1. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS
COURSE CODE : BBI 3204

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
Course Overview
Sociolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and society. It seeks to explain why people speak differently in different social contexts; to identify the social functions of language and the way language is used to convey social meaning. It is well known that studying language as a purely formal system leaves many questions unanswered.
This course seeks to show how studying and analyzing language in its socio-cultural context can deepen and broaden our understanding of human language.
The focus of the course will therefore be on issues of linguistic structures and the social factors correlated with them (e.g. situation class, ethnicity, gender and race).
This course is the study of both macro-sociolinguistics as well as the study of language in its social context.
Topics covered under macro-sociolinguistics will include multilingualism, language standardization and planning, language dominance, maintenance and death, diglossia, and pidgins and creoles.
Language in its social context topics (micro-sociolinguistics) will include linguistic variation (geographical and social), address and reference, code-mixing and -switching, speech acts, conversational analysis, and language and gender.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

3. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
Instructor
Ain Nadzimah Abdullah (Assoc Prof Dr)
Department of English Language
Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Telephone :
Office Hours : 8-10am Monday and Wednesday
My formal office hours are as stated above but I am often in my office at other times and am happy to see you without an appointment. If you need to get in touch at other times, works best.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

4. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
Learning outcomes
By the end of the semester you will:
be aware of a range of approaches to Sociolinguistics
be familiar with key concepts in the study of language use and society
have considered the relationship between language and its social uses
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

5. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
COURSE TEXT
Holmes, J. (2001). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. London: Longman
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

6. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
Make-ups and Incompletes
Don't count on them. Incomplete grades for the semester are extremely rare and are only granted under strict circumstances.
Please make any travel/vacation plans for after finals week. I know that emergencies exist. If you are giving birth or having emergency surgery, let me know about it and I'm sure we can work something out.
In the event of an emergency, it is infinitely better for you to communicate with me as early as possible rather than to wait until the next class period.
Students who have missed tutorial sessions for any reason are responsible for finding out what information has been missed and are encouraged to talk to the instructor.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

7. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
Deadlines
Work is to be turned in on time and exams are to be taken on the scheduled date, not before or after.
You are expected to complete and hand in assignments when they are due. Late assignments will not be accepted except in cases of medical or family emergency.
All work is to be submitted to Pusat Program Luar at the stipulated time. After that, it's late. Problems with illness, computers, printers, girlfriends/boyfriends, transport, etc. do not exclude the student from deadlines. 
Any assignment up to 24 hours late will be penalized ten percent. Any assignment hours late will be penalized twenty-five percent.
I will not accept assignments more than 48 hours late for any reason.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

8. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
HONESTY
Academic dishonesty, such as cheating or plagiarism, will be (potentially) rewarded with a failing grade for the entire course. Academic dishonesty is never a good way to learn anything, thwarts the purpose of true education, and is unjust to your fellow students.
All work that you do in this class should be your own, prepared without unauthorized assistance. “Unauthorized assistance” includes collaborating with or copying the work of other students, using cheat sheets during exams, and plagiarism from the internet or any other source. You will be permitted to collaborate on certain assignments, but I will always tell you explicitly when collaboration is allowed. For homework, you are encouraged to discuss and problem-solve together, but you must write up your own work to turn in.  For all exams, you must work on your own and turn in your own work.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

9. EVALUATION AND BASIS OF GRADING
In order to pass this course (these are minimal requirements), you must:
(1) Complete exams with a passing average score
(2) turn in all assignments on time
(3) demonstrate familiarity with required readings
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

10. Your course grade is based on the following…
30%  Assignment 
Assignment : Due Week 10
(LATE ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED).
30%  Mid-semester test
Date set by Pusat Program Luar
(I WILL NOT SCHEDULE EARLY OR MAKE-UP EXAMS).
40%  Final Examination
(NO EARLY OR MAKE-UP EXAMS ARE GIVEN, SO PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY).
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

11. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
WEEKLY TOPIC GUIDE
WEEK 1 Overview of course content-Definitions of sociolinguistics, formal linguistics vs.
sociolinguistics, approaches in the study of sociolinguistics
WEEK 2-3 Language and its function in society -Language and society, standard language, dialects, isoglosses and geographical identity
WEEK 4-6 Bilingualism and multilingualism-Types of bilingualism, diglossia, social stratification and social solidarity, political and social factors affecting language choice in multilingual or developing nations (including ours), fate of minority languages in Malaysia and other countries.
MID-SEMESTER EXAMINATION
WEEK 7 -8 Language and education- Language planning and policy, intervention in language change, multilingualism and education.
WEEK 9 Language, sex and gender- Gender and communicative style, sexism and sex- stereo- typing in language.
WEEK 10 Pidgins and Creoles-Structure, origins and social functions.
WEEK 11 Language, thought and culture- Language, power, and solidarity.
WEEK Language and society in Malaysia-Nationism and nationalism, status and role of languages
WEEK 14 Revision
FINAL EXAMINATION
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

12. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
Topics for Mid-Semester Examination: Topics covered from Weeks 1-6
Topics for Final Examination: Topics covered from Weeks 7-13
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS

13. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS
LETS HAVE A GOOD SEMESTER AHEAD!!!
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTATIONS