Language, power and society

Teacher(s)

Aulit Laetitia (compensates Hambye Philippe); Hambye Philippe;

Language

French

Main themes

The aim of this course is to examine various social phenomena and debates that have language as a central theme, drawing on research in sociolinguistics and discourse analysis. Each year, different issues and topics will be addressed, such as the role of language in the construction of identities, the question of linguistic discrimination, the links between discourse and the reproduction of ideologies, and language policies (whether they concern the management of plurilingualism, policies for the linguistic integration of migrants or inclusive language). Whatever the topic, the course will focus on the question of power relations, the way they are constructed, reproduced or contested through the various phenomena studied, and the linguistic dimension of these processes. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Develop an overview of the relationship between language and society;
2	Critically address social issues through their language dimension;
3	Understand and exploit different theoretical and methodological approaches to sociolinguistics and discourse analysis.
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes (ELAL learning outcomes): 1.4, 1.6, 3.2, 3.5, 5.3, 5.6.

Content

The course addresses the issue of language as a reflection of identities and a tool for constructing the identity of the speaker and others in the context of authentic communication. After laying the theoretical and methodological foundations necessary to understand identity issues in the context of language use and their effects on power relations in society, the course deals with concepts such as the social and discursive identity of the speaker (particularly through issues of accent, geographical and social origins, and gender), but also the social and discursive identity of the interlocutor (through phenomena of identity assignment and their possible reappropriation by target groups). To this end, the course is based on the reading and commentary of studies in sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, as well as on critical analysis of interactions in concrete communication situations.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered in person in the form of lectures comprising theoretical presentations of the issues and concepts covered, and activities involving reflective analysis of interactions in authentic communication contexts. This teaching is also accompanied by readings of scientific research available on the Moodle page of the course.

Evaluation methods

The assessment takes the form of a written examination comprising, on the one hand, open-ended questions on linguistic analysis methodologies and concepts covered in the course and, on the other hand, a reflective analysis on an authentic communication situation, with a view to demonstrating the student's ability to apply the concepts studied to new communication situations.

Online resources

Moodle page of this course.
A bibliography specific to each topic is provided at the end of the PowerPoint presentations for each lecture.

Bibliography

Une bibliographie propre à chaque thème est mentionnée à la fin des présentations PowerPoint de chaque cours magistral.

Faculty or entity

> ELAL