Language contact and language planning

6 ECTS credits
180 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4020158FNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Wim Vandenbussche (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

13 contact hours Lecture
13 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
75 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

In this course at the MA level, we will zoom in on the concept of language contact and language planning, mainly from a language sociological angle. During the lectures, we will refresh and deepen our understanding of basic concepts surrounding language planning and policy, language contact, minority languages and societal multilingualism, and language shift and maintenance. The most important themes and theories in the associated fields of study will be illustrated by means of several relevant case studies (from the Dutch language area, or beyond). We may also invite one or more guest lecturers on one of these subjects.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Slides, hand-outs en literatuur

Additional info

Relevant literature and assigned readings will be made available over the course of the semester.

Learning Outcomes

Leerdoelstellingen

1. Students can recognize, situate and explain relevant theories, concepts and terms from the language contact literature, and they can apply this theoretical knowledge to the various case studies.

2. Students show that they have acquired the necessary scientific independence to carry out a thorough study of research literature on a specialized topic as well as an empirical research project on a related topic, and they are able to formulate critical and insightful questions on this topic.

3. Students are capable of making a critical synthesis of the research literature and their own empirical findings, achieving a good balance between theoretical and methodological insights on the one hand, and a thorough empirical description or analysis of a language planning or language contact phenomenon in a minority speech community of their choice.

4. Students are aware of the multilingual society in which they live, and can engage in a meaningful intercultural dialogue with members of a minority language community within Brussels, with respect for linguistic diversity and recognizing the complex relationship between language, culture and identity.

5. Students can report about their insights and findings by means of a seminar presentation, using fluent English and accurate linguistic terminology.

6. Students can furthermore report about their insights and findings of a critical literature review in the form of a scientific paper, written in an appropriate register of a standard variety of English and with an accurate and rich use of the acquired terminology.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
LEC Paper determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the LEC Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Onderzoekspaper with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Note: Een grondige wetenschappelijke studie op basis van een onderzoeksproject over het gekozen onderwerp.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The final grade is determined on the basis of a written paper (100% of the grade).

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context