Variation is an integral part of our knowledge and use of language. This class is concerned with two of the main dimensions of language variation: English dialects and sociolects.
The class will start with a historical review of the development of modern English dialects in the pre-colonial and post-colonial eras, and relations to neighbouring Western European languages will be discussed, and the current pattern of English dialect distribution will be discussed, mainly on the basis of Wells' standard work.
In the second phase, sociolects (social dialects, class dialects) will be discussed, with particular reference to the work of Labov and of Trudgill, and a more theoretical linguistic approach to the description of dialects and sociolects will be introduced.
Finally, practical descriptive work based on the first two phases will be in the focus of attention, in particular in the area of dialect lexicology and dialect pronunciation (`accent').
A prerequisite for attendance is successful completion of the
Grundkurs Linguistik. I expect all participants to prepare oral
reports (Referate). Qualifications may be obtained by preparing
a written version of the oral report (`kleiner Schein') or by a written
term paper. Practice materials, and other material which you prepare
yourselves, will be linked into the Internet via my teaching pages (accessible
via my home page:
http://coral.lili.uni-bielefeld.de/~gibbon/.
Preparatory task: There are several fairly recent introductions to language variation in English, As an initial piece of research, start with the names mentioned in this summary and prepare your own bibliography on English dialects and sociolects, and select your own introductory material. You will also find material on the World Wide Web.