122224 SE Linguistics Seminar / BA Paper (2017S)

This course focuses on sociolinguistic issues that are of particular relevance in (English) language education. You will have opportunities to investigate a wide range of sociolinguistic issues that arise in various educational contexts (within Austria and beyond), where English language education plays a significant role, either as a medium of instruction or as a language being taught. Topics will include language ideologies, language and identity, language and power, English as an international language, models and practices in multilingual education and language policy and planning. You will also be introduced to a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches for exploring and understanding such issues.

This seminar combines lecturer input, on- & offline assignments, reading-based group work and discussions, and individual research work leading to student presentations and seminar papers.

In the first phase of the seminar, we will engage in shared reading and discussion of key texts and get familiar with the topic area. Based on this, participants will be able to design and carry out their own projects in the latter part of the seminar.