Description
This course introduces students to the complicated nature of the English language in all its forms: as a form of communication, an expression of identity, and as a means of community inclusion and exclusion. This course will provide background in basic concepts on linguistics, principles of language change, and the history of the English language from its most ancient origins to its evolution on the Internet. A significant focus on the course will also include sociolinguistics, which studies the social and cultural aspects of language. We will explore subjects of language diversity and the way language intersects with issues of race, gender, age, and class. We will also analyze how language is used as a tool of power and gatekeeping, how it fosters and reflects community, and how internet language adapts traditional language and gestures in new ways. While this course is designed to prepare English majors for linguistic study and teaching, these course topics would also benefit any student who’s major involves communication, significant language use, social media, working with or studying diverse populations, or any form of education.