This course will build on knowledge and skills acquired in prior linguistics courses, and apply that to the empirical analysis of language in its social context, or Sociolinguistics. Students will read and critically discuss a combination of foundational and contemporary sociolinguistic studies, to gain an understanding of way the field has developed as well as future directions. Topics covered may include: methodologies in sociolinguistic research; variation and change in phonetics, morphosyntax and discourse; language production and perception; monolingual and multilingual contexts in different parts of the world; and language variation and social inequality. Students will gain the skills to carry out an original research project, and will be guided through the development of this project through scaffolded assessment. The course is important for students who are interested in conducting further study in sociolinguistics, or who would like to gain a better understanding of language in its social context.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- discuss foundational and contemporary questions, methods and findings in sociolinguistic research;
- critically assess sociolinguistic research;
- have a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different methodologies as applied to different kinds of data;
- conduct in-depth research on a topic in sociolinguistics.
Indicative Assessment
- Article presentation (50 mins) (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- Course engagement and reading questions (weekly) (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Data analysis (Excel spreadsheet) (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Scaffolded research project (4000 words) (60) [LO 1,2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks, and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Readings to be posted on course Wattle site
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4080 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3588 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | N/A |
