Course Code:Eng355 Course Title:Introduction to Sociolinguistics

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Course Code:Eng355 Course Title:Introduction to Sociolinguistics NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSE CODE:ENG355 COURSE TITLE:INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS COURSE GUIDE ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS Course Team Anthony C. Oha, Ph.D (Developer/Writer) - BIU Dr M.J.C. Uwajeh (Editor) - UNIBEN Dr. I. Omolara Daniel (Programme Leader) - NOUN Theodore Iyere (Coordinator) - NOUN NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA ii ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS National Open University of Nigeria Headquarters 14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way Victoria Island Lagos Abuja Office No. 5 Dar es Salaam Street Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II, Abuja Nigeria e-mail: [email protected] URL: www.nou.edu.ng Published By: National Open University of Nigeria First Printed 2010 ISBN: 978-058-044-1 All Rights Reserved iii ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS CONTENTS PAGE Introduction………………………………………………….…….. 1 Course Aims…………………………………………………….… 1 Course Objectives…………………………………………………. 1 Working through the Course……………………………………… 2 Course Materials…………………………………………………… 2 Study Units………………………………………………………… 2 Textbooks and References………………………………………… 3 Assignment File……………………………………………………. 3 Tutor-Mark Assignment (TMAs)………………………………….. 3 Final Examinations and Grading………………………………….. 4 Course Marking Scheme……………….………………………….. 4 Presentation Schedule………………………………..……………. 4 Course Overview…………………………………………………… 4 How to Get the Most from this Course…………………………….. 5 Facilitators/Tutor and Tutorials……………………...……………. 7 Summary …………………………………………………………… 8 Introduction Welcome to ENG355: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS iv ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS ENG355: Introduction to Sociolinguistics is a three-credit one- semester undergraduate course. It comprises 25 study units, subdivided into five modules. The materials have been developed with the Nigerian context in view. This course guide gives you an overview of the course. It also provides you with information on the organization and requirements of the course. Course Aims • To expose students to the concept of sociolinguistics • To make the students understand sociolinguistics in the Nigerian context • To give students insight into the nature of sociolinguistics in Nigeria • To improve students’ knowledge of language use in the Nigerian society • To acquaint students with the necessary sociolinguistic requirements for English usage in the Nigerian society Course Objectives To achieve the aims above, we have some overall objectives. Each unit also has objectives. These will guide you in your study. They are usually stated at the beginning of each unit; and when you are through with studying the units, go back and read the objectives. This would help you accomplish the task you have set out to achieve. On completion of the course, you should be able to: a) Find out the importance of sociolinguistics in Nigerian English usage b) Discuss the major roles sociolinguistics plays in Nigerian English usage c) Recognise that there are sociolinguistic factors affecting English in Nigeria d) See that sociolinguistics studies the reasons for language varieties e) Explain the major reasons for language variation in the Nigerian society f) Apply sociolinguistic maxims in appreciating Nigerian English usage. Working through the Course To complete the course, you are required to read the study units and other related materials. You will also need to undertake practical exercises for which you need a pen, a notebook, and other materials that v ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS will be listed in this guide. The exercises are to aid you in understanding the concepts being presented. At the end of each unit, you will be required to submit written assignments for assessment purposes. At the end of the course, you will write a final examination. Course Materials The major materials you will need for this course are: • Course guide • Study units • Relevant textbooks, including the ones listed under each unit • Assignment file • Presentation schedule Study Units There are 25 study units in this course, as follows: Module 1 Basic Concepts in Sociolinguistics Unit 1 What is Sociolinguistics? Unit 2 Sociolinguistics and Language Variation Unit 3 Language in society Unit 4 General Rules and Individual Use Unit 5 Sociolinguistic Differences Module 2 Language Use in Society Unit 1 Speech Communities Unit 2 Speech Acts and Speech Events Unit 3 Dialects, Idiolects, Sociolects Unit 4 Code Mixing and Code Switching Unit 5 Register, Style and Usage Module 3 Language Variation in Society Unit 1 Pidgins and Pidginisation Unit 2 Creoles and Creolization Unit 3 Concept of Standard Usage Unit 4 Slang and Clichés in Sociolinguistics Unit 5 Taboos and Profane Usage Module 4 Language Forms in Society Unit 1 Language and Class Unit 2 Monolingualism and Bilingualism vi ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS Unit 3 Language Contact and Multilingualism Unit 4 Diglossia and Polyglottism Unit 5 Language Use in Interaction Module 5 Language and Sociolinguistic Determinants Unit 1 Language Ideology Unit 2 Language and Geography Unit 3 Language and Gender Unit 4 Language and Identity Unit 5 Language and Culture Textbooks and References Certain books are recommended in the course. You may wish to purchase them for further reading. Assignment File An assignment file and a marking scheme will be made available to you. In this file, you will find all the details of the work you must submit to your tutor for marking. The marks you obtain from these assignments will count towards the final mark you obtain for this course. Further information on assignments will be found in the assignment file itself and later in this Course Guide in the section on assessment. Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) You will need to submit a specified number of Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs). Every unit in this course has a tutor-marked assignment. You will be assessed on four of them, but the best three (that is, the highest three of the 15 marked) will be counted. The total marks for the best three assignments will be 30 per cent of your total work. Assignment questions for the unit in this course are contained in the Assignment File. When you have completed each assignment, send it, together with the Tutor-Marked Assignment (TMA) form to your tutor. Make sure each assignment reaches your tutor on or before the deadline for submission. If, for any reason, you cannot complete your work on time, contact your tutor to discuss the possibility of an extension. Extension will not be granted after due date, unless under exceptional circumstances. Final Examination and Grading The final examination of ENG355 will be of three hours’ duration. All areas of the course will be examined. Find time to read the unit all over vii ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS before your examination. The final examination will attract 70 per cent of the total course grade. The examination will consist of questions which reflect the type of self-testing, practice exercises and tutor- marked assignments you have previously come across. All areas of the course will be assessed. You are advised to revise the entire course after studying the last unit before you sit for the examination. You will also find it useful to review your tutor-marked assignments and the comments of your tutor on them before the final examination. Course Marking Scheme The following table lays out how the actual course marks allocation is broken down. Assessment Marks Assignments (Best three assignments out of 30% four marked) Final Examination 70%s Total 100% Presentation Schedule The dates for submission of all assignments will be communicated to you. You will also be told the date for completing the study units and dates for examinations. Course Overview This table brings together the units, the number of weeks you should take to complete them, and the assignments that follow them. Unit Title of Work Week’s Assessment Activities (end of unit) Course Guide Module 1 Basic Concepts in Sociolinguistics 1 What is Sociolinguistics? Week 1 Assignment 1 2 Sociolinguistics and Language Variation Week 1 Assignment 2 3 Language in Society Week 2 Assignment 3 4 General Rules and Individual Use Week 2 Assignment 4 5 Sociolinguistic Differences Week 3 Assignment 5 Module 2 Language Use in Society 1 Speech Communities Week 3 Assignment 1 2 Speech Acts and Speech Events Week 4 Assignment 2 3 Dialects, Idiolects, Sociolects Week 4 Assignment 3 viii ENG355 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS 4 Code Mixing and Code Switching Week 5 Assignment 4 5 Register, Style and Usage Week 5 Assignment 5 Module 3 Language Variation in Society 1 Pidgins and Pidginisation Week 6 Assignment 1 2 Creoles and Creolization Week 6 Assignment 2 3 Concept of Standard Usage Week 7 Assignment 3 4 Slang: Clichés and Jargons Week 7 Assignment 4 5 Taboo and Profane Usage Week 8 Assignment 5 Module 4 Language Forms in Society 1 Language and Class Week 9 Assignment 1 2 Monolingualism and Bilingualism Week 9 Assignment 2 3 Language contact and Multilingualism Week 10 Assignment 3 4 Diglossia and Polyglottism Week 10 Assignment 4 5 Language Use in Interaction Week 11 Assignment 5 Module 5 Language and Sociolinguistic Determinants 1 Language Ideology Week 12 Assignment 1 2 Language and Geography Week 12 Assignment 2 3 Language and Gender Week 13 Assignment 3 4 Language and Identity Week 14 Assignment 4 5 Language and Culture Week 15 Assignment 5 Revision Week 16 Examination Week 17 TOTAL 17 weeks How to Get the Most from This Course In distance learning, the study units replace the university classroom lectures. This is one of the advantages of distance learning; you can read and work through specially designed study materials at your own pace, and at a time and place that suit you best. Think of it as reading the lecture instead of listening to a lecturer. In the same way that a lecturer might give you some reading to do, the study units contains instructions on when to read your set books or other materials. Just as a lecturer might give you an in-class exercise, your study units provide exercises for you to do at appropriate points.
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