Overview

This module offers a comprehensive examination of language change through various lenses. It starts by exploring historical examples and models of language change, delving into both internal processes such as sound, semantic, and morpho-syntactic changes, and external forces like language contact's consequences on variation, prestige, and attitudes. Further sections delve into specific internal processes like grammaticalization and pragmaticalization, before concluding with an analysis of language use and disuse, including code-switching, diglossia, and language endangerment.

The aims include introducing students to current literature on language change, familiarizing them with sociolinguistic approaches, internal explanations, societal consequences, research skills, and initiating their research projects exploring synchronic or diachronic language change. Topics covered include reasons behind language change, evolutionary frameworks, lexical, semantic, and sound changes, grammaticalization, pragmaticalization, language contact, and outcomes like code-switching, shift, and language death.

Students in this module, depending on assessment topics, research question(s) and methodologies will have to opportunity to utilize the department labs, specialized software and resources, when carry out their assessments. This can include access to and the use of; high-level statistical modelling and analysis software and a wide range of concordance software and specialised corpora for many languages.

1. How & Why Do Languages Change?
2. Language Change in an Evolutionary Framework
3. Language Change – Lexical and semantic
4. Language Change – Sound change
5. Language Change – Transition
6. Language Change – Causation
7. History and Mechanisms of Grammaticalization (Gmx)
8. Pragmaticalization (Pgn) and Discourse Markers (DMs)
9. Language Contact & Language Change
10. Outcomes of language contact: code-switching, shift, and death

Assessment Strategy

Threshold (D- to D+) Submitted work is adequate and shows an acceptable level of competence as follows: 1.Generally accurate but with omissions and errors.2.Assertions are made without clear supporting evidence or reasoning.3.Has structure but is lacking in clarity and therefore relies on the reader to make links and assumptions.4.Draws on a relatively narrow range of material.

Good (C- to B+) Submitted work is competent throughout and may be distinguished by superior style, approach and choice of supporting materials. It: 1.Demonstrates good or very good structure and logically developed arguments.2.Draws at least in parts on material that has been sourced and assessed as a result of independent study, or in a way unique to the student.3.Assertions are backed by evidence and sound reasoning.4.Accuracy and presentation in an appropriate academic style.

Excellent (A- to A*) Submitted work is of an outstanding quality and excellent in one or more of the following ways: 1.Has originality of exposition with the student’s own thinking being readily apparent.2.Provides clear evidence of extensive and relevant independent study.3.Arguments are laid down with clarity and provide the reader with successive stages of consideration to reach conclusions.

Learning Outcomes

• Acquiring and indicating knowledge of the principles and theoretical frameworks used in the fields Grammaticalization, Pragmaticalization and (inter) subjectivity with respect to language change.

• Developing and applying theoretical and methodological questions that compare and critique both internal and external factors that are argued to facilitate and / or motivate language change.

• Illustrating and summarizing the primary terms, concepts, principles, and the main theories used in the field to describe, explain, and understand language change as a process, or processes, in both diachronic and synchronic contexts.

• Showing a familiarity with the primary terms, concepts, principles, issues, and consequences on topics such as code-switching, diglossia, language shift, language maintenance, revitalization, morbidity, and death.