BA Hons Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is an interdisciplinary area of language study which looks at language in its social context and studies the complex relationship between communication, society and culture. Sociolinguists interest themselves in areas such as language attitudes, gender, bilingualism, communication in institutions, cross-cultural communication, pidgin and creole languages, literacy and the social reasons for language change.
What will I study?
In Part I you will take the following:
- Part I Sociolinguistics
- A second Part I subject of your choice (perhaps English Language?)
- A third Part I subject of your choice.
In Part II you take eight units in total, four in each year. At least six units must be taken within the Department (you can choose to take up to two units in another department, as a 'minor'). The following courses are compulsory:
- LING204 Discourse Analysis: Looking at Language in Use (to be taken in the second year)
- LING301 Linguistic Methodology (to be taken in the final year)
- LING307 Language and Identities: Gender, Ethnicity and Class (to be taken in the final year).
The remaining courses can be selected from the Department’s list of courses.
What qualifications will I need?
We normally expect successful applicants to have AAA/AAB at A2 level, or an equivalent. We normally expect three subjects at A2 Level. However, the third A-Level may be substituted by the average of two AS grades, one of which should have been taken in year 13. There are no specific subject requirements. You may have done some sociolinguistics as part of A-levels in English Language, or you may have done foreign languages. We are most interested in seeing that you are able to do rigorous analysis and that you are interested in studying the social aspects of language use. We will look for evidence of interest and ability in the areas of language, sociology, cultural studies, social psychology and related fields.
How is my work assessed?
As in all courses, there are examinations at the end of the first year before proceeding to the second and final years. In the second and final years, you will normally take an examination for each course at the end of the year in which you study it. Coursework typically involves an essay (2000-2500 words) each term for each course, but it often comes in other forms. The weighting of coursework varies with departments: in the Department of Linguistics and English Language the final mark is usually based on 40% coursework and 60% examination.