Fundamental Concepts in Sociolinguistics

Language is a social reality. Language facilitates socialization process and configures patterns of our relationship with each other. It becomes a marker of tour identity and a common thread that binds us together. It is imperative to understand that our social order is developed alongside our linguistic allegiance, shared narratives, collective memories, and common social history. This course discusses some of the fundamental concepts in sociolinguistics that enables us understanding the nature, scope and various social manifestations of language.INTENDED AUDIENCE: UG/PG students of Linguistics, Sociology, Literature, Mass Communication as Core Paper BE/ME/MS/BSc/MSc/PhD etc. students as Elective Paper

Week 1 : Language as a System of Sub-systems; Hockett’s Design FeaturesWeek 2 : Language as a Social Reality; Language and CultureWeek 3 : Linguistic Relativity: Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis; Language and GenderWeek 4 : Language and Identity; Language MythsWeek 5 : Speech Community; Standard and Vernacular LanguagesWeek 6 : Process of Standardization; Dialects, Sociolects and RegisterWeek 7 : Language Maintenance and Language Shift; Bilingualism: Compound, Coordinate, SubordinateWeek 8 : Multilingualism; Code Switching and Code MixingWeek 9 : Pidgin and Creole; Language, Contact, and VariationWeek 10 : Linguistic Diversity of India: Language Families: Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic, Tibeto-Burman; Language Census of IndiaWeek 11 : Language Policy and Planning in India: Scheduled Languages [Schedule VIII], Official Language Act, Trilingual FormulaWeek 12 : Languages in the Constitution of India