Prospectus

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Language Acquisition 5: Social and Sociolinguistic Approaches in Language Studies

Course
2008-2009

As a result of the current interest in the social factors that affect language use, language acquisition and thinking about language, this course was developed to provide an introduction in social aspects of stylistics, sociolinguistics and socio-cultural/sociolinguistic approaches in second language acquisition. Each course component is introduced by means of lectures. The material of each course component is then dealt with in seminar type classes. De emphasis will be on theoretical insights and practical exercises in stylistics, the most important areas covered by sociolinguistics, as well as various issues within the socio-cultural and sociolinguistic approaches in second language acquisition. In classes towards the end of the course, the emphasis will be on writing (text production, review, feedback) as preparation for the course essay. The course essay may be used as a basis for a Bachelors dissertation.

Timetable

The timetable will be available from June 1st on the Internet.

Method of Instruction

Two-hour tutorial per week.

A la carte and contract teaching

for students who are interested in taking this course as a Contract student (with exam).

for students who are interested in taking this course as an A la carte student (no exam).

Course objectives

  • ability to apply stylistic principles to one’s own writing

  • basic knowledge of issues in sociolinguistics

  • basic knowledge of socio-cultural and sociolinguististic approaches in second language acquisition

  • knowledge of and practical application of current techniques to generate scholarly text, to review scholarly text and to provide feedback.

Required reading

Reader

Examination

Essay (50%) and smaller assignments (50%).

Information

English Department, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 102c, tel. 071-5272144
English@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Blackboard/webpage

This course is supported by blackboard.