LING-UA 41 - Language in Use

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

Living languages in use by a community of speakers are diverse and dynamic. Individuals and groups of speakers differentiate and identify themselves by the way they use language, people can adapt their speech to different listeners in social settings, and speakers develop their linguistic capabilities as they grow older. The language as a whole changes across time. This course examines language not from the standpoint of abstract structural description but from the perspective of how it is actively used in a speech community. We consider theoretical issues, such as how to model diversity in language use, and methodological issues, such as how to study language change while it is under way. We study appropriate quantitative methods for investigating variation across linguistic contexts, speakers, settings, and time. This course has a strong practical focus; students learn how to plan and conduct their own research on language use.

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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