Master 2020/2021

Linguistic Antropology

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Elective course (Russian as a Foreign Language in Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Perspective)

Area of studies: Fundamental and Applied Linguistics

Delivered by: School of Linguistics

Where: Faculty of Humanities

When: 2 year, 2, 3 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Instructors: Andrian Vlakhov

Master’s programme: Russian as a Foreign Language in Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Perspective

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 32

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course is designed for MA students interested in the social dimension of language. More specifically, Linguistic Anthropology focuses on the cultural importance of language and speaking as an essential part of our everyday life socialization. Language and culture are both complex phenomena that can both function at supranational, national and local levels. The objective of this course is to introduce students to some theoretical issues and concepts related to different topics of Linguistic Anthropology. Students will investigate the inter-dynamics of language and culture, identity, ideologies. Moreover, the course will outline the socio-political dimension of a speech community in language contact situations: what it means to be a citizen, how linguistic solidarity can contribute to group belonging, what outcomes of language(s)/culture(s) contact there are and how these may affect cultural/ethnic self-perception. The course will likewise provide insights into ethnographic approaches to linguistic fieldwork. More specifically, students will learn and understand how linguistic anthropologists conduct research, what topics they investigate, what questions they ask, what methods they utilize and what conclusions they may draw with what implications.

Learning Objectives

• to familiarize students with the main topics/concepts of Linguistic Anthropology
• to teach students to be able to distinguish different definitions of and approaches to language and culture
• to insightfully demonstrate the main methodological instruments utilized by linguistic anthropologists

Expected Learning Outcomes

• critically examines various definitions/notions in Linguistic Anthropology
• knows how socio-political, cultural and economic forces can affect language
• knows what a fieldwork is and practices various ethnographic techniques

Course Contents

• Introduction: What is Linguistic Anthropology?
  The socio-cultural dimension of language: examples and discussion.
• Speech community
  Critical examination of the notion of speech community, sociopolitical approach to speech community, group membership.
• Language contact
  Language(s) and culture(s) in contact: reasons, procedure, outcomes.
• Language ideologies and attitudes
  Discussion of main features of language ideologies and how they can influence language attitudes and language shift.
• The interplay of language and identity
  Processes how identity is formed and constructed through language (practice, indexicality, ideology and performance).
• Ethnography: methods and interpretation
  Discussion of the main approaches and methods utilized in Linguistic Anthropology.
• Ethnic/minority language use
  Discussion of the language maintenance/shift process: socio-economic status and power.
• Language socialization
  Examination and understanding of cultural outcomes.

Assessment Elements

• written assignment 1
  за 1 модуль
• participation 1
  за 1 модуль
• written assignment 2
  за 2 модуль
• participation 2
  за 2 модуль

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (3 module)
  0.2 * participation 1 + 0.2 * participation 2 + 0.3 * written assignment 1 + 0.3 * written assignment 2

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Ahearn, L. M. (2017). Living Language : An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1367895

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Holmes, J., & Wilson, N. (2017). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (Vol. Fifth Edition). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1467482