| Unit name | Hispanic Sociolinguistics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISP30056 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. James Hawkey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
What can language tell us about society? Specifically, what can we learn about the societies where Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Judeo-Spanish are spoken? This unit will introduce you to sociolinguistics, taking you through detailed discussion of sound and grammar, seeing how these convey social information and allow us to better understand the world around us. You will then go on to think about a series of questions. What happens when several languages are spoken in the same place? What happened when governments tell us what languages we have to use in a given situation? What do we think and believe about languages? You will learn about language contact, language policy and language attitudes, before bringing everything you know together, to get a clearer picture about the role of language in societies of the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit fits into your degree whether you’re taking other linguistics units or not. If this is your only linguistics unit, great! You’ll learn more about how the Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Judeo-Spanish languages are used in society, and will develop presentation and research skills at the same time. If you’re taking other linguistics units too, also great! This unit slots in neatly with other linguistics units offered at Year 4 in French, German and the School as a whole, so you’ll be able to relate what you know about sociolinguistics to other parts of your degree. You will undertake exciting, independent research, drawing on cutting-edge advances in sociolinguistics, which will put you at the cutting edge of the discipline.
An overview of content
This unit introduces you to the study of sociolinguistics in contexts where Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Judeo-Spanish are spoken. Firstly, you will develop your analytical knowledge of the grammar and pronunciation of these languages through the systematic study of language variation and change. The introduction to linguistic terminology and techniques for the description of pronunciation, grammar, and lexis will be accompanied by practical group-based tasks and readings of scholarly material, which will ensure your understanding of key frameworks in the analysis of language use. You will then bring all this knowledge together by undertaking an individual project that analyses real world data from one of the languages studied.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of this unit?
Having taken this unit, you will have developed a broad range of skills. In terms of knowledge and intellectual abilities, you are not only set on the path to becoming subject-specific experts, but you also will be able to apply this knowledge to specific real-world situations. In terms of engagement and influence, the group presentation component of the summative assessment allows you to work collaboratively and become effective communicators. This in turn results in development in personal wellbeing, meaning you will be more confident, reflective, self-motivated and adaptive.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
This unit will be taught by a combination of online and in-class activities:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
In-class activities will increase your familiarity with the subject matter, thereby allowing you to increase in confidence and knowledge before the summative assessment. Discussions will allow you to develop your critical thinking about how linguistic issues have social consequences, which will also be important for the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
For the group (4-5 students) presentation, you will be provided with a particular context (such as a podcast, an informative YouTube video, a radio interview, etc). You will then be expected to match the content to the brief, demonstrating awareness of how to tailor your work based on real-world demands.
This piece of assessment allows you to go into greater depth on the work you undertook in the presentation. It entails engagement with authentic, real-world spoken data (from one of the four languages studied), which you then need to analyse, using the theories and methods studied. It takes the form of a sociolinguistic project, which is inspired by disciplinary conventions in academic writing.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HISP30056).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
