Sociolinguistics

Program Head: Fall 2007: Natalie Schilling-Estes, Ph.D.
                        Spring 2008: Robert Podesva, Ph.D.

Sociolinguistics is the study of language in social context. Research in this concentration currently includes such areas as language and social interaction, language contact and change, sociolinguistic variation, discourse analysis, cross-cultural communication, narrative and oral history, language and identity, language and aging, endangered and minority dialects, language and health care, and forensic linguistics.

A doctoral student in Linguistics is required to have a total of 54 credit hours. For students concentrating in Sociolinguistics, at least nine courses (27 credits) must be in the concentration. Sociolinguistics courses taken as part of the departmental distributional requirements count toward the required 27 credits. These nine courses include one required course in Sociolinguistic Field Methods (Ling 571) early in the program and two seminars (chosen from a range of topics) later in the program. We also strongly recommend that each student take at least one course with each faculty member in the concentration. This will not only provide the student with the opportunity to learn about a variety of approaches to the study of language and society but will also facilitate fair qualifying reviews and the selection of oral examination and dissertation committees.

Students concentrating in sociolinguistics are also required to fulfill the departmental distribution requirements (see Part I, section 3.3 of the Graduate Student Handbook). Any remaining hours of a Ph.D. student's program (or hours of an M.S. student's program) are taken as supplemental courses, selected under the guidance of the student's faculty advisor. These courses will reflect the needs and interests of the individual student. They may include additional courses in sociolinguistics, other linguistics courses, language courses, and possibly courses in other departments. Students are especially encouraged to consider courses in non-Indo-European languages (the University offers courses in Chinese, Japanese and Arabic) as part of
their electives.

More information about our new M.A. in Linguistics with a track in Language and Communication and the Accelerated M.L.C. Programs