This course will focus on the role of social and
linguistic factors in the transmission and diffusion of featural change in a
specific constellation of varieties that fall under the category of Australian
English(es), an umbrella term to refer to the variety spoken by between 20-25
million people (largely in Australia). Students will be exposed to a wide range
of research concerning principles of language change, class and ethnolectal
variation, and the linguistic ecology of Australia. The course will be
hands-on, and students will work closely with the instructor to investigate
changes in Australian English using data from the Sydney Speaks project (Travis
et al. In Progress; https://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/sydney-speaks/). Methods introduced in
this class are widely applicable to linguistic analysis, particularly for
students interested in using real data to address questions concerning
variation, English in the Pacific, language change, and ethnolects.
- Lehrende(r): James Grama