Course overview
This course considers concepts of ‘language’ and ‘languages’, including systems of language and the social and cultural contexts in which languages are developed and used. Students will be introduced to theories of language to develop their understanding of languages as meaning-making systems through which the world is shaped and interpreted. Students will explore language variation through the concepts of plurilingualism and translanguaging, and key social variables such as gender, age, and social class. They will explore language use through global, national and local perspectives to understand language diversity in all communities, and to reflect on their own language identities and knowledges.
Course learning outcomes
- Understand how language(s) change across time and space based on a range of socio-cultural circumstances
- Demonstrate how language-and-culture are integrally related
- Critically analyse how conceptualisations of language-and-culture are informed by a variety of theoretical positions
- Distinguish elements of language and how they vary across languages