COLEGIO DE CALUMPIT

Mac Arthur Highway, Iba O'Este, Calumpit, Bulacan

Tel. No. (044) 913-5127

College Department

Course Syllabus

Course Title: LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Course Code: MC102 No. of Units: 3 units
Course Description:
This is a 3-unit course offering a comprehensive introduction to how language affects human social and
cultural life and how human social and cultural life affects language as well. This will look at the use of
language in society as well as its relationship to the culture of those people using it. This course will be studying
language variation across regions, ethnicity, social class, gender, age, religion, and even level of education.
Through this course, students will be encouraged to observe language as it is used around them.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course the students should be able to:
1. Begin to notice how language is used and how it varies across the array of contexts in which we
engage daily.
2. Understand the theoretical underpinnings of the tradition of Sociolinguistics.
3. Understand different perspectives on context, including identities, social institutions, cultural values
and their relationships with language.
4. Understand the issues confronting the nation-state
5. Assess the effects of globalization on different social units and their responses

Course Outline:
Week 1: Orientation/Course Introduction
- Defining Language, Culture and Society
- How Language, Culture and Society are Interrelated
Week 2: Language
- The Origin of Language
Natural Sound Source
Physical Adaptation Source
Genetic Source
Divine Source
- Characteristics of Language
- Importance of Language
- Functions of Communication
Week 3: Language and Communication
- The Difference between Language and Communication
Week 4: Cross-Cultural Miscommunication
- Why Cross-Cultural Miscommunication Occurs?
- Cross-Cultural Communication Barriers
- Effective Cross-Cultural Communication
Week 5: Sociolinguistics
- Defining Sociolinguistics
- Dialect
- Lingua Franca
- Style
- Slang
- Jargon
- Accent
 - Pidgin
- Taboo and Euphemism
Week 6: PRELIM EXAM WEEK
Week 7: Branches of Sociolinguistics
- Variationist Sociolinguistics
- Interactionist Sociolinguistics
Week 8: Language and Religion
- Defining Religion
- Resemblances between Language and Religion
Week 9: Language and Nationhood
- Defining Nationhood
- Nationalism in Multilingualism
- Language as the Cornerstone of National Identity
Week 10: Language Contact
- Defining Language Contact
- Outcomes of Language Contact
Week 11: Borrowing
- Defining Borrowing
- Ways of Borrowing
- Types of Borrowing
- Reasons for Language Borrowing
Week 12: MIDTERM EXAM WEEK
Week 13: Codeswitching
- Defining Codeswitching
- Types of Codeswitching
- Reasons Why People Use Codeswitching
Week 14: Language Mixing
- Language Mixing vs. Codeswitching
- Impacts of Language Mixing
Week 15: Speech Communities and Language Networks
- Defining Speech Communities and Language Networks
- Intersecting Communities
- Network Relationships
Week 16: Language Variation/Change
- Defining Language Variation/Change
- How and Why does Language Change
Week 17: Language Variation/Change
- Lexical
- Semantic
- Phonological
- Syntactic
Week 18: FINAL EXAM WEEK

Course Requirements:
1. Regular quizzes Grading System
2. Term Projects 25% Prelims
3. Group Presentations 25% Midterms
4. Oral Recitation 25% Finals
5. Major Exams 25% Class Standing

Prepared by:
Rodelyn B. Tempra, LPT