Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE ENG1084

 
TITLE English in Society 1

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 2

 
DEPARTMENT English

 
DESCRIPTION English in Society 1 gives a broad introduction to the importance and role of the English language in today's society.

This study-unit discusses linguistic, dialectal and stylistic variation in different English-speaking communities. It also dwells on how varieties of English may reflect the social stratification of their speakers. Other topics that will be discussed during the unit of the lectures include, the standard English debate, language and gender, forms of address and language attitudes.

Study-Unit Aims:

(i) To familiarise students regarding the ideology of standard English;
(ii) To help students reflect on their use of forms of address in both formal and informal situations;
(iii) To allow students the opportunity to discuss how the particular use of some linguistic variables may also the speaker's social class, age and gender.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

(i) Recognise the linguistic variables which are prestigious and those which are somewhat marked;
(ii) Appreciate how different varieties of English use different words which reflect British English or American English;
(iii) Critically evaluate research on gender differences in speech.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

(i) Evaluate the different prescriptive views on Standard English;
(ii) Appraise the interaction patterns of participants who belong to different age groups and socio-economic categories;
(iii) Apply theories on language attitudes;
(iv) Evaluate whether there are noteworthy speech differences in male/female dyads.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Meyerhoff, M. (2018). Introducing Sociolinguistics. Abingdon, Oxford: Routledge.
- Wardhaugh, R. and Fuller, J. (2014) Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Supplementary Readings:

- Thomas, L. and Wareing, S. (1999). Language, Society and Power. London: Routledge.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Lydia Sciriha

 

 
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Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit