232030 Language and Identity (S) (SoSe 2011)

Language has become an important contributor to identity construction processes, and is thus increasingly an important issue for individuals, communities and nations. People(s) are under constant and increasing pressure to define who they are, and they have to choose from an ever growing pool of possibilities to construct (social and linguistic) identity in an increasingly globalized world. Thus, traditional dialects may help to localize oneself in a regional culture; language-mixing or code-switching may be expressions of a newly mixed or multilingual identity. At the same time, modern life requires a good command of (standard) English as the global lingua franca, which may have consequences for lesser used language varieties and identity construction in many societies. In this class we will examine the complex link(s) between the national, ethnic, and individual identity of people(s) and the language(s) they speak.

Requirements for participation, required level

BaAngBM2 completed!

Bibliography

A reader with the required reading assignments for each session will be made available before start of term.
Please make sure to get your personal copy before our first meeting.