World Englishes

This course is addressed to BA (LT) students in Foreign Languages and Literatures. For the complexity of the topics introduced, investigated, and discussed along with the high level of specificity of English required for understanding audio-visual materials, it is suitable for second- and third-year students. World Englishes can also be included in the MA (LM) student syllabus.

This course aims at introducing and discussing the notions of dialect, accent, and variety, along with the idea of language variation vs. language standard/s (standard variety/ies and standardising issues). This approach will also introduce the debate on the role of English in different socio-linguistic contexts of use (class, social group, ethnic group, age group; regional, everyday, institutional, professional contexts, etc.), at different levels of variation (spelling, phonetics/phonology, vocabulary, morpho-syntax), and for different functions (native, official, second, foreign, international, global, etc.).

Some case studies will also be used to highlight major differences/similarities across varieties. Both the synchronic and the diachronic perspectives will be considered.

Knowledge and understanding: students are expected to a. explain and discuss the complex notions of accent, dialect, and variety from a diatopic (regional/geographical), diastratic (social, cultural or educational factors; sociolinguistic), and diachronic (historical/timeline); discuss the main linguistic standardising processes, in relation to the extra-linguistic context under scrutiny; c. highlight the linguistic and extra-linguistic relevance of variants at the basis of linguistic change, and differentiation processes (synchronic and diachronic perspectives).

Applying knowledge and understanding: students will a. identify the main distinctive features between accents (phonetic and phonological levels) and dialects (lexical and morpho-syntactic levels), either in the British Isles, or in a wider geographical context (English around the world); listen, understand, and analyse spoken interaction and written texts from a number of sources, identifying the major linguistic features which characterise/distinguish any single variety (case studies).