Varieties of English
Code: 106314 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| English Studies | OT | 3 |
| English Studies | OT | 4 |
| English and Catalan Studies | OT | 3 |
| English and Catalan Studies | OT | 4 |
| English and Spanish Studies | OT | 3 |
| English and Spanish Studies | OT | 4 |
| English and French Studies | OT | 0 |
| English and French Studies | OT | 3 |
| English and French Studies | OT | 4 |
| English and Classics Studies | OT | 3 |
| English and Classics Studies | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Susagna Tubau Muntaña
- Email:
- susagna.tubau@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
A level of C2 (proficiency) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning,Teaching, Assessment. With C2 the student can understand without effort almost everything they read or hear; they can summarise information from different written or oral sources, reconstruct facts and arguments, and present them in a coherent way; they can express themselves spontaneously, with fluency and precision, distinguishing subtle meaning nuances even in the most complex situations.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This course aims to offer a linguistic characterisation of the main geographical and social varieties of English, relating non-standard varieties of English with linguistic change and, potentially, with other sociolinguistic issues (prestige, identity, etc.).
Competences
- English Studies
- Apply scientific ethical principles to information processing.
- Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired to the study of the English language in a global and multilingual social context of language learning and teaching.
- Demonstrate skills to work autonomously and in teams to fulfil the planned objectives.
- Distinguish and contrast the distinct paradigms and methodologies applied to the study of English.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Understand and produce written and spoken academic texts in English at advanced higher-proficient-user level (C2).
- Use digital tools and specific documentary sources for the collection and organisation of information.
- Use written and spoken English for academic and professional purposes, related to the study of linguistics, the philosophy of language, history, English culture and literature.
- English and Catalan Studies
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired during the study of variations of English and Catalan language, be it in a historical context or in the current global social and multilingual context.
- Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of Catalan and mastery of its foundations and applications in the academic and professional fields.
- Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
- Make correct use of written and spoken English for academic or professional purposes, related to the study of language, history, culture and literature.
- Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
- Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
- English and Spanish Studies
- Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired during the study of the English and Spanish language in a global, multilingual social context.
- Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
- Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
- English and French Studies
- Adapt the acquired knowledge to the practical needs related to English and French literature, culture and linguistics in the professional field.
- Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired to the different fields of applied English and French linguistics, in a global, multilingual, social context of language learning.
- Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams with the aim of attaining the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
- Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
- Use spoken English and French correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of linguistics, history, culture and literature.
- English and Classics Studies
- Apply the concepts, resources and methods acquired to the study of the English language in order to understand its diachronic change, as well as its current geographic and social diversity, and to study its acquisition and learning in a global and multilingual society.
- Demonstrate skills for professional development in the fields of linguistic applications, teaching and literary and cultural management in English and in the field of classical languages.
- Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and in teams in order to achieve the planned objectives in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Understand and produce oral and written academic texts with appropriateness and fluency in distinct communicative contexts.
- Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
- Use written and spoken English correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of English linguistics, history, culture, and literature.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse the effects of the application of distinct language-diversity management policies in those institutional spheres in which English is a widely used language: business, education, tourism, communication technologies, etc.
- Apply acquired concepts and methods to professional situations simulated in the classroom through problem solving and case simulation
- Apply acquired concepts and methods to professional situations simulated in the classroom through problem solving and case simulation.
- Develop effective written work and oral presentations and adapted to the appropriate register.
- Express oneself in English, orally and in writing, in an academic register and using appropriate terminology in relation to the study of English as a language of global scope, linguistic variation and, in general, the social uses of language.
- Identify and analyse—from a critical point of view—the existing models and concepts to conceptualise the rise and use of English as a lingua franca in global communication.
- Identify and understand different sociocultural approaches and their methodologies for the study of the English language.
- Identify the main linguistic properties of non-standard varieties of English by applying the concepts acquired during the linguistic study of standard English.
- Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- Incorporate ideas and concepts from published sources into work, citing and referencing appropriately.
- Locate specialised and academic information and select this according to its relevance.
- Maintain an attitude of respect for the opinions, values, behaviors and practices of others.
- Organise academic work effectively.
- Plan work effectively, individually or in groups, in order to fulfil the planned objectives.
- Produce normatively correct written and oral texts.
- Produce written and oral academic texts at higher-proficient-user level (C2) on the concepts and skills relevant to the study of sociolinguistics, multilingualism and varieties of English.
- Relate the main linguistic properties of non-standard varieties of English to linguistic change by applying the concepts acquired during the diachronic study of English.
- Understand specialised academic texts (C2) on research into the use/learning of English in multilingual contexts, linguistic variation and change, sociolinguistics and language policy.
- Understand specialised academic texts on research into the use/learning of English at higher-proficient-user level (C2) in multilingual contexts, linguistic variation and change, sociolinguistics and language policy.
- Understand specialised academic texts on research into the use/learning of English in multilingual contexts, linguistic variation and change, sociolinguistics and language policy.
- Understand specialised academic texts on research into the use/learning of English in multilingual contexts, linguistic variation and change, sociolinguistics and language policy at Mastery level (C2).
