This course presents an overview of a wide range of topics dealt in the field of sociolinguistics.
The first half of the course explores how language is used in multilingual speech communities and explains the varying patterns of language use. The main topics covered here are language choice in multilingual communities (bilingualism, diglossia, code-switching, code-mixing, etc.), language maintenance and shift, linguistic varieties (vernacular and standard languages, lingua francas, pideons and creoles) and national languages and language plannning. Also considered are the various structural aspects of language contact including the notions of interference, borrowing and loanwords.
The second half explores various aspects of language change and the reasons for it. Language variation related to social class, regions, gender and age will be covered here.
In some of the above topics, stress will be placed on the case of Canada, including bilingualism, language contact between English and French, the language situation and language policy of Canada.
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