230647 Intercultural Pragmatics in Southern Africa (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

This course explores how language, culture, history and social context shape communication across multilingual and multicultural African communities. Drawing on theories from Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, and Intercultural Communication, the seminar examines how meaning is negotiated in everyday interaction, institutional settings, digital spaces and transactional encounters throughout the region. Students will investigate communicative practices in context shaped by colonialism, urbanisation, migration, globalisation, and linguistic diversity, with particular attention to countries in the Southern African region. Through case studies, media analysis and seminar discussions, students will develop analytical tools for understanding how speakers use language strategically across cultures.