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): Grama James