Communities, Speakers, Texts: Pragmatic and Sociolinguistic Perspectives on English

This course examines how the English language varies in use according to contextual factors. By applying theories and analytical frameworks from the fields of pragmatics and sociolinguistics, we discover how speakers and writers use the English language to communicate meanings, carry out actions, signal membership in speech communities, and achieve styles in talk and writing. In the pragmatics portion of the course, we consider the ways in which meaning is context-dependent and the ways in which speakers achieve goals using language. In the sociolinguistics portion of the course, we analyse the linguistic resources with which speakers show their connection to a given community and express identity. You will use primarily qualitative research methods to complete assignments and short research papers.