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Language Attitudes in Applied Contexts - LAN00070I

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  • Department: Language and Linguistic Science
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. James Tompkinson
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

Different aspects of language use can often be a fundamental source of personality and social judgements of other people. But what happens when these judgements are made in professional contexts, potentially disadvantaging certain groups of people? And how can linguistic analysis and research help us understand and prevent unnecessary discrimination or biases towards, for example, a defendant in a court of law, or a person applying for a job in a large professional services company? In this module you will develop a thorough understanding of research on language attitudes, and how this applies in three specific applied contexts; the legal system, professional services and HR, and education. You will learn how to apply sociolinguistic theory and research on language attitudes to these areas, critically evaluate different methodologies, produce your own report, and consider how you would present findings to non-linguists in order to raise awareness and improve policy. This module will be of particular interest to students who are interested in applying their knowledge of linguistics to ‘real-world’ professional environments.

Related modules

Pre-requisite modules

Co-requisite modules

  • None

Prohibited combinations

  • None

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

In this module students will:

  • develop a theoretical understanding of existing research on language attitudes, and the key methodologies for eliciting and evaluating attitudes towards language use.
  • develop an understanding of how research on language attitudes can be applied to legal, professional, and educational contexts.
  • develop presentation and communication skills, particularly in relation to communicating academic research to non-specialist audiences.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students should:

  • be aware of methodologies used to collect language attitudes and know which methods are most appropriate for certain tasks.
  • have learned and developed strategies for communicating linguistic findings to a non-linguistic audience.
  • have improved your small group working and presentation skills.
  • have gained the ability to provide in-depth critical analysis of linguistic issues in real-world contexts.
  • have gained an increased understanding of how sociolinguistic research can be conducted alongside and within other disciplines, such as psychology.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Written report on a given topic		 N/A 70
Groupwork
Group presentation		 N/A 30

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Group presentation: Explaining linguistic research to members of the public. Students will be expected to attend at least three presentation slots in addition to the slot they present in.

Written report: Written report on a given topic, including a critical literature review and policy recommendations.

Reassessment

None

Module feedback

Formative essay – Written feedback within 2 weeks of submission.

Summative group presentation – Written feedback at the end of Week 11 once all presentations have been completed. Feedback would not be given immediately as this may provide students presenting at the end of the module with an unfair advantage.

Summative essay – Written feedback provided in line with standard university timelines for assessment feedback.

Indicative reading

Garrett, P. (2006). Language attitudes. In C. Llamas, L. Mullany & P. Stockwell (Eds.), The Routledge companion to sociolinguistics, 116-121. London, New York: Routledge.

Garrett, P. (2010). Attitudes to language. Cambridge University Press.

Holtgraves, T. (Ed.). (2014). The Oxford handbook of language and social psychology. Oxford Library of Psychology.

Kircher, R., & Zipp, L. (Eds.). (2022). Research methods in language attitudes. Cambridge University Press.

Ladegaard, H. J. (2000). Language attitudes and sociolinguistic behaviour: Exploring attitude-behaviour relations in language. Journal of sociolinguistics, 4(2), 214-233.

Long, D., & Preston, D. R. (Eds.). (2002). Handbook of perceptual dialectology (Vol. 2). John Benjamins Publishing.

Mileva, M., Tompkinson, J., Watt, D., & Burton, A. M. (2018). Audiovisual integration in social evaluation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44(1), 128–138.

Sharma, D., Levon, E., & Ye, Y. (2022). 50 years of British accent bias: Stability and lifespan change in attitudes to accents. English World-Wide, 43(2), 135-166.

Sharma, D., Levon, E., Watt, D., Ye, Y., & Cardoso, A. (2019). Methods for the study of accent bias and access to elite professions. Journal of Language and Discrimination, 3(2), 150-172.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.