LANG 3081 Spanish 308: Spanish Sociolinguistics

This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 100158

Coordinator Ignacio Garcia Opens in new window

Description This unit aims to give students an understanding of the phonological, morpho-syntactic, semantic and pragmatic changes in the Spanish language as spoken and written at the start of its second millennium. Particular attention will be paid to the dialectal geography of the Hispanic world, and to the problems faced by the language today, with particular reference to its 'Spanglish' version in emigre communities in the United States and Australia, and to information technology.

School Humanities & Comm Arts

Discipline Southern European Languages

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
  1. understand the phonological, morphosyntactic and lexical variations and changes undergone by the Spanish language in the last decades;
  2. recognise differences across regional varieties in terms of politeness, forms of address and speech acts;
  3. have an overview of the dialectal geography of Spain, and of the problems encountered in the areas in which the language shares official status with other Spanish languages;
  4. learn about the dialectal geography of Spanish America, the characteristics of the principles dialect groups, and the influences of migrant and indigenous languages;
  5. explore the problems faced by Spanish today, especially when entering into contact with English as manifested in the 'Spanglish' versions of the language in the subjected States and in Australia;
  6. gain an understanding of the extent and status of Spanish in the world, and of issues of standarisation.

Subject Content

- The Spanish language at the beginning of the 21th century: phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical variation and change.
- Spanish pragmatics: terms of politeness, forms of address, speech acts.
- Peninsular Spanish: The main dialect groups. language policies regarding bilingualism in Catalonia, The Basque Country and Galicia.
- American Spanish. The main dialect groups and their structural characteristics. The impact of indigenous languages and of migrant communities.
- The phenomenon of 'Spanglish'; code switching and language function; 'diglossia' in emigre communities; problems in information technology.
- The extent and status of Spanish in The world.
- Issues of standarisation: The use of The language in The media and by The administration, The use of non-sexist language.

Teaching Periods

Structures that include subject