MA Linguistics

The course introduces students to the quantitative study of linguistic variation and change, also known as variationist sociolinguistics. The focus is on variation and changes currently occurring in English. A number of classic studies in the field are reviewed, and quantitative methods are used to account for the role of linguistic and extra-linguistic factors, such as socio-economic status, gender, age, ethnicity, and region. The course includes data collection by students, multivariate statistical analysis, and provides a foundation for postgraduate work in variationist sociolinguistics and urban dialectology.

Introductory course in phonetics

• To introduce sociolinguistics as the study of language variation and change
• To introduce the main linguistic and extra-linguistic correlates of variation
• To introduce key issues in linguistic data collection and analysis
• To explore social variation and changes currently in progress in English
• To prepare students for independent research in sociolinguistics 

Stable sociolinguistic variation

Language and socioeconomic status

Linguistic change in progress

The role of gender in language variation and change

Ethnicity in language variation and change

Dialect contact and dialect levelling

Transmission of linguistic variation

Statistics

Sociolinguistic field methods

Data collection practice

Data analysis practice 

Online statistics quizzes

• An understanding of sociolinguistics as the scientific study of language variation and change 
• An understanding of both internal (linguistic) and extra-linguistics factors governing variation, such as gender, age, social class, ethnicity, and region
• An understanding of the use and interpretation of quantitative methods of data analysis
• An understanding of the changes occurring in present-day dialects of English
• The course provides a foundation for students’ independent research in sociolinguistics at postgraduate level

The successful completion of this unit will enable students to develop:

• Analytical skills
• The ability to empirically test abstract ideas in sociolinguistics;
• Argumentation and presentation skills, both orally and in written form;
• Problem-posing and problem-solving skills;
• The ability to obtain additional information about relevant topics;
• Critical awareness;
• Creativity and originality of thinking

• Ability to collect and code sociolinguistic data
• Ability to analyse sociolinguistic data using quantitative methods, including multiple logistic regression
• Preparing and delivering presentations

• Microsoft Excel skills
• Multivariate statistics

Labov, William. 1972. Sociolinguistic Patterns. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press;

              Labov, William. 2001. Principles of Linguistic Change Volume 2: Social Factors. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.

              Tagliamonte, S. 2012. Variationist Sociolinguistics: Change, Observation, Interpretation. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell