Varieties of English around the Globe

In today’s globalized world, English is spoken almost all over the planet. However, English is far from being one homogeneous language. Instead, many different varieties of English exist all over the globe. This course introduces you to this plurality of different varieties and to the field of World Englishes. After an introduction to theories and models in World Englishes research, we will explore linguistic differences and similarities between a number of standard and non-standard varieties of English as spoken, for instance, in Britain, the United States, Australia, the English-speaking Caribbean and continental Europe. In addition to a linguistic description of these varieties, we will also investigate relevant socio-historical developments in the contexts in question and focus on language ideologies and attitudes connected to these Englishes. We are going to work with a variety of different sources and linguistic tools, such as written and spoken linguistic data, electronic corpora and language attitude surveys. Throughout the course, you will develop your own mini-research projects, which you will present at the end of term and which may form the basis for your term papers.

Kurs im HIS-LSF