COSEM-UA 101 - The Cultural Nature of Language

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

From accents and pronouns to swearing and spelling, how one uses language is never value-free. We examine language use as a social practice and analyze how speakers and their language(s) are evaluated and regulated across a range of contexts and cultures. Starting with how children learn to talk, or don't (for example, feral children), we examine speech and silence across a range of societies. We also look at popular attitudes toward language and the practices by which people regulate its use in the media (for example, political correctness), in legal and educational institutions (such as "English only"), and in multilingual cities (such as Barcelona and Montreal) to understand how ideas about language are often recruited to nonlinguistic concerns, such as who should be included or excluded. In thinking about the cultural nature of language in this way, we critically explore issues of identity and authority.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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