Department of English

Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

ELL 303- Sociolinguistics Instructor: Ms. Arooj Rana
This course provides a general introduction to Sociolinguistics. It examines language use in society, with a particular
focus on the connections between language and different aspects of the society. In particular, this course is intended to
provide the students with two general topics, i.e., micro-level and macro-level analysis of the relationship between
language and society. The micro-level analysis includes various functions of language in society, solidarity and politeness,
code-switching, kinesics, style, bilingual individuals, etc.; the macro-level analysis incorporates speech community,
language planning, social and regional variations, bilingual community, etc. In addition, this source also gives the students
information about methodological concerns in investigating sociolinguistic phenomena.

Weekly Split-Up Topic and Activity Handouts/Readings

Week 1 • Introduction of Course Hand out # 1
Introduction • What is Sociolinguistics? Hand out # 2
Week 2 • Scope and Ramifications of Sociolinguistics Hand out # 2
Sociolinguistics
Scope
Week 3 • Micro sociolinguistics Hand out # 2
Theories of • Macro sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Week 4 • Standard Language Hand out # 3
Language Varieties • Language and Dialect
• Regional Dialects and Isoglosses
• Social Dialects
Week 5 • Style, Context and Register Hand out # 3
Language Varieties • Jargons in language
• Slang language
• Pidgin
• Creole
Week 6 • Language and Culture Hand out # 4
Language, Culture • Language and Thought
and Thought • Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Week 7 • Multilingualism as a Societal Phenomenon Hand out # 5
Societal • Competencies and convergence in
Multilingualism multilingual societies
• Language ideologies surrounding
multilingualism
• Linguistic landscapes
Week 8 • Diglossia Hand out # 5
Societal • Language attitudes and ideologies
Multilingualism • The statuses of the H and L varieties
• Extended diglossia and language
maintenance
Week 9 Mid Semester Exams
Week 10 • Perspectives on Power in Language Hand out # 6
Linguistic • Racial Disparities and Language
Inequality in Social
Paradigms
Week 11 • Language and Gender Hand out # 7
Linguistic • Sexist Language
Inequality in Social • Lakoff and Women’s Language
Paradigms
 Week 12 • Language conflict from the Aryan invasion Hand out # 8
Language politics to the classical age of Hinduism
and conflicts in • Language conflict during Islamic rule
South Asia • Language conflict during the colonial
period
• The freedom movement
• Independence and Its Aftermath:
• Discussing language conflicts of South-
Asian Countries
Week 13 • English as a Native/First Language Hand out # 9
Global Language • English as a Second Language
Practices • English as a Foreign Language
• English as a Global Language: Challenges
Week 14& 15 • Students’ presentations on research N/A
Presentations assignments

Recommended Readings:
Algeo, J. (2010). The Origins and Development of the English Language. (6th ed). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Aronoff, M. & J. Rees-Miller (Eds). (2001). The Handbook of Linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Campbell, L. (1998). Historical linguistics. Cambridge & Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
Lyons, J. (2009). Language and linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Millar, R. M. (Ed). (2015). Trask’s Historical Linguistics (3rd ed). London & New York: Routledge.
Verba, L. (2004). History of The English Language. E..F..Rictio (Ed). New York: New York University.

Sessional Marks Distribution

Sessional Written Exam (Mid) = 25 Marks
Presentation= 10 Marks
Final Project (Research Paper) = 15 Marks
Total = 50 Marks

Consultation Hours
Tuesday: 02:00-03:00pm

----Good Luck----