Study of the social situations involving interaction between speakers of different languages, the social processes which result in changes to languages, and the linguistic effects of such interaction. Social situations to include: multilingual societies, immigration, colonisation, trade, cultural hegemony. Socio-linguistic processes of accommodation, code-switching, borrowing (copying) of vocabulary, adaptation of linguistic structure, dialect leveling (koineisation), language shift, creation of new languages through pidginisation and language mixing. Linguistic characteristics resulting from such processes; how to diagnose prehistoric contact-induced language change. Discussion of Pacific, Asian and European language situations, as well as selected areas from other parts of the world.

Three exercises (30%), 2,500 word essay (30%), 2.5 hour examination (30%), and tutorial participation (10%).

26 lectures and 7 tutorials

At least 12 units (2 courses) in Linguistics.

LING1001/LING2001 Introduction to the Study of Language, LING1002/LING2002 Languatge in Society, or LING2003 Syntax.