Pre-requisites

None.

Co-requisites

LN504 or LN804 Introduction to Sociolinguistics

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

• Describe the linguistic and sociolinguistic criteria that can be used to identify languages and dialects and to determine the extensibility of existing literature in multilingual situations.

• Justify the choice of methods used in language surveys to discover ethnolinguistic identity, assess language vitality, determine linguistic similarity, measure inherent intelligibility, evaluate bilingual proficiency, and describe language attitudes and patterns of language use.

• Determine the type of survey most relevant for a given situation and to relate the requirements of survey to the methods and sampling techniques appropriate for that survey.

• Read and evaluate language survey reports, conduct secondary research, and to develop the proposal and initial plan for a language survey.

Unit Description

Language surveys are often needed to assess the status of a language for those who speak it. This could be to help determine if a language development program might be started and its scope, to help a community assess status and progress during the course of a program, or survey might be conducted well after the program has ended.

This unit is designed to help students develop an understanding of the principles that lie behind language surveys. It guides students through the processes of researching a language community, choosing appropriate research and evaluation tools to determine the status of the language(s) spoken in that community, and writing a proposal for a language survey.

Topics

• What and why language survey; language vs dialect

• Survey types, the process of conducting a language survey

• Language assessment and its place in language programs

• Preliminary survey plans and secondary research

• Survey methodologies

• Dialect survey, grouping dialects into languages

• Identifying a reference dialect; testing language proficiency

• Determining extensibility of literature; assessing language vitality

• Assess Language Vitality

• Sampling procedures; pilot testing of procedures

• Reviewing and writing survey reports

• Reviewing and writing survey proposals

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Unit offerings

SILA: (Demand based)

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.