Language as System and Social Behavior
Course Description
Summary
In this course, students will examine the building blocks which make up the interlocking systems of language and observe how those systems are enacted and granted layers of meaning through social practice. Beyond developing an understanding of the basic mechanics of sound systems, word-meaning relations, and the expression of grammatical values in languages of the world, we will also explore how these complexes become 鈥渞eal鈥 through contextualized use, and how speakers utilize them to project identity, influence social structures, pursue creative innovation, and interact with those around them on multiple simultaneous levels. Throughout the course, we will further maintain a critical eye on questions of language as they arise through daily life (from interpersonal interactions to broader causes of social justice and equity), and on how we as individuals may address such issues in a manner that is both productive and globally aware.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and describe the systematic nature of human language, as actually produced and at multiple levels of linguistic structure.
- Identify further, emergent characteristics and roles of language as a form of interpersonal behavior inherently embedded in social context.
- Act with informed awareness in scenarios of language-based marginalization or conflict, whether involving yourself or others.