data will be drawn from recent research on language variation in Canada and the
U.S. Patterns in the two countries will be compared and contrasted.
Students at the University of New Hampshire are somewhat
familiar with nearby Quebec because there are many Franco-American families in
New Hampshire. In contrast, little is ever discussed here about other parts of
Canada, or other groups in Quebec. This course will serve a valuable purpose in
increasing that awareness. Language is a means of entry to the study of any
culture, and I hope that this course will open doors for further exploration for
our students. Furthermore, the patterns of cross-border language influence are
illustrative of the ways many other aspects of U.S. and Canadian cultures have
spread from one country to the other. The course will broaden awareness of
Canada in three ways:
- The very offering of the course makes a minor in Canadian Studies more
feasible at UNH by increasing the course offerings. This should attract more
students to the field.
- Students enrolled in the course will learn how much linguistic and
cultural diversity exists in Canada and, by examining the relationships
between language and identity, will come to better understand the language
policy issues which plague Canada, seeing that it is not "just"
language at issue, but the representation of important cultural identities.
- Many people who are not currently enrolled students find material on the
websites of the UNH Linguistics Program and of my classes. Reading lists,
resources, and summaries of research will become increasingly available as
this course is taught, with each semester’s students making contributions.
Contact Naomi Nagy, the professor, for
details.
