Office: Room 3.310A, ext. 2088, email: patrickp@essex.ac.uk

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• Candid photos of famous sociolinguists we're reading this term (access restricted to U Essex)

• This module surveys language change from a contemporary variationist sociolinguistic standpoint, focusing on the micro perspective of 2-3 generations. We focus on key elements of speaker identity: social class and status, social networks, age and generation, and gender. We will relate them to how languages and dialects remain stable or change over time. We’ll see how language contact and demographic changes within speech communities influence linguistic variability. As social divisions emerge within populations (changing social stratification, ethnic identity, gender roles, and generational shift), geographical isolation and spatial diffusion occur, while regional identities form across social divisions and styles, registers and performance genres emerge, change and disappear. In each case we’ll see that (dis)appearance of linguistic markers/expressions take place. We’ll examine patterns of change that sociolinguists have recognized, through attention to case studies & the explanations that have been offered for them, with particular attention to urban dialects.

• After Christmas, Dr. Britain’s half of LG 457 (for post-grads, LG657) will draw on contemporary variationist sociolinguistic research to consider dialect contact as one important source of language change. It asks whether certain types of language change can be associated with certain types of social structure. We compare language change in communities which have seen high levels of dialect mixing with the types of changes which occur in much more isolated communities. We consider such issues, therefore, as second dialect acquisition, the nature of language change in the dialects of New Towns, isolated rural communities and newly settled areas, as well as the development of post-colonial Englishes in North America and Australasia. Please consult Dr. Dave Britain for further details of Term 2 contents. (See below for assessment.)

Classes will involve lectures and general discussion. Attendance is expected every week, and it is your responsibility to participate as fully as you are able. I don’t like to lecture to a silent audience – it isn’t good for my teaching or your learning – so I want you to ask and answer questions voluntarily, to contribute when you have an observation, and to voice your questions or uncertainties. If you have difficulty speaking up or being heard in class, for any reason, it’s your responsibility to see me and point this out – just as it’s mine to be aware and give you any assistance I can in participating to learn. The attendance record is kept here -- it's restricted to university access -- please check it regularly and correct me if it's wrong.

Presentations: In Week 2, you’ll sign up to give a brief presentation (5-15 mins.) on a reading of your choice. These will be done in teams. They are not assessed. The idea is for you to engage more deeply with a topic/reading: summarize key points for the class, ask your own questions (you can ask them of me in office hours first!) and try to respond to those of your classmates. My role is to serve as a resource for you in doing this, and then afterwards to integrate your contribution into the general lecture/discussion. The sign-up list is here.

• To compare and contrast sociolinguistic and historical linguistic approaches to the study of language change
• To consider the role of language variation in understanding language change
• To examine how language changes spread both thru society & thru language
• To investigate how and why new dialects are formed
• To contemplate the role of social mobility on language change

Term 1: No graded assignments for undergrads (LG 457). One 3,000-word essay for postgrads (LG 557), due Wed. Jan 17. Departmental rules for late work and cheating apply (please see the ‘raspberry book’ on both, and on the latter www2.essex.ac.uk/academic/calendar/progress.html, sections 15.1-15.4). You’ll select your topic in consultation with me, or may suggest one.

Term 2: No assignments for undergrads. Post-grads, see Dr. Britain re: LG 657.

Major textbooks, available from Waterstone’s bookshop, are:

• J K Chambers. 1995. Sociolinguistic Theory. Oxford: Blackwell

(Introduces major topics and surveys key literature. The standard text.)

• William Labov. 1994. Principles of Linguistic Change. Oxford: Blackwell.

Secondary texts include:

• Wm Downes. 1998, 2^nd ed. Language and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

• Sarah Grey Thomason and Terrence Kaufman. 1988. Language contact, creolization, and genetic linguistics. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press.

Other General Readings: You may wish to look at some of the following, which provide useful overviews of the socio-linguistic approach to language change. They’ll be useful throughout the course, and some will be required or suggested readings:

Term 2: Major text will be P Trudgill and D Britain (2001) Dialects in Contact. (Second edition). Oxford: Blackwell. Other readings will be assigned by Dr. Britain.

Calendar

Week 1,Oct 11: Intro to course: content, rules & regulations, assessment methods. History of Sociolinguistics. Historical (genetic) linguistics.

• Genetic Linguistics

Week 2, Oct 18 Intro to language variation. Principles of variation analysis I.

other readings: Patrick 2000 (online). Weinreich, Labov & Herzog ’68.

• Some principles of Variation Analysis

Week 3, Oct 25 How can we study language changes as they are taking place? Apparent time versus real time. When is variation not a sign of change?

• Facts and Theory (Language Change)

Week 4, Nov 1 How do changes spread through society?: thru social classes.

Week 5, Nov 8 How do changes spread through society?: thru social networks.

other readings: Chambers 1995, Ch 2.6-2.8, pp 66-83, and Ch 4.5, pp 177-184. Milroy & Milroy 1992; Sankoff et al 1989.

Week 6, Nov 15 How do changes spread geographically across the country?

other readings: Gerritsen 1988; Boberg 2000 (available from me directly).

Websites: Labov's Atlas of North American English contains a brief summary of US dialect diversity, a National Map of US regional dialects, many regional maps and maps for specific features, some popular articles on the topic, etc.

Week 7, Nov 22 Change across age groups.

Week 8, Nov 29 Contact-induced language change and language shift.

Week 10, Dec 13 Are pidginization & creolization non-genetic language change?

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