ENGL 4850 - Sociolinguistics
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 42601,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Cynthia Vigliotti
Email: clvigliotti@ysu.edu
Course Description
4850. Sociolinguistics. An investigation of the relationship between language and society. Includes discussion of dialects and standard language, language planning, linguistic identity, multi- and bilingualism, class, gender, ethnicity, and social interaction. Listed also as FNLG 4850. Prereq.: ENGL 2651 or ENGL 3755. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | What Is Sociolinguistics? 2nd ed. | Van Herk, G. | 9781118960745 |
Van Herk, G. (2017). What Is Sociolinguistics? Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 9781118960745
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Van Herk, Ch. 1 | Introduction to the field | Food for Thought (FFT) 1 Module Quiz (Q) 1 |
| 8/31 | Van Herk, Ch. 2 | Language & Society | Q2 |
| 9/7 | Van Herk, Ch. 3 | Place | FFT 2 Q3 |
| 9/14 | Van Herk, Ch. 4 | Social Status | Q4 |
| 9/21 | Van Herk, Ch. 5 | Time | FFT 3 Q5 |
| 9/28 | Van Herk, Ch. 6 | Ethnicity | Q6 |
| 10/5 | Van Herk, Ch. 7 | Gender | FFT 4 Q7 |
| 10/12 | Van Herk, Ch. 8 | Style | Topics in Field Review 10/18 |
| 10/19 | Van Herk, Ch. 9 | Interaction | FFT 5 Q8 |
| 10/26 | Van Herk, Ch. 10 | Multilingualism | FFT 6 |
| 11/2 | Van Herk, Ch. 14 | Education | Q9 |
| 11/9 | Van Herk, Ch. 12 | Attitudes & Ideologies | Q10 Language in Education Project 11/15 |
| 11/16 | Van Herk, Ch. 13 | Language as a Social Entity | FFT 7 |
| 11/23 | Thanksgiving Break | Thanksgiving Break | Thanksgiving Break |
| 11/30 | Van Herk, Ch. 11 | Language Contact | FFT 8 |
| 12/7 | No New Readings | No New Topics | Accent Map Project 12/11 |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.