Language and society

● Key Concepts/Topics covered under each unit.

● Text used / Reference material

Module 1: What is language? Key Concepts (topics) taught:

Topic 1: Characteristics of human T1: Characteristics of human communication and languages

communication and language. 4hrs
● What is language, society, culture?
Topic 2: Language, culture and ● Distinction between sociolinguistics and sociology of
thought -Linguistic determinism and language
relativity 3hrs ● The origin of languages; physical adaptation source
(teeth, mouth, larynx and pharynx), genetic source
Topic 3: How does language influence
● Properties of Human language (Hockett’s design features
thought? 2hrs
of language;1960)
○ Reflexivity, Displacement, Arbitrariness,
Productivity, Cultural transmission, Duality,
Discreteness, Prevarication, Learnability
○ Chimpanzees and Languages

T2: Language, culture and thought

● Discussion on complex relationship between culture,
language and thought
● Sapir-whorf hypothesis, Linguistic relativity with
example (e.g: Hopi tribe),linguistic determination
with example ( concept of color perception),
● Kinship terms, classifiers, social gender

T3: How does language influence thought?

● Cognitive categories, social categories
● (social) gender, gender performance, gender as a
social construct
● Sexist language
● Relationship between
○ How language is used to talk about different
gender at the level of vocabulary, discourse,
grammar
○ How men and women use language
○ Lakoff’s observations on the female language

1. The short film ‘Juice’ (2017) is used to discuss the

concept of (social) gender, gender performance,
gender as a social construct
 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAceGZiM-
P8 (Relationship, sexist language)

Reading Material/Sources:

The Study of Language (4th edition) by George Yule_Chapter 2: Animals and human language
Chapter 1 & 2 (Yule), Chapter 20 (Yule)
Hudson, R.A. 1980 Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P. (Chapter 3)
Support Material:
Hockett’s design features of language (Uploaded the original paper under module 1)
How language shapes the way we think | Lera Boroditsky | TED)
JUICE I NEERAJ GHAYWAN I SHEFALI SHAH I ROYAL STAG BARREL SELECT LARGE
SHORT FILMS (youtube.com)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAceGZiM-P8

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Module 2: Language and peculiarity Key Concepts (topics) taught:

Topic 1: Individual, social and Please refer to

geographical variety of a language.
4hrs Topic 1: Concepts such as
● Idiolect, Regional dialect, sociolect (how
Topic 2: Choice of language: languages/dialects are based on gender, age groups,
Individual (style) and formal, socioeconomic class), vernacular and standard
professional (Register) 3hrs language
● Isoglosses, Bilingualism, Diglossia, pidgin and
Topic 3: Multiple varieties of a
creole
language: British, Indian and
● Code switching and code mixing
American English 2hrs
Books
1. Chapter 2,4,6,7,10
Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to Sociolinguistics –
Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson. (Important Book)
2. Chapter 2: Varieties of Language
Hudson, R.A. 1980 Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P.
(Important Book)

3. Chapter 9: Language Contact 2: Pidgins, Creoles and

‘New Englishes’
Introducing Sociolinguistics by Rajend Mesthrie, Joan
Swann, Andrea Deumert and William L Leap, 2000)
 Topic 2 : Style, context and register
Chapter 10
Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to Sociolinguistics –
Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson.
Topic 3: Multiple varieties of a language: British, Indian
and American English (World Englishes)

1. Chapter 19: The Study of Language (4th edition) by

George Yule.
2. Chapter 4: Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics – Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson.
3. Chapter 2: Varieties of languages (Hudson, R.A.
1980 Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P.)
4. Chapter 9 (9.5): Language spread and new varieties
of English (Introducing Sociolinguistics by Rajend
Mesthrie, Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert and William
L Leap, 2000) )
5. Support material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Iup1gJq0dsE

Reading Material/Sources:
What are Creoles and Pidgins? And What`s the Difference? (youtube.com)

The Study of Language (4th edition) by George Yule (Chapter 18 & 19)
Hudson, R.A. 1980 Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P. (Chapter 2)
Introducing Sociolinguistics by Rajend Mesthrie, Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert and William L Leap,
2000) (Chapter 9)
Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to Sociolinguistics – Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson. (Chapter
4,6,7,10)
Multiple varieties of a language: British, Indian and American
English:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iup1gJq0dsE

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Module 3: Language and Power Key Concepts (topics) taught:

Topic 1: Language reveals power 2hrs Topic 1 and 2 : Chapter 4 (4.2& 4.2.3)
● signal of social identity
Topic 2: Language reflects power 1hr ● Linguistic sign and Speech as signals of power and
solidarity
Topic 3: Language maintains Hudson, R.A. 1980 Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P.
dominance 2hr (can be skipped)
Topic 4: Language divides 2hr
Topic 5: Language creates influence
2hr

Reading Material/Sources:
● Language and Power by Sik Hung Ng and Fei Deng
● Macaulay's Minute on Education, February 2, 1835
● Image of Africa by Chinua Achebe
●

Hudson, R.A. 1980 Sociolinguistics. Cambridge: C.U.P. ((Chapter 4 (4.2& 4.2.3))

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Module 4: Language and Key Concepts (topics) taught:

Imperialism

Topic 1: Domination of a language Topic 1 and 2: Language death, Endangered language,

over others 2hr Chapter 8: Language contact, maintenance, death (8.3-
8.7)
Topic 2: Expansion of a language ● Rajend Mesthrie, Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert and
(colonialism) 2hr William L Leap, (2000). Introducing
Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh University Press:
Topic 3: Hierarchy of languages -
Edinburgh.
Pluralisation 2hr
Topic 4:
Topic 4: Beliefs and attitudes about Chapter 15
superiority of language 2hr ● Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to
Sociolinguistics – Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson.
Topic 5: English only policy –Impact
on other languages 1hr

Reading Material/Sources:
● Linguistic Imperialism by R. Phillipson.
● Linguistic Imperialism. In The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics by Skutnabb-
Kangas, Tove & Phillipson, Robert (1994).
 ● The Language of African Literature, Decolonising The Mind, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

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Module 5: Standardisation Key Concepts (topics) taught:

Topic 1: The process of Chapter 12 : Language Planning and Policy (all the
standardisation 3hr topics covered in this chapter)
Book: Introducing Sociolinguistics by Rajend Mesthrie,
Topic 2: Consequences of Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert and William L Leap, 2000)
standardisation 3hr
Chapter 5: National Languages and language planning
Topic 3: Critique of standardisation
Book: Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to
2hr
Sociolinguistics – Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson. (Very
simplified)

Reading Material/Sources:

● Introducing Sociolinguistics by Rajend Mesthrie, Joan Swann, Andrea Deumert and William L
Leap, 2000)
● Holmes, J, (2013), An Introduction to Sociolinguistics – Fourth Edition. Harlow: Pearson.

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