Course Schedule

Veranstaltungen von Prof. Dr. Anne Barron

Lehrveranstaltungen

Sociolinguistic Variation: Theories, Methods and Applications (Seminar)

Inhalt: This course deals with the relationship between language and society. We focus on the diversity found in language use in society and how this relates to the language classroom. Our focus will be on gender. We investigate how sexism is expressed and transmitted through language, how men and women use language differently in constructing their social identities and how gender is portrayed in children's literature and in the public arena. Students will be expected to engage in empirical research, i.e. to collect and analyse data in groups. This empirical work will form the basis of the module assessment (cf. below)

Second Language Pragmatics (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Anne Barron

Inhalt: In linguistics, the saying "Actions speak louder than words" conceals the fact that in using language, in producing words, we act and change the world. A request uttered by a friend has to be responded to; an apology changes the way we feel about someone. Second language pragmatics investigates how such abilities develop, what challenges learners face, and how instruction can support pragmatic development. In this course, we look at how native speakers of different cultures "do things with words" (Austin 1962) and "how learners come to know how-to-say-what-to-whom-when.” (Bardovi-Harlig 2013:68-69). We also discuss how pragmatic competence, an important component of communicative competence, can be taught and we examine how well EFL textbooks are suited to the challenge of equiping learners for communicating in the foreign language. By the end of the seminar, participants will be able to: - explain central concepts and research methods in second language pragmatics - analyze learner production of speech acts and identify developmental patterns - recognize instances of pragmatic transfer and pragmatic failure - design instructional activities to support the acquisition of speech acts - critically reflect on the role of pragmatic competence in language education Students will be expected to engage in empirical research, i.e. to collect and analyse data in groups. This empirical work will form the basis of the module assessment (cf. below) The course is conducted through the medium of English.

Contrastive linguistics: Contrasting languages in context (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Anne Barron

Inhalt: This seminar introduces students to the field of contrastive linguistics, and in particular to contrastive pragmatics with a particular focus on its relevance for language teaching. While grammar and vocabulary are central to language learning, successful communication also depends on pragmatic competence—the ability to use language appropriately in context. Speech acts such as requests, apologies, compliments, refusals, and complaints are realized differently across languages and cultures, and these differences can lead to misunderstanding even when grammatical forms are correct. Drawing on cross-linguistic data, we will explore how speech acts are structured and modified in different languages, how politeness and indirectness are encoded, and how social variables such as power, distance, and imposition shape linguistic choices. We will analyse data and consult empirical studies in contrastive pragmatics to understand where learners may experience pragmatic transfer from their first language. A central aim of the seminar is to connect theory with classroom practice. Students will learn how to identify pragmatically relevant features in teaching materials, how to critically assess textbook representations and how to design classroom activities that foster pragmatic awareness. By the end of the seminar, participants will be able to: -reflect on the role of pragmatic competence in communicative language teaching -explain key concepts in pragmatics and speech act theory - analyze and compare speech act realizations across languages - identify potential areas of cross-linguistic pragmatic transfer - develop pedagogical tasks to teach speech acts explicitly and implicitly Students will be expected to engage in empirical research, i.e. to collect and analyse data in groups. This empirical work will form the basis of the module assessment (cf. below) The course is conducted through the medium of English.

Language, Attitudes and Power (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Anne Barron

Inhalt: The status of English as well as uses of English around the world have changed over the history of the English language. English is today an important language in communication around the globe, and Standard English a standardised subject, a desirable comodity and a source of power. The realities of the English language in today's globalised world, however, go beyond Standard English. There exist numerous varieties of English, from Malaysian English, to New Zealand English, to Chinese English, to British English. In addition, English is also used extensively as a lingua franca in native and non-native communication. In this seminar, we investigate the impact which colonisation, among other factors, had on the development of the English language, we explore the different uses and varieties of English from a linguistic perspective and we examine the power dimensions associated with Standard English and investigate attitudes towards different uses and varieties of English. Finally, we also look at the role which policies and educational contexts play in reproducing linguistic power dimensions.