Students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of how language intersects with personal and cultural identity, with the ability to analyze and critically discuss the role of language in shaping identity on both individual and societal levels.

Students will develop the skills to critically evaluate and deconstruct cultural stereotypes, linguistic discrimination, and linguistic profiling, applying their knowledge to real-world examples and recognizing the implications of such stereotypes on diverse linguistic communities.

Students will acquire a working knowledge of linguistic concepts, such as language variation, codeswitching, and style-shifting, enabling them to explain and interpret language-related interactions and connections between individuals and groups.

Students will gain insight into the role of language as a cultural and national identifier, as well as an appreciation for the complexities of cultural hierarchies in a globalized society, fostering cultural sensitivity and awareness of cultural power dynamics.

Students will be prepared to defend informed positions on language policy issues, including English-only policies and bilingualism policies, with a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and political implications of language choices and their impact on identity and society.

Relevant education: BAE in Secondary Education; PhD in Sociocultural Linguistics
Relevant experience: 20+ years teaching in higher education; teaching on Outschool since 2020

Homework Offered
Assessments Offered
Informal verbal feedback through discussion in class.
Grades Offered

The following are resources I draw from in creating course materials as well as foundational authors on the topics addressed.

Erdrich, L. (2000) Two languages in mind, but just one in the heart. The New York Times, May 22, pp. E1–2.

Hoffman, E. (1989) Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language. New York: E.P. Dutton.

Horton, J. (2010). The Politics of Diversity: Immigration, Resistance, and Change in Monterey Park, California. Temple University Press.

Labov, W. (1966) The Social Stratification of English in New York City. Washington, DC: The Center for Applied Linguistics.

Labov, W. (1972) Language in the Inner City: Studies in Black English Vernacular. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Linguistic Society of America (1997) LSA resolution on the Oakland “Ebonics” issue. January. On WWW at http://www.lsadc.org/ebonics.html.

Rickford, J.R. and Rickford, A.E. (1995) Dialect readers revisited. Linguistics and Education 7 (2), 107–128.

Rodriguez, G. (1999) From Newcomers to New Americans: The Successful Integration of Immigrants into American Society. Washington, DC: National Immigration Forum. 

Rodriguez, R. (1982) Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Boston: David R. Godine.

Salmons, J. C. (1993). The German Language in America, 1683-1991. Max Kade Institute.

Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (1981) Bilingualism or Not: The Education of Minorities. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (1990) Language, Literacy and Minorities. London: The Minority Rights Group.

Snead, T., & Cushman, E. (2023) Building a community-centered archive for Cherokee language description, documentation, and reclamation. The Modern Language Journal, 107(1), 242-267.

Wolfram, W.A. (1969) A Sociolinguistic Description of Detroit Negro Speech. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Wolfson, N. (1989). Perspectives: Sociolinguistics and TESOL. Cambridge: Newbury House Publishers.

Verhovek, S.H. (1995) Mother scolded by judge for speaking in Spanish. The New York Times, August 30, p. A12.