Level: Licence 3
Semester: 05
This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts, theories, and issues that define the field of sociolinguistics. It examines how language functions in society, how it varies across social groups and contexts, and how social factors influence linguistic choices. The module provides an essential foundation for understanding language as a social phenomenon shaped by history, identity, contact, and policy.
Beginning with a general introduction to sociolinguistics, the course explores its origins, main branches (micro- and macro-sociolinguistics), and key terminology. Students learn how language varies within speech communities and examine different types of variation, including dialects, accents, sociolects, ethnolects, genderlects, and idiolects.
The course also addresses major phenomena arising from language contact, such as code-mixing, code-switching, borrowing, pidgins, creoles, and lingua francas. These topics help students understand how languages influence one another and evolve in multilingual environments.
Attention is given to different language forms in society, including monolingualism, bilingualism, diglossia, multilingualism, and polyglottism. This section highlights the sociopolitical and cultural dynamics that shape language use in diverse communities.
The final part of the course introduces students to language planning and policy. It covers definitions, types of planning, the policy-making process, and how decisions about language shape education, governance, and social cohesion.
Overall, this module equips students with the analytical tools needed to understand linguistic diversity, interpret social patterns of language use, and engage critically with issues related to language policy and multilingualism—particularly relevant in the Algerian context.
- Enseignant: Farid METROUH