- Understand specialist academic texts at master's-degree level (C2) on research into English language use/learning in multilingual contexts, language variation and change, sociolinguistics and language policy.
Content
UNIT 1. Background notions and the expansion of English
UNIT 2. Morphological, syntactic and phonological variation across varieties of English
UNIT 3. English in Scotland, Ireland and England
UNIT 4. North American varieties of English; southern hemisphere varieties of English; standards
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures and class debate | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 22, 18, 19, 20, 21, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17 |
| Practical classes | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 15, 4, 17 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual and group work and class discussion | 25 | 1 | 3, 2, 22, 18, 19, 20, 21, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 15, 4, 17 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading, personal study, assignment preparation and exercises | 50 | 2 | 3, 2, 22, 18, 19, 20, 21, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 15, 4, 17 |
50 hours of directed class work: 30 hours of lectures and 20 of practice
50 hours of autonomous work: 25 hours of reading and 25 hours of revision
25 hours of supervised work
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment in groups | 20 | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 3, 2, 22, 18, 19, 20, 21, 5, 6, 7, 9, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 15, 4, 17 |
| Exam in pairs/groups with class notes | 35 | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 15, 4, 17 |
| In-class exercises | 10 | 5 | 0.2 | 22, 18, 19, 20, 21, 5, 8, 16, 15, 17 |
| Theoretically-oriented exam | 35 | 5 | 0.2 | 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, 15, 4, 17 |
Exact dates for all assessment activities will be confirmed at the start of the course through a course calendar published on the class Moodle.
Continuous assessment
The final course grade will be calculated as follows:
-1 theoretically-oriented exam (35%)
-1 assignment in groups (20%)
-1 exam in pairs/groups with class notes (35%)
- In-class exercises (10%)
Single assessment
-1 theoretically-oriented exam (1 hour and a half) (40%) and 1 exam with class notes (1 hour and a half) (40%) on the same day.
-Hand in of 1 assignment on the same day the two exams are sat (20%).
Procedure for reviewing grades awarded
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedure to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Reassessment
Students with continuous assessment:
To be eligible for reassessment students must have been assessed on a number of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 or the final course grade (65% or more) and have obtained a final average mark of 3.5/10. The reassessment exam will consist on a final summative test to be sat on the day and time assigned by the Faculty.
Students with single assessment:
To be eligible for reassessment students must have been assessed on the three required activities and have obtained a final average mark of 3.5/10. The same reassessment method as continuous assessment will be used.
Plagiarism
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Conditions for the 'Not assessed' qualification
The student will get the 'Not assessed' qualification if they have not carried out more than 1/3 of the assessment activities.
IMPORTANT! Erasmus students that ask for a change of date of an exam must give their professor a written document from their university of origin that justifies their request.
This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.
Bibliography
Adams, G. Brendan. 1977. The dialects of Ulster. In Diarmaid Ó Muirthe (ed.), The English Language in Ireland. Dublin: Mercier Press, 56-70.
Aitchison, Jean. 1991. Language Change: Progress or Decay?. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Anderwald, Lieselotte. 2002. Negation in Non-Standard British English. Gaps, regularizations and asymmetries. London: Routledge.
Bauer, Laurie. 1994. English in New Zealand. In Robert W. Burchfield (ed.), The Cambridge History of the English Language. Vol. V: English in Britain and Overseas, Origins and Developments. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, 382-429.
Bauer, Laurie. 2002. An Introduction to International Varieties of English. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Branford, William. 1994. English in South Africa. In Robert W. Burchfield (ed.), The Cambridge History of the English Language. Vol. V: English in Britain and Overseas, Origins and Developments. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, 430-496.
Butler, Susan. 2001. Australian English - an identity crisis. In David Blair and Peter Collins (eds.), English in Australia. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: Benjamins, 151-161.
Filppula, Markku. 1999. The Grammar of Irish English. London and New York: Routledge.
Kortmann, Berndt & Edgar Schneider (eds.). 2004. A Handbook of Varieties of English: A multimedia reference tool. Mouton: de Gruyter.
Labov, William. 1994. Principles of Linguistic Change: Internal factors. Oxford and Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
McClure, J. Derrick. 1994. English in Scotland. In Robert W. Burchfield (ed.), The Cambridge History of the English Language. Vol. V: English in Britain and Overseas, Origins and Developments. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, 23-93.
McMahon, April. 1994. Understanding Language Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Peters, Pam. 2001. Varietal effects: the influence of American English on Australian and British English. In Bruce Moore (ed.). Who's Centric Now? Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 297-309.
Sudbury, Andrea. 2001. Falkland Islands English. A southern hemisphere variety? English World-Wide 22: 55-80.
Trudgill, Peter. 1990. The Dialects of England. Oxford: Blackwell.
Wells, J.C. 1982. Accents of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wolfram, Walt and Natalie Schilling-Estes. 1998. American English. Malden, MA and Oxford: Blackwell.
Software
It does not apply.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.