SEL1032 : Language Variation and Change: Dealing with Data
- Offered for Year: 2021/22
- Module Leader(s): Dr Adam Mearns
- Lecturer: Dr William van der Wurff, Dr Heike Pichler
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
The module aims to:
o Introduce the basic terms, concepts and premises underlying the study of language variation and change.
o Provide an understanding of key techniques used in sociolinguistic fieldwork and in collecting and examining data from synchronic and diachronic linguistic corpora / databases.
o Introduce and develop the skills required for the analysis, visualization and interpretation of language variation and change data.
o Apply and extend syntactic and phonological theory from SEL1027 in examining language variation and change data.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module will cover the following:
1. The key terms and concepts in language variation and change research
2. The practical techniques involved in conducting empirical research in language variation and change (sociolinguistic fieldwork and the interrogation of linguistic corpora and databases)
3. The implications for syntactic and phonological theory of language variation and change research, and the societal applications of such research.
4. The nature of linguistic data itself, with particular reference to the material studied in SEL1027.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 17 | 1:00 | 17:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 55:00 | 55:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 33:00 | 33:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 16 | 1:00 | 16:00 | a mix of seminars and skills workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 1 | 33:00 | 33:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 46:00 | 46:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
LECTURES: Will be used, primarily, to introduce the key concepts and terms associated with research in language variation and change, and to provide overall coherence for the module.
SMALL GROUP SESSIONS: Will be used, primarily, to introduce and build skills related to research in language variation and change, focusing in particular on: (a) research methods and techniques; (b) issues in and approaches to data collection and preparation, corpus linguistic analysis, and the visualization of quantitative linguistic data; (c) the analysis and interpretation of linguistic data; and (d) the theoretical implications and societal applications of research in language variation and change. They also aim to enhance general presentation skills and build team-work.
Guided independent study will involve: (a) following up on reading and other resources identified in the lecture materials; and (b) practising the skills introduced in the small group sessions using materials provided.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | M | 30 | Approx. 1250 words |
| Essay | 2 | A | 70 | Approx. 2500 words |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The mid-module essay assesses the students' practical abilities to present and interpret data, as well as giving them the opportunity to practise and get feedback on their academic writing. The end-of-semester essay focuses on the students' discursive writing skills and their ability to integrate data into an analytical framework and to discuss its implications.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL1032's Timetable